A Spanish Wine Evening

3 Sep 2010: Dinner at Twyst with Melanie and Claude. I had underestimated the amount of rainfall and probably looked rather miserable on my slightly tardy arrival at the restaurant. Melanie's suggestion to open the Egly-Ouriet that she had brought to toast to my new job was a much welcomed one! Francis and Michel Egly (son and father) own 8.5 ha of grand cru vineyard in Ambonnay, as well as another hectare in Verzenay plus a few rows in Bouzy, all grand cru quality.  In addition, they own a plot of old Meunier vines in Vrigny, for single-vineyard bottling.  The Eglys probably make some of the finest blanc de noirs in Champagne.  The Brut Tradition Grand Cru is a rich style champagne, pinot noir-based, with a lot of honey, acacia, macadamia nuts, ripe pears, citrus peel and toasty character. Creamy, weighty, rich and well balanced with fresh acidity. Good length. 17.5/20

We started our Spanish wine adventure with 2007 Ossian from Rueda. 100% Verdejo, with barrel fermentation and maturation. Complex, well-integrated oak components, showing floral, guava, honey, nutty, subtly smokey with an underlying core of minerality. Medium-full bodied, well structured, balanced, with a fine backbone of acidity, make this a really fine example of white wine from Rueda, showcasing the weight, richness, complexity and depth normally associated with a cool climate classic variety, like Chardonnay, grown in typical terroir. This is very fine indeed and at such an attractive price-quality ratio, I give it 16.5/20

It went very well with the foie gras dish, I could tell.....as Claude and Melanie both praised the wine! It equally paired well with my pasta with anchovy with its fine acidity and slight smokiness.

Then we had 2 reds side by side. I was convinced that the wines outshone the food of the evening - my duck breast was tasty but not spectacular and Richard said his pork was not great. Melanie had the lamb (how was your lamb, Melanie?? forgot to ask you!) and Claude also had the duck. We had two 2000 Priorats side by side: 2000 Cims de Porrera and 2000 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi.

2000 Cims de Porrera (Mainy Carinena, with some Garnacha): Medium ruby colour. On the nose, it was a perfume based on red fruit, floral and spiciness overlaid with gamey, liquorice, coffee, leather and minearl earthy notes. Soft and fine tannins, with medium level of acidity. A medium bodied wine. Finishes long. A thoughtful wine, somewhat rustic, characterful and refined, very reflective of the terroir. Drinking well now, and will continue to do so for 8+ years. 17.5/20

2000 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi (60% Garnacha, balance of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, average age of 20 year-old-vines, 25-day maceration, barrel fermented, 100% new French oak): A deeper coloured wine, with a much fuller body and robust structure. The initially fruit-driven nose of blackberries, black cherries and blackcurrant, slowly giving way to toasty oak, vanilla, warm spices, chocolate and liquorice. Intense, concentrated, mouth-filling, opulent without losing its elegance. Finishes long and sweet. We could taste the skill of the winemaker here, coupled with the ripeness of the fruit, making this a wine readily approachable with ageing potential. Drinking beautifully now, and will continue to drink well for 8+ years. A very good match with the duck. 17.5/20

I was expecting these results: same vintage, same region, different winemakers, different cepages and such very different styles!

We finished with a cheese platter, a ginger souffle and some dessert platter.  I think the ginger souffle was the best bet........the dessert platter looked rather suspicious to me and the cheese platter was very pathetic, with literally a mouthful of each of the 4 cheeses presented......My advice would be not to bother with the cheese platter at these private kitchen type restaurants.....or call in advance to ask if you could bring your own if you're entertaining a big group!

I thought the two reds were both fabulous but the Fina Dofi perhaps was a better match with my food for the evening (to be honest, I chose the duck dish because I thought the Carinena and Garnacha in the two wines would be a good match. After we finished eating, we continued to enjoy the wines.  Interestingly, 3 hours after they were opened, it was the Finca Dofi that appeared to start losing a little bit of its original fruit-driven appeal as well as freshness.....or was it because our palate had adjusted to its non-food state and begun to appreciate the other wine better???

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to enjoy Claude's Cote Rotie but he promised that we would have it at our next dinner and even better, chez lui!

I look forward to another Spanish evening - and it should be soon!

As for my rating for Twyst: food 3/5, service 4/5, ambiance 3/5, price 4/5.  (Fusion in the same building, The Pemberton on Bonham Strand East, seems to offer slightly better value and ambiance!)