WTN: Truffle dinner and Open That Bottle Night

St. Jacques French Cuisine in Raleigh, NC Wednesday, Jan. 22. No corkage this evening. I took a 2009 Alysian Wines (Gary Farrell) Pinot Noir Rochioli Vineyard Edgewater, Russian River Valley, CA. It was well chilled on arrival having been in the trunk of my car with the temperature in the 30's Fahrenheit. The first glass was chilled and later glasses at room temperature. The truffles were black diamonds from Perigord, France. We first had an amuse bouche, a spoonful of mousse. The first course was a ravioli dish with a shrimp and truffle filling. Next was a circle of pureed artichoke with truffle. Then a palate cleanser of a bite of Sauternes sorbet. The entree was a chicken dish with Parmesan crust, Mornay sauce and shaved truffles on top. Dessert was a small scoop of foie gras ice cream and a small portion of truffled creme brulee. The only dish that I would have prefered without the truffles was the creme brulee. On this evening I liked all the other courses better than I did the dessert. The wine was food friendly with the delicious truffle dishes. Pretty Burgundy color. The nose was more expressive of violets than of a particular fruit although plum may have been present. Fruity and yet showing some restraint. I shared it with others at my table and left some for the restaurant owner or staff. A Frenchman from southern France sat across from me. He is in charge of US operations for a French wine business and happened to be in Raleigh. A couple originally from Peru were to my left. I had met them at the Beaujolais Nouveau dinner put on by the same restaurant owner at his Burke Manor Inn in Gibsonville, NC. The Peruvian couple lived in Toronto at one time and the Frenchman has a daughter attending university in Montreal so we had quite an international flavor. The couple sitting next to the Frenchman shared some Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine with me. I didn't note the vintage. Great evening. I will be dining at St. Jacques again on Jan. 28th after a meeting about the restaurant owner's planned trip to Burgundy in September. I likely won't be going on the Burgundy trip this year abut may go in 2015 if he offers it again.