Of Moroccan Chicken and Meritage

Last Wednesday was interesting.  There was a meeting going on down at the far end of our Museum's building we currently reside in and I was trying to make a relatively easy meal of Moroccan stewed chicken.  I figured the slower stewing process would create less mess and smell than frying something up in a skillet.  I was a bit wrong on that account, but as smells go, it was delightful.

To go with this sweet, spicy, and savory dish Pris pulled out one of Cameron Hughes' wines.  She selected Lot 119, a 2005 Meritage from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.  This was good wine that went great with our meal.

This wine, like so many others, offered several layers of flavor over a couple of days.  It offered a light ripe fruit nose with plum, spice, and mocha.  On the first day it was open it held sumptuous rich fruit on the palate.  However, as rich as it was, the Meritage was still light and even refreshing.  Raspberry and oak dominate this wine.  The finish was smooth, but somewhat abrupt.  On the second day this Lot mellowed dramatically.  The flavors were richer, and the wine was far more smooth.  From the second day on the finish lingered with a nice earthiness and bite.

As I said, the wine paired excellently with the meal which was chicken thighs stewed with tomatoes, chick peas, zucchini, garlic, and generous amounts of cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  The result was a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and very savory dish where the chicken just melted away in the flavors.  The mocha, spice, and fruit complemented the spice in the dish very well.  It worked to subdue the heat a bit, and really brought out the savory in the stewed chicken. 

The chicken dish itself was somewhat like a mole in the flavoring.  The only ingredient it really lacked was the chocolate.  So I don't think it'd be a stretch to say this wine should pair very well with chicken mole for anyone looking to branch out some.

We ordered this Meritage at Cameron Hughes' website (www.chwine.com), but it appears to be sold out at this time.  It runs about $12 a bottle, which is a great price for a wine this good.  The trick is finding it.  I did see a couple spots online that seem to have it in stock, all you need to do is look around.