At various Ruth's Christ Steak House restaurants a pairing of dinner courses with WE 90+ wines took place last week. I attended the dinner at the Raleigh location last Thursday evening. The wines were from Palm Bay International and the regional manager was seated at my table along with three other people.
The first wine was a NV Ferrari Brut Metodo Classico (an inexpensive--around $19-$25-sparkling wine from Trentino--Aldo Adige, Italy). The wine is made in methode champenoise process. I think the online menu paired this with a brie-pecan tartlet with apple-mango chutney and guava sauce. The sparkling wine was well received at my table and the light brightness of the fruit in the appetizer course paired well with the wine. WE gave this wine 90 points and Wine Advocate gave it 89 points.
The second wine was a 2009 Planeta Chardonnay, Sicily, Italy paired with a tossed salad with Feta cheese. WE gave the wine 91 points. I liked the Chardonnay more than I expected to like it. I found it spicy, medium- to full-bodied, not too buttery, somewhat exotic.
The third course was lobster and chorizo risotto with cognac-spiked creamy lobster sauce paired with 2007 Santa Rita Triple C, Maipo Valley, Chile. (WE: 90 pts.) The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carmenere grapes. I wasn't crazy about this wine or the pairing but the lady to my right liked it better than the other red wine.
We then had the 2007 Col D'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino DOGC, Italy. (WE: 94 pts.) This was paired with filet mignon Oscar--asparagus and Sauce Bearnaise--and Ruth's garlic mashed potatoes. This was my favorite wine of the night. It started with an attractive nose. The palate revealed lacy cherries--elegant and smooth. Leggy or viscous as were several other wines this evening.
Our dessert wine was the 2009 S.A. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany (WE: 92 pts.) paired with fresh strawberry shortcake and dark chocolate-covered strawberry. The Riesling didn't do much for me on this night. I only noted "lifted note; sweet." I think it may be in an awkward phase because I normally like Mosel wines from Kabinett to Auslese.