Like being in Spain for one great meal

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I met a friend for dinner at B44 Catalan Bistro on Belden Lane in San Francisco.

At 5 pm every night, this tiny side street transforms into a little slice of Spain. Or France. Or Italy. (Depending on which restaurant you go to.) It becomes a pedestrian-only lane as tables and chairs are moved onto the street for dinner service. Awnings go up and strands of lights are hung. Attractive hostesses stand at the sidewalk and beckon new patrons.

At B44, we settled at an outdoor table, conveniently under a heater (it’s San Francisco, after all). A busboy poured us water without ice (so European!) right away, but the server ignored us for a while (also very European).

So we had plenty of time to scan the menu, which featured a long list of tapas, paella with an assortment of different ingredients, and many mouthwatering Spanish wines.

We started with Cava and a selection of tasty charcuterie with crusty bread. It was a delicious start to our meal.

Before our entrees were served, we noticed the other restaurants along the street were starting to fill up—it was becoming quite a scene with an eclectic crowd. Loud and lively, just like I experienced on my last trip to Spain [and I loved it!].

I ordered a glass of the 2010 Camins del Priorat to pair with my paella of chicken, sausage, clams and squid. My entrée was served in a cast-iron pan, which I think sat in the oven for a few minutes too long—but I enjoyed it any way.

The wine was amazing; full-bodied with soft tannins and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, and black raspberry. It had an elegant finish with a whisper of cinnamon spice. This juicy blend is 60% Carignan, 30% Garnacha (Grenache), 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah; I found in on Wine.com for $21.99.

Doug ordered the lobster paella and was nice enough to share. His dish was presented with a large piece of lobster and the saffron rice was still moist and chewy. Both paellas were expertly seasoned and large enough for two people to share.

In lieu of dessert, we ordered the Spanish cheese plate; all three cheeses were delicious, but Manchego is the only one I can remember. There was another semi-firm cheese and one that was more similar to a gooey goat’s milk cheese. I ordered a glass of Rioja to pair with our final course, but I should have had another glass of the Priorat.

Although I hope to travel back to Spain soon, when I need my fix for paella and Spanish wine, I will definitely go back to B44. Cheers!

Cabernet deserves more than one day

After attending the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland during August 17-21, I was rather “wined” out. But that didn’t last long. This past week, I started jonesing for something full-bodied and rich—it also happened to be #CabernetDay this past Thursday.

In the month of August, I tasted quite a few Cabernet Sauvignons that I didn’t get the chance to blog about. Here’s a re-cap of the highlights…

2010 Nadia Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Barbara, $35/bottle): blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The palate expresses sweet blackberry jam and vanilla with hints of clove and tobacco. Solid tannin and structure, though young and tightly coiled. Aged 20 months in 100% new French oak. For the price, this wine is made extremely well. It shows great potential and it will most likely improve within 6 months to 1 year or more. This bottle was received as a sample courtesy of Laetitia Vineyards for review purposes.

2008 Ehler’s Estate One-Twenty over Eighty (Napa Valley, $45/bottle): smells like boysenberry jam with a hint of white pepper and tar. On the palate, this Cabernet Sauvignon delivers jammy, mouth-filling flavors of blackberry pie, toast, dusty cocoa, and vanilla. The wine finished with notes of lavender and tobacco. It was probably one of my favorite wines this last month; I wish I had another bottle to drink tonight!

2007 Hartwell Misté Hill Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, $49/bottle): black currant, tar, black licorice, and roasted coffee. Velvety mouthfeel. I was told on a recent visit to the Hartwell Estate that this wine is designed to be enjoyed within 1-2 years of release. This particular vintage is starting to lose its freshness and the fruit flavors are fading, but it’s still drinkable. The 2008 vintage is drinking beautifully (as I’m sure th current vintage [2009] is as well!).

2007 Crocker & Starr Cabernet Franc (Napa Valley, $63/bottle): a delicious organically grown wine with cherry cola, exotic spice, mocha, and the faintest whisper of blueberry pie. Very aromatic and concentrated in the glass. Ready to drink. 

2008 Tamber Bey Deux Cheveux Vineyard Yountville “Rabicano” (Napa Valley, $48/bottle): Bordeaux-style blend with flavors of cherry cola, blueberry, pomegranate and clove. Very dark in the glass with rich and refined tannins. This wine could definitely hold for another 1-2 years.

2003 Divot Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, price N/A): this wine showed it’s age in the glass; it was transparent with a brown rim. I was surprised that it smelled of sweet berries. Unfortunately, one sip convinced me that this wine was past its prime. The aromatics were misleading; the palate was a savory mix of dried herbs, earth, and mushroom.

2007 Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($41/bottle). In case you missed it, please read Tuesday’s blog post for a full review of this amazing wine.

On a sidenote, if you happen to be in the Tiburon neighborhood in Marin on a Sunday or Monday, please come visit me at Prima Palate (soon tobe Main Street Wine Bar). I have also been hired to manage the wine bar’s social media marketing efforts [yes, that is a shameless self-plug for my freelance/consulting business]. Thank you reading Sip Swirl Savor and cheers!