Today we were fortunate to have Antoni Serra, the chef and owner of La Despensa restaurant in Neutral Bay. Nick Reynolds had organised Antoni for this marquee event. Anthony is of course, Spanish, and also has a Spanish wine importing business and the Society had purchased some of these wines to serve with the lunch today. His food is based on that of the Catalunyan city of Barcelona.

Canapes

Antonio presented us with two canapés the could come straight out of a bar in Barcelona. Firstly croqueta de marisco (seafood croqueta) served on a small bed of Romesco sauce followed with a bite of roasted capsicum, eggplant and onion topped with Angelachu anchovies, which are hand filleted premium anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea. What they both had in common was a mouthful flavour. They lasted on the serving plates for a very short period. The anchovies were not over salted and had a medium-bodied intensity that did not overpower the other ingredients on the spoon.

Main Course

One of our favourite proteins, lamb, was served as the main. In this case, braised lamb shoulder wrapped in brik pastry served on a bed of eggplant hummus with almonds, sesame seeds and smoked paprika dukkah. This was accompanied by oven-roasted vegetables. The lamb had been slow-cooked then shredded and shaped to oblong blocks around which the brik pastry was wrapped. Very flavoursome however, some would have liked a little more moisture in the meat. The presentation was most engaging.

Cheese

Most would have assumed that with the focus on Spain that we would have had a Spanish cheese but they were wrong. The holidaying James Healey had selected the cheese and it was presented by Gary Linnane who explained that the French cheese was Jean Faup chevre which came to us in a 4 kg wheel. The goat’s cheese had been pasteurised and hails from the Pyrenees region. This semi-hard cheese was a real hit with its pungent nose and medium bodied, distinctive goat cheese flavour.

Coffee

Spencer was not with us today but had delivered one of the favourite coffees of the Society, Colombia, as supplied by Forsyth coffee. It had its usual full flavour but I felt the dosing was a little short and as I was the doser, I know where to lay the blame.

Wines

Antoni imports a range of Catalunya wines, a few of which we tasted on the day.

With the canapés, we had a white and a rosé. The former (Bouquet d’Allela 2018) was an interesting blend of Pansa Blanca (Xarel-lo) and Garnatxa Blanca (White Grenache). Xarel-lo is widely planted in the Penedes and most commonly used in Cava, while White Grenache is common to many Mediterranean vineyards. The wine showed a bright colour with complex fruit aromas. The palate was textural with a savoury, phenolic finish. The rosé from Espelt was another fresh 2018 wine, this time from Grenache, with attractive pink hues and fresh fruit. The palate was full of red fruits, again with a savoury dry finish.

Another of Antoni’s wines was the Clos Galena Priorat 2015. A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah it was still young with fresh, spicey fruits. The same fruit profile carried to the palate finishing with firm tannins. Still a young wine. This was matched with another Priorat from Torres. The Salmos 2011 was a similar blend, but on this occasion with the Grenache as the dominant component. Showing more evolved complex aromas, it still finished with the expected drying tannins,

With the cheese, we travelled to the south and the west.  The La Purisma Trapio Monastrell 2008 from Yecla (Alicante) still showed fresh, spicey, peppery fruit. These characters carried on to the palate, balanced with the still firm Mouvèdre tannins. From Rioja, we had a Gabaxo 2013 from Olivier Rivière - a Frenchman who jumped the border into Spain. A mix of Tempranillo and Grenache it is his attempt at a Rhône style blend. Softer and fruitier than we might expect from Rioja, it nevertheless had length and depth. A good match for the cheese.

An excellent lunch with some torrid debate about the honesty or otherwise of member commentary on wine and food.

Those who may be interested in La Despensa in Neutral Bay it is a simple Google search away and Antoni’s Spanish wines can be found at vinicolawines.com.au. A wonderful lunch.