RAISE A GLASS
With cork-popping enthusiasm, the world of cava came into my life the other day. I tentatively dipped my toe into some form of normality as I held an event with real people and by golly we had a good time.
Five wines had their own stories to tell but there was a recurring theme: That cava has quality at its heart. It’s a Spanish sparkling wine with a unique, proud presence, now enhanced and driven by a new quality pyramid structure.
And cava producers know what they’re doing! Sparkling wine has been made the traditional way, with a second fermentation in the bottle, since 1872.
Native Spanish grape varieties, such as xarel·lo, macabeu and parellada are key, but international varieties pinot noir and chardonnay can also be included in a blend.
D.O. Cava has recently led a strategic plan to strengthen the quality of the wine. I was happy to help them share the love with these suggestions.
Vallformosa Origen Brut Bio (£13.49, baythornewines. co.uk, left) is a Cava de Guarda in the pyramid structure, which means a minimum ageing of nine months in the bottle.
It was dry, delightful, delicious and one of the flavour winners of the night. Reyes de Aragón El Casto Brut Reserva (£7.92, or £33.60 for six atiberowine.com, right) is a brilliant value cava further up the classification tree. It is a Cava de Guarda Superior Reserva crafted from macabeo and chardonnay. It brings tropical fruit notes edged with toastiness. The last of our whites was Alta Alella Mirgin Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2017 (£14.15, vinissimus.co.uk). The wine is a Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva, being aged a minimum of 30 months. It had subtle almond notes, citrus and bruised apples. Two rosados finished our evening.
The cranberry-laden organic Brut Rosé Nu (soon to appear Online at Savage Wines £12.95) is aged over 12 months in the bottle. Then with a flourish, the beautiful bottle of Vilarnau Rosé Delicat Brut Reserva (RRP £12, Amazon, Ocado, left) shared ripe strawberries and raspberries in the glass.
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