As someone whose daydreams regularly involve moving to Spain, José Pizarro’s restaurants are how I get my fix of authentic Spanish cuisine in London. Pizarro has lived in London for almost 25 years and owns José, Lolo and Pizarro restaurants on Bermondsey Street as well as a restaurant in the Royal Academy. The Swan in Esher has been bringing Pizarro’s cooking to a modern country pub since 2019.
I was delighted to head to The Swan Inn for the first time to attend a collaboration between Pizarro and renowned Rioja producer Marqués de Vargas. Over a six-course meal for around 40 people in the conservatory, Pizarro explained that he has been fortunate to visit many wineries as part of his work, and he has become a champion of Spanish wines as well as Spanish food in the UK.
The wines of Marqués de Vargas are already listed at Pizarro’s restaurants, and the occasion for the collaboration, Pizarro told us, before heading back out to the kitchens, was merely “to celebrate good wine, good food and good company.”
Marqués de Vargas is a family run producer founded in 1840, now in the hands of the fourth generation. In 1989 the family built a winery in order to make wines from the estate’s vineyards. Based near Logroño in Rioja Alta, the group also includes Conde de San Cristóbal in Ribera del Duero and Pazo de San Mauro in Rías Baixas.
We were greeted with a glass of appropriately named Flamingo Rosé 2021 from Conde de San Cristóbal in Ribera del Duero. A bright pink 100% Tempranillo with intense strawberry and cherry fruit, the body and texture comes from lees ageing. According to Diana Fernández, export manager for Marqués de Vargas, 2021 was a “dream vintage.” The rosé is made from a single plot at 900m altitude from free run juice only, to retain freshness and elegance. A snack of spicy crab, pomelo, coriander and tomato sauce tartlets gave a pop of saltiness for the rosé aperitivo.
Fire-roasted artichoke, romesco and allioli was served with a glass of Pazo de San Mauro Albariño 2024, a classic Rías Baixas Albariño with a floral, salty, grapefruit nose and ripe peaches on the palate. Made with grapes from the warm Condado do Tea subregion the high acidity balances the ripe fruit while complementing the creaminess of the romesco sauce.
The next course caused some discussion on our table about the unusual pairing of a traditionally oaked Rioja, the Marqués de Vargas Reserva 2019, with a wild seabass carpaccio, cucumber, and citrus vinaigrette, surely a contender to be paired more easily with one of the Albariños. The unanimous opinion, however, was that it worked surprisingly well. The addition of pink peppercorns on the carpaccio seemed to enhance the fruitiness of the Rioja, while the citrus kept the pairing fresh and helped ensure the oak didn’t overwhelm the delicate fish.
Next up, a beautifully presented baked scallop in shell with garlic and parsley crumb was served with Sanamaro Sobre Lías 2021, a blend of Albariño and Loureiro from Rías Baixas. Lees ageing and a combination of whole bunch fermentation and old oak maturation provide great texture. The richness of the wine married beautifully with the salty garlic crumb while the scallops paired well with the herbal lemon balm notes from the Loureiro.
A more traditional pairing for the next Tempranillo came in the form of a meltingly soft suckling lamb leg served with charred seasonal veg, Jersey royals, and palo cortado jus. The rich, salty jus brought out the depth of the fruit in the Reserva Especial Conde de San Cristóbal 2018 while the acidity cut through the fattiness of the lamb. Only made in the best years and from low-yielding old vines, deep dark fruits mingle with oak in this intense Tempranillo from 900m altitude in Ribera del Duero.
For the final course, goat’s cheese ice cream with walnut crumble & PX reduction, Fernández treated us to the pinnacle of the portfolio, Marqués de Vargas Hacienda Pradolagar 2018, a blend of Tempranillo with 25% Mazuelo from a single parcel at the Pradolagar estate in Rioja. Designated a Viñedo Singular, the highest quality level in Rioja, the grapes are from vines over 50 years old. Intense dark cherry and blackberry fruit with integrated oak, this is a rich but elegant wine which could likely age for another decade.
Diana Fernández and José Pizarro
A queue of contented customers waiting to take photos and chat with both Pizarro and Fernández was testament to the success of the evening. Marqués de Vargas focuses mainly on the on-trade in the UK, it currently sells and distributes wine through José Pizarro Distributions Ltd although it is seeking wider distribution in the UK.
* To find out more about Marqués de Vargas go to its website here.
