Sometimes your bottle of wine is a near-spiritual experience, an adventure on the palate that raises your eyebrows and engenders your smile. On other occasions it’s a more functional experience, one that slakes your thirst, keeps your heart healthy, or mellows your nerves after a busy day–slowing racing thoughts to a more manageable pace. Both have a role in your wine rack, and the trick is to know which is which.

This Cabernet Sauvignon falls into the latter category. My first tasting of the Diablo was nearly a year ago at my cousin’s wedding, and this second sampling occurred under much less grand circumstances. The 2012 Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon was opened on a busy September weekend, one where we hosted a dear friend who was in town visiting from our old NJ neighborhood. She’s a vodka drinker, which meant this Chilean red was readily on hand for yours truly. It ultimately accompanied one of my favorite pre-travel meals–a simple dinner bowl of pasta with butter and salt.

It’s obviously less than ideal to drink Cab from a simple juice glass, but I’m afraid that’s how things unfolded on this particular Sunday. Regardless, the 2012 del Diablo has an easy, smooth profile. There is definitely an ample black cherry vibe about the wine, with a couple undertones that the winemaker claims are “hits of mocha and dark chocolate.” Now, I love both mocha AND dark chocolate, but those subtleties I couldn’t quite identify in the del Diablo–you’ll have to take their word for it. I am, however, going to grab a few more of the 2012 Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon just to have on hand.