Dinner featuring Vega Sicilia

The inimitable Taberna del Alabardero restaurant in Washington DC hosted a wine tasting dinner featuring three Vega Sicilia offerings. Obviously this was not one of those incredible 12-vintage Unico vertical tastings that we read about with envy-inducing regularity, but it was a very enjoyable, civilized affair that put focus on the latest release of Valbuena and Unico, as well as the new Pintia project.

We began with Coca Mallorquina with Lagar de Cervera 2003 . This is a nice Albariño featuring apple, melon, and flower scents. Not particularly focused in the mouth and surprisingly fat as opposed to vivid, but a very pleasant beginning.

Caracoles con Pisto (snails with vegetable ragout)was accompanied with the new Vega project from DO Toro, Pintia 2001 , which I have now had on at least a half-dozen occasions. This impressively structured wine has aromatics of dark chocolate, meat, black fruit and a hint of burned sugar. In the mouth the wine is unctuous and fleshy with a bit more cacao and coffee notes than a clear core of fruit. Refined tannins highlight the nice balance between power and elegance.

Fabada Asturiana (white bean stew with freshly made goat chorizo and smoked pork belly) was a terrific dish to have with what was the wine of the night -- the 1999 Valbuena . The Valbuena was performing marvelously with classic Ribera del Duero aromatics of tobacco, smoke, and leather through which clear bright notes of raspberry and red fruit shined through. A fleshy mouth with a vibrant core of fruit, very fresh acidity and nice delineation and minerality -- a wine that easily manages to be both enchanting and refreshing with a meal.

Chuletón de Buey con Pimientos del Piquillo y Patata al Ali-Oli (Angus beef rib-eye with piquillo peppers and ali-oli potatoes) with Unico Gran Reserva 1991 . Tonight the Unico was overshadowed by the Valbuena. The 1991 seems to be a relatively light vintage of Unico without the magical sweetness of the great vintages. The aromatics were deeper and much more subdued than the Valbuena and it was not as bright on the palate. I would not give up on this wine, however. It is an Unico after all, and it may just be in a less expressive phase of its young life.

Pera Pachada con Queso Tetilla y Granizado de Pera (poached pears with Tetilla cheese mousse and pear granita) with Tokaji Oremus Aszu 5 Puttonyos 1999 . Here is a sticky that will wake you up after a good meal. Less deeply golden in hue than many tokaji, this has a honey-pear nose, a dazzling tangerine-grapefruit palate, and glycerin body with brilliant acidity.