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 I'm
not going to go into the full monty geographical or technical
stuff - the Cava region is quite vast and extends beyond Catalunya in fact – so check out the official website for
more details:
www.crcava.es
or you could also try
www.cavafromspain.com
(Wines from Spain's New York City office site). This mini-guide is more
about bringing your attention to a few lesser-known sparkling
gems that I've enjoyed personally (in moderation of course); and
hopefully also to encourage you to visit and explore beyond
Barcelona and the region's nice beaches and coastal towns, out
into real Cava country (centred on Vilafranca del Penedès):
head for those green hills!
Grapes-wise, traditional
local white varieties include
Macabeu,
Xarel.lo (the funny dot between the Ls gives a 'luh' sound in
Catalan a bit like an English double L, otherwise it's pronounced
more like 'yuh' as it is in Spanish) and Parellada; and red
grapes Trepat, Monastrell and occasionally Garnacha for rosé
Cava (rosat in Catalan, rosado in Spanish). You'll also see
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir depending on the producer's philosophy
and plantings. I'm not sure if the raging row about the latter
'invaders' is still going on; but when I visited a few years ago
(see 'Cava
& Penedès Wine Institute' opposite, when I've
reconstructed that page...), one of the Freixenet
(www.freixenet.es) bosses
(against French varieties in Cava) told an amusing tale about how
they wouldn't even open the door when he once called by at Codorníu
(www.codorniu.com big fan
of Chardy etc)! Otherwise Cava is made pretty much in the same
way as Champagne, from enormous scale (Freixenet's cellars are
like an underground multi-storey car park) to family artisan.
The key winemaking ingredient is a minimum of nine months bottle
age (by law) on the fine yeast lees, before this deposit is removed
by a nowadays mainly mechanised process called 'disgorgement'
(this word doesn't appear to exist in English according to my
spell-check).
The wines I've sampled and
reviewed below are mostly non-vintage or NV styles unless where
an actual vintage is stated, meaning obviously it's from that
year specifically rather than a more usual blend of different
(more recent) vintages. I'm quite keen on the food-friendly Brut
Nature or Natural style, which you don't see much outside Spain
for some reason, meaning no added dosage i.e. it's not
sweetened leaving barely any residual sugar (as opposed to I
think 9 to 12g/l
on average for a classic Brut style). So these Nature wines are
normally very dry but are often aged for longer in bottle to give
some compensating richness. The ones that aren't can be rather
lean; however, the acidity level in Cava is generally less than
Champagne, which can make them more charming although probably
with lower ageing potential (I've tried some very good older ones
though, such as
Gramona). Another thing, at usually 11.5% alcohol, they make a
refreshing change too.
Cava is doing very well in the UK (over
31 million bottles exported in 2006, according to the Cava
website), Germany (a whopping 46m although decreasing) and the US
(over 13m); yet in Britain at least still appears to have a cheap
image. Not surprising perhaps given the wide availability of
discounted supermarket own-labels and heavily promoted big brands
(many of them good by the way). Isn't it time that the better
quality and more unusual Cavas, which you find everywhere in
Catalunya and to a lesser extent the rest of Spain, got more of a
look-in? The large producers are bound to export some of their
quirkier styles that must end up in small quantities in
independent wine merchants, so browse for longer next time you
pop into your local specialist shop. In Spain, I find you can
generally buy a really nice bottle of Cava for €5 or more,
sometimes for only €3 or €4 (it's not really worth
buying the cheapest ones); and if you 'splash out' (hardly) €7
to €10, you can find some superb quality sparkling wines.
Just remember to bring a couple of polystyrene bottle packs with
you so you can take some back in your suitcase (otherwise the
toast will be on airport security).
This mini-guide includes
certain wines savoured previously (2006/2007), some of which you'll find
elsewhere on the site, side by side with more recent
recommendations (my autumn/winter collection 2007/2008); and will
be updated throughout the year, as and when I discover suitably tasty Cavas...
Richard James 31/1/08.
UNDER
5 €UROS
Arvisa
Celler de l'Avi, Brut Nature Reserva (11.5%) - fine
mix of lively crisp and dry v oily biscuity flavours and
texture, easy drinking stuff yet elegant and well-made. I think
it's an own-label for this wine shop in Calella. April 08:
87-89
Marqués de Sarnella
(J.A.P. Roura)
Brut Nature
(11.5%) - enticing mixture of quite rich, toasty and oat
biscuits with almost 'sweet' fruited texture v crisp dry bite
and intensity; ludicrous bargain at €3.25, on offer at Alcampo
supermarkets (the Spanish guise for Auchan). March 08:
89
Cavas Lavernoya
www.lavernoya.com
Heretat de Lácrima Baccus
Gran Reserva Brut
Nature (11.5%) - extraordinary stuff for €4.95 (old stock
perhaps, this is a ridiculous bargain?) tasting like mature
vintage Champagne: rich toasted yeast with oxidising almond,
hazelnut and honey notes; rounded and full with tangy v
rich-baked oat cake flavours, still quite lively and fine on the
finish. March 2008: 92+
More Lavernoya cavas to follow shortly tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008
Barcelona.
Castillo
Perelada (see
below for the most recent)
www.castilloperelada.com
Brut Reserva (Macabeu
Parellada Xarel.lo) - elegant floral almond and biscuit aromas, more chocolatey
on the palate with crisp dry and tight length. Nice with chocolate and coconut
sponge. On offer (usually over €5), summer 2006:
88
Brut
Rosado (Monastrell
Garnacha) - enticingly frothy summer fruits'
cocktail, leading to fresh choco-nut and off-dry finish. On offer
(usually over €5), summer 2006:
90
Jaume
Serra
Brut Nature
– quite
classy with toasted almond and floral aromas, fuller waxy
mouth-feel v crisp and dry finish. Bargain. November 2007:
87+
Rosado Brut Reserva (Pinot
Noir Trepat 11.5%)
- earthy meaty even with peppery undertones combine with roast
almonds and squashed strawberries; rounded and ripe fruity with
tangy rhubarb flavours too, fairly dry fresh finish. A bit
strange but nice with it.
May
2007: 87
Bach
(see
below for more)
www.codorniu.com
Extrísimo
Brut Natural – light
and crisp, quite tight palate lacking a bit of richness perhaps,
not so dry but quite attractive. January 2008: 85
Extrísimo
Brut Natural (same as
above) - light and elegant with underlying oily, nutty and appley
characters; fresh, fairly long and crisp finish. February
2006: 85+
Cava
Blancher, Capdevila Pujol
www.blancher.es
Brut
Natural Reserva especial Antoni
Capdevila Pujol (11.5%) - toasty yeasty nose with chocolate cake
notes, fine constant bubbles although not that fizzy; crisp
acidity v rich Brazil nut flavours, very dry v rounder texture.
What a find. January 2008: 88-90
Pere
Camps
Reserva Brut (Chardonnay
Macabeu Xarel.lo,
11.5%) – good stuff for the money: delicately yeasty with
acacia honey notes, fresh off-dry finish. October 2007: 85+
Castellblanch
www.castellblanch.es
Brut
Zero Reserva (11.5%) - subtle quality fizz showing apple and
biscuit characters, hazelnut oily texture and refreshing finish.
March 2006 and November 2007: 89
Castell d'Olèrdola
Brut
Reserva (Macabeu
Xarel.lo Parellada, 11.5%)
- subtle floral citrus and bread aromas, tight refreshing
mouth-feel with just a hint of yeasty roundness, dry crisp
finish. Feb 2008:
85
Cases
Ribalta
Brut Nature
(Macabeu
Xarel.lo Parellada,
11.5%) - elegant fizz with quite intense almond biscuit flavours,
lightly oily texture then fresher finish. On offer, April 2006:
87
5
TO 10 €UROS
Cases
Ribalta
Brut Nature
(same as above, full price) – quite
refined and delicate with nutty oily flavours v fresh long and
very dry finish. January 2008:
87-89
Bach
Reserva de la Masia Brut (Macabeu
Xarel.lo
Chardonnay 11.5%)
-
fairly rich and biscuity, ample and rounded with complex flavours
and fine bubbles & length. January & March 2008:
90-92
Conde
de Caralt
Blanc
de Blancs Brut
(11.5%)
- flowery and elegant tones lead on to an oily creamy palate with
light yeasty tang and freshness, delicate bubbles too. January
2008:
87
Mont
Marçal
www.mont-marcal.com
Reserva
Brut
(11.5%)
- quite fine bubbles with subtle baked bread and floral tones;
elegantly oily texture with yeasty appley bite v fuller honeyed
flavours, crisp and quite intense finish. February 2008:
89
Segura
Viudas
Brut
Reserva
– pretty benchmark style showing a touch of class yet more
importantly refreshing drinking: nice balance of light
yeasty/toasty and crisp & clean. November 2007:
87
1994
Brut Vintage
– I don't think this bottle was showing that well (maybe
ever so slightly corked?); however, it was appley and honeyed
with fresh bite, a bit lighter than I expected though. December
2007:
87
Raimat
Brut
Nature Mètode
Tradicional (Pinot Noir
Chardonnay Xarel.lo,
12%) - from the tiny Costers del Segre DO zone but still in
Catalonia. This really quite fine and flavoursome sparkling wine,
shaped by similar production methods to Champagne, comes from
outside the Cava area. Fairly rich, buttery and tropical fruit
gives way to developing yeasty complexity with fresh, dry and
elegant length. Brut Nature means no added dosage, i.e. not
sweetened with less than 4 grams natural residual sugar; so
pretty dry to you and me. March 2006: 90+
Castillo
Perelada
www.castilloperelada.com
Brut
Reserva
(Macabeu
Parellada Xarel.lo,
11.5%) – 15 months bottle ageing on the lees: fine nose
with subtle yeast intensity and honeyed undertones, crisp and
mouth-watering making you
want
to sip more. January 2008: 89
2002
Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada
Xarel.lo) - You'll think it's Champagne: really quite
refined with subtle intensity of yeasty oily almond flavours,
crisp elegant length and very dry refreshing finish. February
2006: 90+
Codorníu
1551 Brut Nature - attractive mix of freshness and
youthful citrus fruit v fuller waxier texture, very dry and a
touch austere perhaps. January 2008: 87
Eudald Massana
Noya
Brut Nature Família
(11.5% organic) - fine and subtle Cava with delicate yeast,
honey and almond oil notes; lightly nutty palate with fresh
citrus, tight zesty and dry finish. Feb 2008:
89
Parxet
Brut (11.5%) - tasty and classy Cava that makes you want
to sip more, lovely balance between toasty baked bread richness
and fresh crispness, rounder and seems less dry than some of the
others although long and stylish. Nearer 10 than 5 euros. Feb
2008: 90-92
OVER
10 €UROS
Castillo
Perelada www.castilloperelada.com
2004
Gran Claustro Brut Nature (Pinot Noir
Macabeu Chardonnay)
– their top Cava and the only one still aged in Peralada's
(different spelling in Catalan) old castle cellars on traditional
racks: it doesn't say how long for in their brochure (a secret
perhaps), but I'd guess at least 2 years lees ageing in bottle;
so the 2004 is youthful at the moment. Complex toasty aromas
supported by rich v citrus-tinged fruit; very tight, intense and
dry palate with great length, lovely round texture v crisp bite.
Needs a few years to blossom. February 2008: 92++
 Cava
Llopart
www.llopart.es
Integral Brut Nature (Parellada
Chardonnay
Macabeu, 11.5%,
18-24 months bottle ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - very fresh, floral &
fruity aromas lead on to a lively palate lined with subtle
chocolate nut v yeasty tanginess; refreshingly dry and
mouth-watering finish. 90-92
2002 Gran Reserva Leopardi Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay,
12%, approx. 4 years ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - richer and toastier
showing attractive maturing fruit characters and biscuity
coating v fresh and crisp intensity, fine and long finish.
92-94
Microcosmos Rosé Brut Nature
(85% Pinot Noir 15%
Monastrell, 12%, 2½-3 years ageing,
2 gr/l RS) - fine perfumed red fruit and rose notes moving on to
grilled black cherry and dark chocolate mouth-feel, again
balanced by fresh intensity & fine acidity; delicious sparkling
wine in fact. 95
Ex-Vite Brut (Xarel.lo Macabeu
12%, 5 years ageing, 5 gr/l RS) -
rich cakey nose showing oily baked oat cake flavours, lush
coating but again has that trademark fresh acidity plus long and
complex finish. 95
All four tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008
Barcelona.
MORE BUBBLY
CATALAN BOTTLES COMING SOON!
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Other
Catalan
& Spanish stuff:
Winery
snapshots:
Raimat
Palacio
Vega
Wines
of the moment
Biodynamic
growers
Millésime
Bio 2005
Monastrell:
Jumilla
Rioja
free zone!
Tasting features 04-05
to follow shortly:
Waitrose
Majestic
Rosé riot
Winery
mini-profiles 2005
Tasting
features 02-03 to follow shortly:
Cava Penedès
CVNE Contino
Mas La Plana
Mucho Español
Roussillon
winery snapshots
'North Catalonia': over 60 estates and
co-ops 'profiled'
(watch
out for FBI serial killers!)
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