Málaga Tapas & Bar
208 W. Fourth, 236-8020
Monday-Tuesday, 5pm-midnight; Wednesday-Saturday, 5pm-2am
One of the true gems of the recent Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival wasn’t even a sanctioned event. The Grand Dame of Spanish winemakers, Maria Martinez-Sierra of Bodegas Montecillo in Rioja, was in town for a Women and Wine panel. She preceded her panel appearance with a wine-tasting dinner at Málaga, hosted by Dallas’ Janet Kafka PR firm, which represents Grupo Osborne (www.osborne.es) – the parent company of Montecillo and one of Spain’s most prominent wine, spirits, and food product companies – in the United States.
For those unaware, Martinez-Sierra has been the exceptionally talented head winemaker at Montecillo since 1975. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest winery in Rioja, and consistently ranks among Spain’s top 10. Martinez-Sierra is single-handedly credited with proving that women can not only compete, but excel at the highest level in what has traditionally been a male-oriented profession in Spain. In 1995, she was the first female recipient of the Mercury Award, awarded for her personal contribution to the worldwide reputation of Rioja wines.
There was an enthusiastic turnout of about 30 diners, eager to taste some of Spain’s best and meet the illustrious and charming wine master. Málaga’s chef, Alex Duran, put together a fantastic meal paired to a selection of five incredible Osborne wines and sherries. The first coupling was their Amontillado sherry and a bowl of luscious mussels in garlicky sherry broth with chorizo and serrano ham. The chilled, aged Amontillado has amazing depth, with a smooth and sensuous nutty taste and a crisp finish.
Next was a rich crawfish and potato cake on bitter greens topped with aioli, matched with Montecillo’s 2004 Blanco. It’s a perfect drinking wine for Austin heat: light oakiness, with a fruity, clean finish and a depth that grows with each sip. Duran’s perfect Catalan tortilla of potato, piquillo pepper, and Mahón cheese was the ideal foil for Montecillo’s 2001 Crianza. This is a big wine, a radiant ruby red, with intense blackberry-raspberry fruit and a smooth and rich balance.
As the intensity of the flavors grew, we were presented with an unctuous beef rib braised in wine, orange juice, chocolate, garlic, and saffron. Montecillo’s 1996 Gran Reserva is a brilliant wine. The seductive bouquet heralds the taste to follow: intense, complex body, with a perfect balance of cherry, licorice, and black pepper. The finish is elegant, long and warm, with the ideal amount of tannin.
For dessert, Duran had a Manchego and mascarpone-stuffed fig drizzled with a sherry reduction, matching well with Osborne’s incredible aged Pedro Ximénez 182 sherry. This sherry should take the place of the finest port or sauterne. Intense character, thick amber body, complex flavor and nose … it is superb and was the perfect punctuation to the dinner.
Martinez-Sierra was overwhelmed with the glowing reception and well-deserved praise she got from those fortunate enough to be in attendance. Her knowledge of vines and their fruit – her “babies,” as she calls them – and her alchemy with oak in the aging cellar is compellingly evident. Duran did a magnificent job matching his authentic Spanish cuisine with the Osborne and Montecillo products. I was lucky to have been invited, and I’d suggest you closely monitor the Málaga Web site for their return.
This article appears in April 28 • 2006.
