Last week Mary Jo and I went to Salvatore's Italian Gardens for a belated celebration of her birthday. It is a high end restaurant, well known in the Buffalo area. Mary Jo opted for the Steak Salvatore (Twin 5 oz cuts of tenderloin sautéed with mushrooms, topped with a pinot noir reduction and prepared tableside.) I ordered the Osso Bucco (generous 3 inch cut with a cacciatore sauce & vermicelli). Both were excellent. It took me a while to peruse the wine list, as it was quite extensive, with wines as much as $3,500, but I was pleased to see several wines from NY State and Ontario listed. We chose the 2009 Stratus Red. The wine was decanted into an unusual decanter, which was suspended high enough above the table to allow for filling the glass through a valve at the bottom of the decanter. We also had a nice chat with the sommolier. The wine was pretty straightforward with primary fruit dominating the nose. The oak was there, but not dominant and the tannins were tight with a good acid balance. The wine paired nicely with our meals, but I think it will be much nice 10 years from now. It was a fun night.
From the Stratus website:
This signature Red from Stratus is an assemblage of 42% Cabernet Franc, 22%Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 13% Petit Verdot and 5% Tannat.
Specifications
Harvest Date: November 12-December 12, 2009
Brix at harvest: 23.0%
Alcohol: 13.0%
Cooperage: 100% barrel aged in 25% new French oak for 561 days
Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
