Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 33
mecca of Campaspero, makes no pretense of looking like
an old-fashioned asador. Instead, it's modern in a 1980s
sense. As we walk in, one of my companions whispers to
me, "The chef may be crazy, but he is very good."
Marco Antonio García, dressed in a blood-red chef's coat,
turns out to be a bundle of energy and ego manifest, completely, in his own personal zen of lechazo. It would be hard to
imagine a more passionate advocate of all things baby lamb.
"Do you want to see the oven?" Iturriaga asks as the chef
hovers at the table. And so, we follow the fifth-generation
owner into the kitchen, where he gives a lesson in the hourslong process of roasting lamb.
He begins with the elements: The eye-height domed
oven made of clay and straw; the evergreen oak, Quercus
ilex, for building a fire in the center of the oven, until, when
it is starting to turn to coals and ash, he moves them to the
right side to make space on the left for the lamb.
He pulls out one of our cazuelas from the oven and
touches the inside of the leg. "After two hours, the meat
is completely cooked," he says. So, now he turns it, salts it,
and kicks over the fire, needing a flame to crisp the skin.
While it's finishing, he pulls another cazuela from the
oven, filled with parts from the lamb that are not served to
the guests: the underside, or inside of nose-to-tail butchery-from the trachea to the pancreas to a part he decides
THE 120-YEAR-OLD
VINES AT THE HONTAÑON
BLOCK ARE THE OLDEST
AT VEGA-SICILIA'S ESTATE
IN VALBUENA DE DUERO.
not to translate-all used to cure and prepare the barro
(terra cotta). "It starts like this," chef Marco Antonio says,
reaching under the counter to find a raw, uncured terracotta plate, then finds another, explaining, "after a month
of priming it every day, it looks like this." He explains that
the fat of the lamb has filled all the pores of the terra cotta.
Then he places a third cazuela next to the first two, darker
and richer in its patina, the chef estimating that it is 30
years old. "They say the barro is alive," he tells me as he
carefully stores them away.
Finally, he goes to the walk-in to pick out a baby lamb.
He carries the pale, naked beast in his arms, grinning as he
holds the animal in a frozen leap, its front legs and back legs
reaching for either end of the room, its mouth open just
enough to hold the PGI tag that authenticates it as one of
the three local breeds of lamb, raised only on its mother's
milk, and slaughtered when no more than 26 pounds within
35 days of its birth. The chef explains that it's a churra lamb,
a breed native to Castilla y León.
Back at our table, the sommelier is opening the 2015
Valbuena 5 and Unico from 2010 and 1996, all the while
ribbing Pablo Alvarez, hoping he might give her a larger
allocation of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. (Vega-Sicilia
has an exclusive import arrangement with DRC, as well as
Château Pétrus).
WINE & SPIRITS
JUNE 2020
33
Wine & Spirits - June 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2020
Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 1
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 3
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 4
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 5
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 6
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 7
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 8
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 9
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 10
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 11
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 12
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 13
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 14
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 15
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 16
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 17
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 18
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 19
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 20
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 21
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 22
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 23
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 24
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 25
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 26
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 27
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 28
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 29
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 30
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 31
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 32
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 33
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 34
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 35
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 36
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 37
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 38
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 39
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 40
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 41
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 42
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 43
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 44
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 45
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 46
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 47
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 48
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 49
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 50
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 51
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 52
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 53
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 54
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 55
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 56
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 57
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 58
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 59
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 60
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 61
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 62
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 63
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 64
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 65
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 66
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 67
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 68
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 69
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 70
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 71
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 72
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 73
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 74
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 75
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 76
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 77
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 78
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 79
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 80
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2018_winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/fall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/drm_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201110
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com