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Dirty Dozen at La Paella

Dec20

Restaurant: La Paella [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: July 14, 2021

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

I haven’t been back here in a while, but a Spanish themed Dirty Dozen seemed like just the ticket — and there aren’t really very many Spanish restaurants in LA. Wines were all served blind.

Cute little former house or something near the Beverly Center.

The bar.

Our private room and giant table (and wine table on the left).

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

2017 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin Le Banc. VM 87-89. Pale bright yellow. Fresh nectarine and minerals on the nose. A juicy if tightly wound fruit bomb in the mouth, with its intense stone fruit and citrus flavors complicated by wild herbs. The wine’s calcaire element gives it focus and cut, but there’s nothing hard about the very pure finish, which features sneaky persistence. Made from three vineyards averaging 35 years of age, according to Colin.

Me flighting the food on the fly.

2016 Alonso & Pedrajo Viticultores Rioja Suañé Blanco Reserva. JG 92. The 2016 Rioja “Suañé” Reserva Blanco from Alonso & Pedrajo is fermented and aged three months in amphora and bottled without any added sulfites. The 2016 version is a lovely golden color and offers up a complex bouquet of tangerine, toasted nuts, salty soil tones, citrus peel, a bit of browned butter and a topnote of menthol. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite rock solid at the core, with lovely soil signature and grip, almost a bit of backend tannin and a long, complex and zesty finish. There is a touch of natural wine “wildness” on the nose here, but the palate is fresh, vibrant and complex and seems to still have years of life ahead of it. This is hardly a classical example of Rioja Blanco, but it is an excellent wine with its own, unique personality. (Drink between 2021-2026)

From my cellar: 2012 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. VM 92. Light, bright yellow. High-pitched citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by jasmine, green tea and chalky minerals. The mineral quality carries onto the palate, underscoring vibrant lemon/lime and pear flavors that gain flesh with air. Finishes stony and precise, with excellent persistence and lingering florality.

2017 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. VM93. The 2017 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) from Rivers-Marie is a fabulous wine in its peer group. Rich, intense and full of flavor, the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay packs a serious punch. Orchard fruit, crème brûlée, butter, tangerine and yellow flowers all develop in a deeply-layered, resonant, utterly gorgeous Chardonnay. Although labeled as an appellation Chardonnay, all the fruit for the Sonoma Coast bottling comes from Riddle. More importantly, the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a great example of just how compelling the 2017 vintage is at the top for Sonoma’s Burgundian varieties. And the $30/bottle price range? Insane. (Drink between 2020-2029)

Gambas Al Ajillo. Shrimp sauteed with garlic and chili pod.

Caracoles Al Ajillo. Snails sauteed with garlic and a touch of chilli.

Boquerones En Vinagre. Marinated small silvery fish fillets.

Calamares A La Plancha. Grilled squid with garlic and parsley.

Bread.

Garlic Aioli and Olive Tapanade.

1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia. VM 95. Thirty years after the vintage the two 1976 Gran Reservas still fully express the qualities of their unique terroirs. The seductive 1976 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva is another ethereal beauty, revealing an expressive nose along with notes of earthiness, sweet perfumed fruit, cocoa, flowers and an occasional hint of white truffle that floats out of the glass. Fresher and more vibrant than the Tondonia Gran Reserva, it offers outstanding length and notable structure in an understated yet profound expression of Rioja. It is that rare wine that invites contemplation by engaging all of the taster’s senses. A great effort. (Drink starting 2013)

1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. VM 95. Brilliant red. A highly complex, expansive bouquet evokes cherry liqueur, pipe tobacco, incense, vanilla and woodsmoke, accompanied by hints of five-spice powder and licorice in the background. Sweet, expansive and seamless in texture, offering intense cherry-vanilla, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that deepen slowly as the wine opens up. Fully mature but with plenty of life left in it, this wine finishes impressively long, supple and sweet, displaying discreet tannins, resonating spiciness and suave florality. I reviewed this wine five years ago and am very happy to say that it has improved with additional bottle age. (Drink between 2020-2035)

Aceitunas Variadas. Mixed green and black olives

Champiñones Con Chorizo. Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.

Croquetas De Pollo. Fried chicken croquettes.

2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 ‘Selección Especial’. 94 points. This is great, and up there with the best La Rioja Alta wines I’ve had, but it still wasn’t quite as good as I’d expected. Personally I think this wine is far from its peak, as it was still evolving in the decanter over the course of the evening. At first it just seemed to have a bit too much oak on display and was slightly out of balance. By the end of the night it was definitely starting to sing, but still felt slightly muted. I am probably being hyper-critical as I was expecting so much, and also I know there can sometimes be wide bottle variation with LRA wines, so it’s possible that was factor here. At any rate there’s no rush to drink and I’m excited to see where it ends up (if I can be patient enough!).

2005 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 94 points. Smooth, full and complex. Soft fruit, spice and umami. Tannins are there but well integrated. Love its versatility. Pairs beautifully with so many dishes. It has been a pleasure to share this wine’s journey.

2009 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. VM 94. Vivid ruby-red. A highly perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, cherry liqueur, coconut and cigar box, along with a sexy floral nuance that emerges slowly. Plush and seamless on the palate, offering sweet, deeply concentrated blackberry, cherry-vanilla and mocha flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Rich yet energetic in style, displaying superb finishing clarity, even tannins and a lingering spicecake note. The Tempranillo saw only American oak while the Mazuelo component saw only French. (Drink between 2020-2030)

The meat tray.

Queso Manchego, En Tacos. Small cubes of Spanish year old sheep cheese.

Chorizo – Importado De España. Slices of imported all natural “Chorizo”: pork, paprika,garlic.

Jamón Serrano – Importado De España. Slices of imported salt-cured ham from Spain.

Yarom, Erick and I split some Chinese caviar to make some Jose tacos.

2003 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 95. Inky ruby. Highly aromatic scents of ripe cherry and dark berries, singed plum, cured tobacco and succulent herbs, with a vanilla undertone. Sweet, expansive and powerful, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors with smoke and floral accents. Rich and full but surprisingly lively, with excellent finishing thrust and sweet, harmonious tannins adding grip. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect; this is a somewhat approachable and exotic Unico, especially with some air, but it has the concentration to age slowly.

2004 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 96. Inky ruby: doesn’t look like a ten-year old wine. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, vanilla, pipe tobacco, new leather and potpourri, with a subtle mineral flourish. Spicy, sweet and expansive, offering palate-staining cherry compote and cassis flavors with exotic violet and chewing tobacco qualities. Deepens and gains spiciness on the smooth, gently tannic finish, which lingers with superb focus and tenacity.

Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squids’ ink.

Paella Valenciana Mixta. Rice, saffron, chicken, pork, seafood, vegetables with a touch of red peppers and rosemary.

Plate of carbs!

2004 Artadi Rioja Viña el Pisón. VM 95. Inky ruby. The nose is breathtaking in its floral, mineral and fruit intensity, offering a near-hallucinogenic bouquet of fresh and dried flowers, raspberry, wild strawberry, blackcurrant, cured meat, licorice, iron and graphite. This smells (and tastes) like a blend of great Hermitage and grand cru Vosne-Romanee. Deep, sexy and ridiculously sweet, the red and dark berry flavors coating every square inch of the palate, with gentle tannins providing enough supporting structure. This is almost absurdly packed with fruit and features a sappy, seemingly endless finish that’s nothing short of remarkable. Wow! (European Cellars, Charlotte, NC)

From my cellar: 2006 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 97. Saturated ruby. An amazingly complex array of red and blue fruit preserve, spice and floral scents is accompanied by suggestions of incense, pipe tobacco, coconut and candied licorice. Utterly stains the palate with impressively concentrated yet lively, smoke- and spice-laced cherry compote, blueberry, fruitcake and violet pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Sappy and broad on the endless finish, which shows outstanding thrust and dusty tannins that are absorbed by the wine’s densely packed fruit. (Drink between 2025-2040)

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 2005, 2006, 2007 (2018 Release). VM 95. Inky ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe and red and dark berries, pipe tobacco, cola, mocha and incense, and a smoky mineral nuance gains strength as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with sweet blueberry liqueur, cherry cola, candied violet and spicecake flavors that smoothly blend richness and energy. Shows no rough edges and finishes extremely long and sappy, with resonating florality and fine-grained tannins that lend gentle closing grip. This is the 2018 release of this non-vintage blend. (Drink between 2022-2035)

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 2008, 2009, 2010 (2020 Release). VM 97. Deep, glistening ruby-red. Highly perfumed, expansive aromas of crème de cassis, cherry preserves, vanilla, exotic spices and cured tobacco are complemented by suggestions of licorice, cigar box and espresso. Broad, dense and energetic on the palate, offering intense red and dark fruit, floral pastille, succulent herb and floral pastille flavors that show alluring sweetness and sharp focus. Finishes extremely long and smooth, with sneaky, harmonious tannins and lingering suggestions of candied rose, exotic spices and licorice. This is the 2020 release of this multi-vintage bottling. (Drink between 2025-2039)

Leg of Lamb.

Cornish Hens.

2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant. VM 91+. Deep red. Exotic coconutty oak on the rather port-like nose. At once sweeter and more primary than the Amadis, with a penetrating minerality. Also quite oaky, but has more jammy plum and blackberry fruit to stand up to the wood. Still, it’s hard to predict whether this slightly pruney wine will reward more time in bottle. Finishes with sweet tannins and good length. (My bottle of the 2000 release last year showed fresher acidity, but this is richer. ) (De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC)

Bodegas El Nido Jumilla El Nido.

Oxtail.

2016 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots. VM 93-95. Very pale green-tinged yellow. Classic Chablis scents and flavors of white peach, ginger, oyster shell, iodine and flint. Highly concentrated, tactile wine offering an impression of strong dry extract and a compelling combination of pliancy and energy. A very powerful, structured Chablis with a long, chewy, saline finish. Really saturates the palate without leaving any impression of weightiness. Offers splendid potential.

Flan De Naranja. Crème caramel with a light touch of fresh orange.

Blue Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry, intense Amarena Cherry, and Blueberry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #amarena #morello #cherry #blueberry

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Gelato — Milk steeped with Tahitian Vanilla Beans and Valencia Orange Peels and then blended with Cream-cheese and Egg Yolks, layered with house made “burnt” Caramel and topped with house-made Caramel Brittle, finished with the torch! — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #basque #cheesecake #caramel #brittle #orange

The lineup

I love Spanish cooking, and La Paella has a really nice traditional kitchen. It reminds me of Botin in Madrid at the opposite end of the Spanish culinary spectrum from modernist Calima and the ElBuli school. Personally, I love both and I need to head back to La Paella to sample even more of their menu. Some of my favorites are Gambas Pil Pil, Anchovies en Boccerones, seafood paella, and, of course, the flan.

The wines tonight were really awesome. Great wine and we had a nice mix of reserva and vintage unicos plus a ton of old Rioja. Tonight I liked the vintage ones better in general, but sometimes it’s the other way around. Great juice.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: blind tasting, BYOG, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, hedonists, La Paella, Spanish Cuisine, Wine

Unico at La Paella

Jun07

Restaurant: La Paella [1, 2, 3]

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: May 1, 2019

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

I haven’t been back here in a while, but when the Hedonists decided to do an Unico dinner it had to be here — hey there aren’t really very many Spanish restaurants in LA.

La Paella is cosy and “classic.”

We had a serious lineup of Unicos tonight, and thanks to some last minute wrangling and me throwing 3-4 in the bag no need to actually serve a duplicate!

NV Billecart-Salmon Rose. Parker 90. The NV Brut Rose is a pretty, gracious wine. Freshly cut roses, red berries and spices take shape nicely in the glass as the wine shows off its understated, timeless personality. Billecart-Salmon’s NV Brut Rose is a reliably tasty wine.

Bread with butter and olive tapenade.

Yummy Spanish olives.

“Boquerones en Vinagre.” Marinated small silvery fish fillets.

From my cellar: 1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. 94 points. A delicate bouquet of beeswax, dandelions, orange peel and candid citrus. Transferred to the palate to become more nutty with slightly hints of damped cellar. Oily but uplifting acidity making nice balance.

Chorizo.

Manchego cheese.

Spanish Jamon. Great WITH the cheese.

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1965, 1967, 1972 (1989 Release). Unfortunately corked 🙁

Croquettes. The classic béchamel and ham kind. Yum!

Asparagus with almonds and jamon. Ham always makes veggies better!

“Gambas al Ajillo.” Shrimp sauteed with garlic and chili pod.

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1985, 1991, 1996 (2005 Release).

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1991, 1994, 1998 (2011 Release). 95 points.

“Champiñones con Chorizo.” Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.

Escargot. Snails in garlic butter. Delicious!

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1994, 1995, 2000 (2014 Release). 94 points.

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 2003, 2004, 2006 (2017 Release). VM 96. Vivid ruby-red. Ripe cherry, dark berries, cigar box, vanilla bean and incense on the deeply perfumed, expansive nose. Shows impressive weight and breadth on the palate, offering sappy blackberry, candied cherry and spicecake flavors complicated by hints of rose pastille, vanilla and licorice. The smooth, strikingly long finish shows a seamless quality and repeating floral and dark berry notes that build as the wine opens up. While this wine has plenty going on right now, I’ve no doubt that it will enjoy a long, positive evolution as well.

“Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink.” Oh I love me the black rice!

Paella Valencia. With the works. A bit dull other than the sausage.

Tomatoes and onions.

From my cellar: 1994 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 95+. Full ruby-red. Knockout nose combines roasted blackberry, minerals, cedar, graphite and flowers; reminded me of a very ripe vintage of Chateau Lafite. Creamy and sweet, but with penetrating, perfectly integrated acids and a structure of steel. Powerful yet wonderfully elegant wine, with flavors of crushed redcurrant, minerals, flowers, chocolate and truffle. Finishes with great length and grip. An outstanding vintage for Unico, with the sheer acid structure and flavor intensity to go on in bottle for at least another two decades.

From my cellar: 1996 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 94. Deep ruby. Complex, heady bouquet of kirsch, candied plum, cured tobacco, licorice, dried rose and cedar. Pungent herbal notes build with aeration and repeat on the palate, adding complexity to the deep, ripe cherry and dark berry liqueur flavors. Remarkably elegant wine with precise cherry/berry flavors and a slow-mounting mocha quality on the long, sappy finish. There’s a very impressive interplay of fruit and tannins here.

Oxtail over rice. Delicious. Really delicious, even with the old school gravy.

Chicken or quail with garlic.

1989 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 95+. Saturated dark, fresh red. Exotic dried fruits complicated by minerals, cedar, cigar box and nuts on the nose. Huge, dense and solid, with great sappy redcurrant and wild strawberry sweetness buffered by powerful acids. With its huge concentration and extraordinarily chewy extract, this has fruit of steel. The wine’s explosive, extremely long finish and great thrust go beyond 99.99% of the world’s wines.

1991 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 91+. Dark red. Highly complex nose melds plum, cherry, roasted meat, iron, truffle, mocha and underbrush. Broad, sweet and concentrated, but not at all an exotic or supersweet vintage for Vega Sicilia. In fact, this smooth midweight has some rather intriguing, cool notes of minerals and botanical herbs. Finishes with fine, dusty tannins and excellent length. A much more polite style of wine than the chewy, powerful and considerably more explosive ’89.

Lamb chops with gravy and potatoes. Quite decent actually, if decidedly old fashioned.

Pork chops with vegetables. On the boring and a bit dry side.

2011 Château Doisy-Daëne. VM 92. Bright gold. Pure aromas of kiwi, gooseberry and mandarin orange lifted by fresh white flowers. Juicy, lively and intense, delivering bracing flavors of floral apple, pear and sweet spices. This fruit-driven Sauternes finishes silky and long, with palate-cleansing acidity. It’s less opulent than I remembered it, but I love this wine’s high-acid personality and aromatic purity. Not surprisingly for a Denis Dubourdieu wine, it’s very sauvignon blanc.

“Flan de Naranja.” Creme caramel with a light touch of fresh orange.

Hey, we were celebrating something!

Thai Peanut Coconut Lime Chili Gelato — Try 2 — Salty peanuts, Thai coconut, lime zest, and serrano chillies — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — the last batch was too spicy so this one has no chilie in the base itself — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #chili #spicy #thai #peanut #coconut #lime #SavorySweet #Serrano

and on the right, a bit of:

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Salty Pistachio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Sicilian Pistachio to produce a pistachio base with a slight saltiness — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #salty #pistachio #sicily #nuts

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Caramel Nocciola Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a hazelnut base, then adding in house-made caramel and chopped up hazelnuts — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #nuts

The Unicos tonight were really awesome. Great wine and we had a nice mix of reserva and vintage unicos. Tonight I liked the vintage ones better in general, but sometimes it’s the other way around. Great juice.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, La Paella, Spanish Cuisine, Unico, Vega Sicilia

More Hedonism at La Paella

Jun11

Restaurant: La Paella

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: June 1, 2013

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

Since spending a month in Spain in 2010, I’ve been addicted to Spanish cooking, so when the Hedonists decided to return to this Hollywood staple I jumped on board for another evening packed with great wine and great food.

Bread with olive tapenade and garlic butter.

“Patatas Bravas. Fried potatoes tossed with spicy tomato sauce.” In Spain, these would usually be coated in a spicy mayo. I liked these better, as the sauce was more like that used on hot wings and had a nice spicy vinegar tang.

“Boquerones en Vinagre.” Marinated small silvery fish fillets.

“Pulpo a la Gallega. Cooked octopus served with olive oil and paprika.” Incredibly tender!

2004 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burgound 93. I have not had this since cask and the bottle in question had a tattered label though no apparent seepage. As such, it’s difficult to know whether this bottle was indeed representative as it seemed relatively supple and forward, indeed more or less ready to drink. To be sure, there was no obvious secondary nuances in evidence and still good freshness to the rich, intense and vibrant flavors brimming with minerality on the impressively long finish. Impeccably stored bottles might need another few years to arrive at their peak but absent this bottle being an aberration, I don’t think that opening one today would be infanticide.

“Gambas al Ajillo.” Shrimp sauteed with garlic and chili pod.

“Pan con Tomate.” A country bread slice spread with tomato, garlic and olive oil.

“Espinacas con Piñones y Pasas.” Spinach sauteed with pine nuts and raisins.

2011 Emilio Rojo Ribeiro. 90 points. Weighty. Good acidity. Complex. Citrus, pear, minerality.

“Ensaladilla Rusa.” Tuna, potato and mayonnaise salad. The funny thing is calling this a salad.

“Tortilla Española. A wedge of a traditionally Spanish potato and onion omelette.”

A choice of condiments of the gazpacho.

“Gazpacho Andaluz. Tomato, garlic, bread, cucumber, celery, pepper, olive oil.” A nice gazpacho. I’m rather the gazpacho whore and I make it myself using Jose Andres’ recipe (modified by me). This one was tasty, but was a little thin textured for my taste.

1978 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. IWC 93. Medium red with an amber rim. Highly complex bouquet of fresh and dried red fruits, cherry skin, pipe tobacco, smoky minerals, cigar box and potpourri. Sweet strawberry and cherry flavors stain the palate but are strikingly lithe. Cured tobacco and candied rose flavors emerge with aeration, and the fruit takes a darker turn toward cherry. The tannins have been completely absorbed, allowing the wine’s almost decadent sweetness to come through. Expensive, yes, but this would offer newly minted wine lovers an insight into the personality of aged wine from a great region and a very good vintage for the same price as many newly released Napa or Bordeaux wines.

Sautéed peppers, yum!

“Champiñones con Chorizo.” Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.

“Jamón Serrano.” I wasn’t sure which Spanish ham this was. It was certainly good with the garlic spread!

From my cellar: 1978 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva. 95 points. Pretty tight at the onset and only started to get going after an hour or so. It definitely would’ve benefited from decanting. Heavy swirling and the passage of time eventually saw fresh dark cherry flavors and aromas come up with a bit of beef blood, old wood and spice. Nicely balanced with solid acid levels. It would absolutely benefit from more time in the cellar, though it’s certainly tasty now, but, again, decant.

“Paella Fideuà.” Shrimp, mussels, calamari, clams, etc. cooked with saffron and “fideo” noodles.

“Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink.” Oh I love me the black rice!

Together on the plate.

1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. 90-94 points. An alluring leather, dried orange peel and strawberry leaf scented bouquet that blossoms beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, elegant tannins. It is both precise and exquisitely defined with hints of cured meat and leather towards the graceful finish.

“Paella de Verduras.” Rice cooked with saffron and assorted vegetables.

1999 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell. 91 points.

Oxtail over mashed potatoes.

From my cellar: 2008 Pingus Flor de Pingus. Parker 96. The 2008 Flor de Pingus had been in bottle for 2 weeks when I tasted it. It offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent.

“Chuletas de Cordero al Romero.” Lamb chops grilled with rosemary and served with vegetables. Apparently in Spain, potatoes classify as “vegetables” :-).

1999 Château Guiraud. IWC 90. Pale yellow-gold. Lower-toned aromas of orange zest, herbs, spices, earth and vanillin oak. Textured, rich and sweetly oaky, with notes of vanilla and creme caramel Showing plenty of personality today. Ripe and rich for young Guiraud. Big but essentially gentle, with an impressive, slow-building finish.

The dessert spread.

“Pera al Vino. Pear cooked with red wine.”

“Mousse de Chocolate. Chocolate mousse.” One of the best chocolate mousses I can remember.

“Flan de Naranja.” Creme caramel with a light touch of fresh orange.

“Crema Catalana. Custard topped with caramelized sugar done to order.”

“Arroz con Leche.” Rice cooked with milk, lemon, cinnamon – served cold.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Fish and Seafood, hedonists, La Paella, Olive oil, Paella, Spain, Spanish Food

Hedonists at La Paella

Oct01

Restaurant: La Paella

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: September 27, 2012

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

Since spending a month in Spain in 2010, I’ve been addicted to Spanish cooking, so when the hedonists decided to head on over to this Hollywood staple I jumped on board for another evening packed with great wine and great food.

This “bonus wine” (thrown in by Lana at the last minute) was drinking beautifully. “The Grande Cuvee is scented of croissant, buttered cinnamon toast and warm strawberries with a hint of smoky bacon. Muscular and still very taut in the mouth, the densely packed flavors are refreshed with a pure, crisp acid line. It finishes long with plenty of toast and nut layers.”

I brought this boutique Spanish white. Parker 96. “The 2009 Sketch, an Albarino sourced from a parcel harvested 1-2 weeks later than all the other vineyards. It was fermented and aged (without malolactic) in two 700-liter barrels for 12 months followed by 60 days of aging in the bottle at 30 meters under the sea. It offers up an enthralling bouquet of mineral, saline, floral, tropical, and marzipan elements. Intense, complex, impeccably balanced, and remarkably lengthy, this is as good as Albarino gets. Bodegas y Vinedos Raul Perez is the hangout of Spain’s most visionary vigneron, Raul Perez. These latest releases only reinforce the legend.”

“Jamón Serrano.” I wasn’t sure which Spanish ham this was. It was certainly good with the garlic spread!

Sautéed peppers, yum!

“Tortilla Española. A wedge of a traditionally Spanish potato and onion omelette.”

Parker 95+, “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino flows with gorgeous layers of dark red fruit. This is one of the more muscular, virile wines of the vintage. Slow to reveal its character, the Valdicava Brunello will require significant patience, but I have seen the wine blossom beautifully, even in the smallest of vintages. A blast of iron, smoke, tar, licorice and new leather inform the deep, intense finish. This is a hugely promising, brilliant Brunello from proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese, but it needs to be buried in the cellar for at least a few years. Readers who can’t wait should open the wine a few hours in advance, which will allow the fruit to emerge.”

This was incredibly smooth and seductive. Parker 92, “Dense plum/ruby/purple-colored, with a sweet perfume of earth, herbs, jammy black fruits, and oak in the background, the opulently textured, round, fleshy 1994 Gran Reserva possesses full body, moderate tannin, and an accessible yet structured personality. It should drink well for 12-15 years.”

“Pulpo a la Gallega. Cooked octopus served with olive oil and paprika.” Incredibly tender!

The front was a little flat on this ancient Rioja, but the middle and finish were very interesting, almost like a Madeira. “The 1948 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from a great Rioja vintage spent a mind-boggling 40 years in American oak barriques before it was bottled. Dark cherry red in color with a garnet rim, it offers up a splendid perfume of earth, mineral, lavender, incense, and black cherry. The wine’s vibrant acidity has kept it youthful and complete.”

“Caracoles al Ajillo. Snails sauteed with garlic and a touch of chili.” Succulent little fellows. The sauce is not unlike that used for Gambas Pil Pil which I adore.

Parker 91, “The dense ruby/purple-colored 1997 Valbuena reveals a deep, sweet nose of black fruits intermixed with earth, leather, smoke, and fruit cake. There is sensational texture on the palate, seamlessly integrated tannin and acidity, and moderate quantities of oak. While young, it is already showing exceptionally well.”

“Champiñones con Chorizo. Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.” These were pretty awesome.

“Paella Valenciana Mixta. Rice, saffron, meat, vegetables and seafood with a touch of red peppers and rosemary.”

1964 Federico Paternina Rioja Gran Reserva. A bit past its prime, but drinkable :-).

Yarom and owner Pascal. They really treated us right!

Gorgeous! Parker 97, “Aged 18 months in 100% new French oak from 75-year old Tempranillo vines, the 2001 Pagos Viejos is one of Spain’s greatest wines. A singular red of extraordinary stature and intensity, it exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color as well as a luxurious bouquet of lead pencil shavings, black and blue fruits, espresso roast, and floral notes. This full-bodied, dense 2001 possesses layers of flavor, a sweet integration of tannin and wood, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute.”

“Paella de Montaña con Chorizo. Rice, saffron, chicken, pork, green beans, lima beans and sliced Spanish red sausage.”

“Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink.” Oh I love me the black rice!

From my cellar. Young, but a total fruit bomb. Parker 96, “The 2008 Flor de Pingus had been in bottle for 2 weeks when I tasted it. It offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent, it has enough structure to evolve for 4-5 years.”

“Oxtail on the left, suckling pig on the right. Grilled with rosemary.” Both were fantastic. The oxtail is a lot like osso bucco, the pig crispy and full of flavor.

“Patatas Fritas. fried potatoes.”

Another youthful fruit bomb from my cellar. Parker 96, “The flagship, the 2007 Clos Mogador is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is purple/black-colored with a sensational bouquet of mineral, truffle, espresso, black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. Dense and Reubenesque on the palate, it has great concentration, loads of savory fruit, impeccable balance, and several years of aging potential. Accessible now, this lengthy offering will be at its best from 2013 to 2027. It is one of the stars of the vintage in Priorat.”

This stone ground chocolate and hazelnut stuff was brought by Lana, it was incredible. I have to get some.

This Sauterne isn’t textbook, but it was drinking very nicely as a dessert wine, almost like a honey mead. Parker 84, “Nairac’s 1980 is a well-balanced, light golden-colored wine that displays a good level of botrytis, a spicy, tropical fruit, oaky bouquet, medium body, soft acidity, and a fat, tasty finish. It is fully mature.”

“Mousse de Chocolate. Chocolate mousse.” One of the best chocolate mousses I can remember.

“Crema Catalana. Custard topped with caramelized sugar done to order.”

“Pera al Vino. Pear cooked with red wine.”

There was also “Arroz con Leche” (rice pudding) that I missed a photo of. I’ll have to try their flan too, because I’m such a flan fiend.

I love Spanish cooking, and La Paella has a really nice traditional kitchen. It reminds me of Botin in Madrid at the opposite end of the Spanish culinary spectrum from modernist Calima and the ElBuli school. Personally, I love both and I need to head back to La Paella to sample even more of their menu. Some of my favorites I must try are Gambas Pil Pil, Anchovies en Boccerones, seafood paella, and, of course, the flan.

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