Gotham Bar and Grill has been running a series of dinners, with a national theme- last night was Spain, and any Spanish wine was free corkage. Ramon organized a group for last night, and we had a great time. Food quality and service were outstanding, and I wished I had gone to some of the earlier evenings (Jacques had been to the French night and said food was extraordinary).
While theme was Spain, it seemed what we decided to bring was mostly Rioja (and most of that Lopez de Heredia). I was worried that we didn't have enough whites, Jacques jumped into the breach by picking up a bottle recommended by Zachys. Ramon emailed the sommelier (Lacey) our list of wines. This is where knowing the actual dish makes a difference- I was sceptical when she suggested the squid with some of the reds, but it actually worked well.
1st course : Pan Con Tomate pickled onions, idiazabal cheese and serrano ham (really nice dish, I expected something like panzanella, this was more like bruscetta)
1989 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rioja Reserva Blanco Nice, crisp,. drinking extremely well. Cherries and lemon, light nutty notes. B+
1987 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Blanco I think this will eventually be a great wine, but for now it was in a bit of a shell. Big, canteloupe and citrus zest, dense. For now, B.
1997 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Rosado Oranges, cherry, flowers. A distinct onion skin note. Good length. B/B
+
2006 Celler Bollidora Flor de Garnaxta Ripe, with an oily texture that reminds me of Southern Rhone whites. Herby, in a good way. Needs a bit more acid for my tastes. B/B-
2nd course: Grilled Octopus pimientos de padrón, patatas bravas and aioli (the char on the octopus made it quite red friendly
1976 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Rioja Gran Reserva I got some brett when this was first opened, but within my tolerance level and it seemed to blow off (or I got acclimated). Sweet red cherry fruit, smoke, orange peel. B+/A-
1981 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Rioja Gran Reserva No brett but otherwise a similar flavor profile (I thought all of the LdH reds had a distinct citrus zest note), cherries and a little coffee. Earthy, long finish. I loved both of these wines, but gave this the edge for a little more depth and concentration. A-/B+
3rd course Olive Oil Braised Cod cockles, merguez, bacalao and romesco sauce (lovely, pretty good with red except the cockles begged for some white)
1970 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva My WOTN, against stiff competetion. Sweet raspberry and red plum fruit, smoke, blood oranges. Earth, leather, with a long finish. Saline/mineral notes on finish. Great wine. A/A-
1973 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Between my handwriting and food stains, can't read some of my comments. But see aromatic, coffee, and tar. This was judged edged by the 70 in my grading for the night. A-
4th course Grilled Lamb Chops chickpeas, escarole, lemon confit and salsa verde (too lemony to showcase the wines, and the tomatillo didn't help, but delicious)
1985 La Rioja Alta 904 Rioja Gran Reserva Solid and tasty, kirsch, cedar, and herbs. B/B+
1997 La Rioja Alta 904 Rioja Gran Reserva This caused some discussion over whether it was modern. My position was it is young and from a ripe year, but I'd still call it tradtional. Fruity but with some complexity, stood up to the chops. B+
2001 San Vicente Rioja This edges closer to modernity, but not over the top. Ripe red fruits and some serious mocha notes, but good tangy acids and nice length. B+/ B
Arroz con Leche marcona almonds and sangria sorbet
Really an excellent night. Not a wine that I wouldn't be happy to drink again. Thanks to Ramon for organizing, and it was delightful to see Jacques, Ian, Matt, and Ren again.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.