Cono Sur Reserva 2008

Chile, Merlot. Wanted to pull a btl from my stash for a company event but was told BYO 'discouraged' due to venue corkage charges. Everyone had to put up w this venue-endorsed wine. Smells horribly artificial and plasticky, like someone just burnt a plastic bag or some volatile acids/ alkaline solution in a science lab. The palate didn't turn out much better either, with out of balance acids and no structure at all. Some pittance fruit. All over the place but to its credit not bad enough to be off-putting (5.9/10). If this is the Reserva, can't imagine what the entry wine tastes like. Tons of good value Chileans around and they chose this.