Dinner for 8 persons on the 3rd January 2009 was back at an old favorite Spanish restaurant called La Tienda - headed by chef Javi Lecumberri, a native of San Sebastian who came over for as a guest chef 9+ years ago and decided to stay in Manila.
We started off with Escalivadas (“cooked in ashes” eggplant, peppers and spices atop anchovies on toasted bread), which we had with:
2006 Herederos del Marqués de Riscal Rueda - I simply had to have some Spanish white. Since none of us brought any, I ordered off the restaurant’s wine list (something I hardly ever do). There being no Albariño available, I got a bottle of this already well-chilled Rueda blanco (verdejo dominant with a little bit of viura thrown in).
Very dry, bright, fresh and well-focused gooseberry, ripe grapefruit, some citrus and tropical fruitiness (hint of pineapple and Indian mango), fresh grass, all touched with a very subtle touch of mangetout (a.k.a., snow pea).
It had a crisp, lip-smacking dryness that made it very food-friendly. Great match for the escalivadas and, actually, the Besugo al Horno as well.
Of course, I couldn’t help bringing along a bottle of my favorite 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé since I love this wine so much. I drink so much of it that friends rib me about being either a shareholder of Tempier or a sales agent of its local distributor. My notes of early September 2008 are still applicable:
An exquisitely pure and clear light pinkish salmon in color, it is a hell of a pretty wine, one could drink it in with one’s eyes. In the nose - and I’ve never really bothered to pay much attention to any rosé’s aroma before - was alluring - like a light, cooling summer cologne.
In the mouth, it is light and delicately infused with a fine melange of fresh canteloupe, strawberry, bit of melon, orange rind and the faintest whisper of lavender. Perfectly balanced. Ethereal. Astounding. My poor descriptions fail to do it justice. It is, without any shred of doubt, the best rosé I have ever had.
The main courses then made their way to the table:
Fabada and Paella de Verduras made with Basmati rice.
Besugo al Horno
We also had two orders of a dish cooked on-the-fly by Chef Javi which I didn’t get to try (I didn’t get to try the fabada either). It was obviously a mélange of Manila clams and shrimp with olive oil, spices and chopped parsely. I think we ordered this because they had only one order of besugo available and had no whole fresh lapu-lapu to make an approximation of the former.
The chef’s reluctance to use fillets of lapu lapu instead is a sure sign of how serious he is about the dishes he makes and how much pride he has in making them - always important, and appreciated.
Chuleton, rare to medium-rare, as it should be.
The reds, all from Spain, were:
2001 Bodegas y Viñedos Alion Reserva Tinto (Magnum) - I’ve written fondly of their 2003 and 2004 vintages previously. Before I tried these, however, I enjoyed several bottles of the 2001 Alion at Terry’s until the stock ran out. Thus, when the Doc mentioned he got some of these, I was exceedingly eager for another night of Spanish food and wine.
Among the vintages of Alion I have tried (i.e., 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004), the 2001 is my favorite. The aroma alone (mirrored in the mouth) puts it above the others thus far: Open (but nowhere near wanton), suavely vanilla and toasty oak laced molten dark fruit, black cherry/kirsch, macerated blackberry, hints of violets and mild licorice. On the palate, just past mid-mouth, discreet chocolate notes come into play.
Commanding presence this full-bodied, well extracted, modern Ribera del Duero has, as well as great confidence. Greatly enjoyed it.
1998 Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial - One I’ve greatly enjoyed before at a paella dinner/spur-of-the-moment Spanish red tasting at another restaurant in early December 2008. My notes then were:
…Composed of 85% tempranillo, 13% mazuelo and 2% grenache; it spent an astounding 41 months in American oak as I understand. Graceful, ethereal, complex and elegant Rioja with a sweet Spanish cedar-and-camphor-laced bouquet of cherry essence, dried red berries (over) cassis, with a shade more rancio and oak notes, slight crème de cacao and (likely from the American oak) toffee and nutmeg notes. Exquisitely woven silk on the tongue. Loved it. Between this and the '96 Beronia Gran Reserva, it was extremely difficult to choose, but I eventually named this Ygay my red wine of the night.
One of us noted apparent “coconut and banana” scents that clearly indicated American oak. I agree that there was a lot of coconut cream and toffee in this, though the Doc and I couldn’t get the “banana”. I also noted much less rancio in this particular bottle as compared to the one I previously had. Still, a very nice wine for me. Opened later in the evening, I wished I also had this with the chuleton.
1996 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva - I have enjoyed every one of the 9 bottles I’ve had of this “steroid-free” Rioja. Aside from the bouquet and flavors of sweet Spanish cedar, raspberry and dark cherry, over silken blackcurrant, subtle nuances of rancio, thyme, licorice, spiced wood, dark chocolate and violets, this displayed more of the strawberry notes typical of tempranillo than other bottles. A particularly refined, almost patrician, Rioja. Very good poise.
I was getting a bit tipsy in the meantime and asked the restaurant’s resident “Trio los Panchos” to play a few of my favorites - Solamente Una Vez, La Malagueña Salerosa, while my wife requested Historia de un Amor - and I couldn’t help but sing along a bit. That’s probably why nobody else was left in the restaurant by the time we went home.
Wonderful dinner, fine wines, great company. ¡Olé!