This past week finally saw us settling down into the usual flow, after finally getting over my jet lag from my trip to Israel.  So, when the topic of food for Friday night came up, we decided to hit the freezer for some good old leftovers.  I know that to some leftovers is a swear word, but honestly to me, it is nirvana.  Mind you, I only like good leftovers, of course, and that is what we had lurking in the freezer.  A nice meal of roasted chicken and some rice makes for a lovely Friday night dinner, along with some fresh salad and fresh picked tomatoes.

Recently, I was sent a bottle of unassuming Chilean wine that I thought would pair nicely.  The wine is not a brute force or complex wine, but once this wine finally got its sea legs, some 6 or more hours later, the wine was quite enjoyable.  Initially, the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon was a mineral and dirt bomb.  The nose and mouth were dominated by mineral and loam flavors, and only a hint of cherry and cranberry flavors.  However, after a few many hours, the minerals slowly took a backseat to black fruit which appeared out of nowhere, and some integrating tannins that tied together the whole package with mouth coating tenacity.  Really nice, though not complex, just a nice quaffing wine that melds and pairs nicely with chicken or rich milk chocolate (not at the same time or after each other of course).

The wine note follows below:

2008 Sol de Chile Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: B+
The nose on this light garnet colored wine starts off hot, with way too much mineral and loamy notes, along with a hint of cherry, and cranberry.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine has cranberry, cherry pops, and a soft mouth.  The mid palate has integrating tannins, acid, and coffee.  The finish is long and spicy, with a dollop of vanilla and a long and pleasing finish…. After the wine opens up more, the mouth turns a bit blacker and incredibly smooth almost silky, with lovely soft tannins that coat your mouth and gives the wine a fuller mouth feel.  The wine is not a complex wine, but one that can be enjoyed with hard cheese, meat, and/or milk chocolate alike.  The finish is punctuated by soft tannins, spicy notes, and a dirt/loamy/mineral flavor that carries the fruit from the nose to the finish line.