An absolutely superb lunch in Lakasa today. Not a surprise you might say, but you had to be there.

Yes, we drank a bottle (and a half) of Fino La Barajuela 2013 – Saca de 2017 – and it absolutely sang – as did my colleague as the meal progressed (Heaven 17, if you must ask). What an absolutely majestic wine – vaut le voyage on its own, but with flavourful food like this just perfection.

Because even with such a liquid on the table it was hard to take our eyes off the solids. There were five half courses of superlative flavour and texture (yes, I forgot to photograph one of them), followed by not one but two servings of the superb cheesecake – an absolute beauty made with idiazabal. Would be very hard to choose between the dishes but the cerceta (teal) was a little flavour bomb on its bed of roast aubergine, and the scimitar sharp fino could not have been better with it. The texture of the peas, the yoke of the egg and the papada, the flavors of the boar, the lobster, the cock, the calçot and romescu – it is very rare to have such quality every time a plate is put in front of you.

One of the great lunches in a great place, with a truly great wine.