South American Chef Michael Cordua’s Americas restaurant gained national attention when Esquire magazine voted his churrasco (signature-aged beef tenderloin) among its pick of the best top 20 steaks in America.But this accolade is not the reason I chose to indulge a “Last Supper” at Americas recently. It was my nostalgia for his original Galleria mall local, and my incurably romantic nature that prompted me to dine there.The five-course dinner, paired with Cousino-Macul wines from Chile, was a bargain at $65 each. The first glass of wine, a straw-colored Chardonnay, was paired with totopos de pez espada (grilled swordfish on Spanish idiazabal cheese sauce) on corn tortilla chips. We savored every sip while seated beneath dimly lighted caves and trees created by Chicago architect Jordan Mozer. The medium-bodied wine had a floral fragrance with notes of pear, green apples, and hints of lime and orange zest. On the palate, the wine felt elegant, delicate and flavorful. It had no imposing sweetness. My soul mate and I looked across at one another and sensed the unfolding of a mystical magical evening; one night we would never forget.This Chardonnay triggered memories about our first visit to Americas in 1997. We laughed at ourselves for thinking we had “discovered” this new South American cuisine. Unbeknownst to both of us, Esquire’s John Mariani had already put Americas on the map. The dinner was aptly named the “Last Supper” because Americas, which Cordua had opened in 1993, closed its colorful doors recently after nearly 20 years at its upscale Post Oak and Galleria location.Lucky for me, I happen to read that Americas was closing with a final farewell dinner. And while I was sorry to hear the latest news, I couldn’t wait to make the suggested reservations to attend. Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay was the second glass of wine poured. The brilliant gold-colored wine was paired with tallarines, achiote grilled shrimp, smoked crab fingers and corn fettuccine in lobster sauce. Unlike other Chards, this one was palate-friendly and free of overpowering sweetness. First produced in 1969, the Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay had an intensely delicate bouquet. Its trademark “reservas” designation meant it was from Cousino-Macul’s finest vintage. Fully rounded with a long finish, the wine notes included apple, pineapple and mango. The end result was a fruit-splashed aroma and a refreshing taste.The third course began with an extraordinary Antiguas Reservas Cabernet, which was paired with encamisado y codorniz. And unless you’re Bordeaux king Robert Parker, you wouldn’t know this cab was not a Bordeaux. Pairing it with plantain-crusted chicken on black-bean sauce and a quail taco was pure genius. In reality, the Chilean cab has been compared with Bordeaux by experts, most of whom assigned it 90 points on their wine-meter scale. In fact, Parker’s Wine Advocate gave the 2007 vintage a rating of 91 points. Meanwhile, we noted the scent of Bing cherries, blackcurrant and boysenberry in our wine glass. These aromatic berries seemed to envelope the palate. Soft tannins gave way to subtle hints of tobacco, chocolate, bay leaf and other spices.The moment of truth arrived with the fourth course. The churrasco (signature aged beef tenderloin) lived up to its reputation-and then some. It was served with yucca caramanola stuffed with chorizo and black beans. It was truly the best steak we had eaten in Texas in many years. Churrasco, the main entrée in this five-course dinner, was paired with Finis Terrae. This deep purple wine went exceptionally well with the churrasco. The subtle French oak aroma gave way to a complex nose.The wild berry, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry notes all meandered smoothly through the mouth. A Bordeaux red blend of 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Merlot and 10 percent Syrah, Finis Terrae inspired a deeper appreciation of the significance of terroir in fine winemaking.Depending on the vintage year, the Finis Terrae earned a rating as high as 91 points from a variety of wine publications, including the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. All the wines selected had earned from 89 to 91 points at one time or another. They were all priced roughly from $16 to $24 per bottle, which wine experts consider a great value in fine wines.Although our Tres Leches (three milks) dessert was paired with Americas coffee, our server accepted my request for one more glass of Finis Terrae. This was the perfect end to our extraordinary supper at this Houston landmark.
