Cava 2017 · 14 Cavas for every budget Rebecca Gibb MW picks out a selection of UK-available wines...

Cava 2017A guide to its wines, regions and styles

Produced in association with DO Cava

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New Cava CategoryCava de araje Calificado

A T A S T E F O R U N I Q U E N E S S

Cava de araje Calificado

From the single state vineyard to the glass.More information: www.docava.es

Is the Cava made from a wine produced using grapes from a particular place of which specific edaphic

and microclimatic conditions, together with quality criteria of its production and ageing, create a cava

with distinctive features

From the paraje to the glass.

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S P O N S O R E D G U I D E • C a v a 2 0 1 7 | 3

4 It’s time for CavaAndrew Jefford explains why the time has never been better to rediscover Cava

6 Scaling the heightsAged and terroir-driven wines are keeping Cava competitive with other premium sparkling wines, says Rebecca Gibb MW

10 Closing the quality circlePedro Ballesteros Torres MW explains what the new single-vineyard designation, Cava de Paraje Califado, means for wine lovers

14 Cavas for every budgetRebecca Gibb MW picks out a selection of UK-available wines from, £12.99 to £100

20 Variety showLenka Sedlakova MW looks at the qualities that both indigenous and international grapes lend to this famous sparkling wine

24 The perfect dinner companionFrom tapas to dessert, Cava’s characteristic dryness makes it the perfect partner for a range of dishes, says Fiona Beckett

27 Where to buy Cava in the UK

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Contents

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Time for Cava!

With its distinct sense of terroir,Cava made from Catalonia’s indigenous

grape varieties is something we should all be drinking now, says Andrew Jefford

When I think of Cava, I think of two paradoxes. The first is that this is the principal wine expression of the Catalan hills, yet drinkers very

seldom think about Catalonia and its grape varieties, or its terroir, as they drink Cava. The paradox is intensified with every step the drinker takes up the Cava wine hierarchy.

Few wines express their identity and origins so forcefully as fine Cava, especially when vinified chiefly from Macabeo and Xarel.lo: the scent is intimately that of these wild, sunlit, pine-strewn, sea-fronted terraces, punctuated incessantly by forest and Mediterranean scrub, with all of its legendary aromatic force. The wines’ flavours, too – that salty-stony breadth, that structured southern fruit, the haunting of its foam by the memory of wild flowers and fennel seeds, the way that the bubbles lift and relieve an almost chewy white wine, while the grain of its yeast trace seems to suggest a white earth and the clay it might form when the winter rains come, and its always gentle acidity has a tangy, exotic quality – this, for me, is the taste of Catalonia itself, a perfect expression of its physical identity as a land, the most evocative of sketches.

One sip, and I can always see the jagged outline of Montserrat in the distance. Agreed, I’ve been lucky enough to visit several times and most Cava drinkers will not have had the same chance – but that sensorial difference is always there, and if you are ready to spend £20 or £30 on a Cava, you will find it there most intensely. Yet this vital facet of its character is rarely recognised or celebrated.

The second paradox is even more striking. The sparkling wine world is, at present, a rather dull and homogenous place. Why? Because so much of it lies in Champagne’s shadow. Champagne’s striking

quality, and the imaginative hold it has succeeded in exerting on the market, is almost a dictature – so that whenever winemakers outside Europe (and often inside, too) want to make a sparkling wine, they reach for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and they set off with Champagne’s fine-honed balance and nuance buried like a gimlet in their brains, no matter how inappropriate this might be in terms of respect for the climate and soils in which such sparkling wines are going to be created. Since technology is an intimate part of all sparkling wine creation, they can often create passably good Champagne-like sparkling wines – though they are sparkling wines that are doomed to be second best, since they are trying to be what they can never be.

A changing worldCava made with Catalonia’s indigenous varieties is the great exception to this rule. It proves, at the highest levels with triumphant success, that there is another way to make sparkling wine, a southern way, a warm-climate way, a terroir-respecting alternative – and that sparkling wines made in this idiom and in this style can work resoundingly well as gastronomic objects.

Great Cava rearranges all the sparkling wine rules. It is a force for liberation in the sparkling wine world, and in truth a much more useful source of inspiration than Champagne for many of those struggling to make great sparkling wine in climates that are vastly warmer than those of Reims and Epernay. Though, of course, sparkling winemakers would need to fall in love with Cava first in order to want to do what their landscapes and their seasons are, in fact, whispering to them to do.

Things are now changing; the sparkling wine world is finally shaking off Champagne’s dictature

Andrew Jefford is a writer, broadcaster and Decanter contributing editor

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CAVA_p004-05 Introduction v3.indd 4 18/08/2017 14:54


‘Great Cava

is a force for

liberation in

the sparkling

wine world’

and beginning to expand. Alternatives are now permissible; drinkers are prepared to allow that there might be ways in which sparkling wines can seduce, entice, satisfy, inspire and transport that do not involve Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the kind of acid balance that comes when a full season in the vineyard delivers only 9.5% potential alcohol by summer’s close. Cava’s moment has come.

And Cava, too, is changing. There is a recognition in Catalonia that the big business model of huge volume and low margins is not the only way to build a future. The kind of Cava I have described above has long been familiar to the Catalans themselves – but to almost no one else. Partly that was because the world wasn’t ready for it, but it also comes from the fact that the Cava rules have been drafted with such latitude (in terms of fruit origin and approved grape varieties) that ‘the Catalan character’ is often opaque or residual in less expensive examples.

Cava de Paraje Calificado (see p10) is a change of direction – a category that allows those who wish to maximise rather than minimise the Catalan character in their wines the chance to do so. I know from having visited many smaller Cava producers that fine sparkling wines of this sort are already produced in profusion in the region, and often with the highest terroir ideals. Merchants around the world need to make at least small ranges of such wines available to their customers in what (I hope) are expanding offers of indigenous sparkling wines.

And then it will be down to you – the drinker. Open your mind; open your palate. Much wine beauty is an acquired taste – but, once acquired, complexity and intrigue ensures that it is never lost. This is what you will find when you discover, and come to appreciate, the fine foaming white wine of the Catalan hills. D

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Cava scalesthe heights

The premium sparkling wine category has never been stronger, and for Cava, this means aged and terroir-driven wines. Rebecca Gibb MW reports on the work being done

to improve the quality of Spain’s most famous fizz

High above the busy beaches of Barcelona, the peaks of Montserrat pierce the clouds. On its serrated ridgeline, more than a kilometre above the Mediterranean sea,

the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat stands majestically, attracting pilgrims and tourists up its slopes to pay homage to the Black Madonna and enjoy the panoramic views of the Catalonian countryside. Its monks have long surveyed the land below and over the course of the last century, they have seen a tide of Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada surge across its surface.

Montserrat is a constant presence in the Cava heartland: its imposing frame looms over most vineyards in and around the rather unexciting town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. The urban centre of Cava production stands like the penguin in the middle of a huddle: it is protected by the hulk of Monserrat, providing shelter from the cold winds blowing from the snowy summits of the Pyrenees to the north; the coastal foothills to the southeast buffer the warm Mediterranean-influenced breezes, making summer nights refreshingly cool – while the residents of Barcelona turn on the air-conditioning to sleep at night, here blankets are needed. In spite of its privileged location and no end of prayers for Cava’s success, the market has been unkind to Spain’s most famous sparkling wine in recent years.

‘Cava is unjustly treated:

everyone thinks it’s a sparkling wine for the supermarkets’ Pedro Bonet

Main picture: Pedro Bonet, president of the DO Cava

Below, from left: Gramona, in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia; Cava disgorgement by hand, at Freixenet; premium Cava ages for at least 15 months before release

Rebecca Gibb MW is an awarded freelance wine writer and editor

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Pedro Bonet, president of the DO Cava, and communication and publicity director at Freixenet, laments the challenges facing the wines of his homeland. ‘Cava is unjustly treated: everyone thinks it’s a sparkling wine for the supermarkets.’ And much of it is destined for the supermarket shelves; just one in eight bottles of all Cava sold in 2016 was considered ‘premium’ Cava – that is reserva or gran reserva, which require 15 and 36 months’ ageing respectively before release. While the 1970s were the ‘Big Bang’ for the Cava category as a whole, according to Bonet, its fine wines now need a rocket launcher or some divine intervention from the Montserrat monks.

It’s a big ask when every other wine region in the world is also trying to get wine drinkers to trade up, including ‘the commercial rival’ Prosecco. The category can count on local support, despite the ever-present political friction between Catalonia and the rest of Spain, with the domestic market

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‘When people come to visit us, they are

amazed by the amount of effort that goes

into a bottle of Cava’ Meritxell Juvé (above)

drinking nearly nine out of 10 bottles of gran reserva sold and six in 10 bottles of reserva.

Meritxell Juvé of Juvé & Camps – one of many who are destined to be future leaders in the denominacion – is convinced Cava’s time has come for its premium wines to be bought beyond its borders. ‘Spaniards didn’t pay for high-quality Cava [20 years ago], but they are now willing. When people visit us, they are amazed by the effort that goes into a bottle of Cava,’ she says.

And a growing number of producers, including Juvé & Camps and Pere Ventura, are joining smaller houses in putting more and more effort into their vineyards through the adoption of organic viticulture. There is a growing realisation across the denominacion – and large swathes of the rest of the winemaking world – that they have the vinification sussed after focusing on it for the past few decades. Now it’s time to get the raw material in better shape, as well as bring life back to the soils. ‘Every generation has to contribute in a certain way,’ says Juvé, ‘and this is our way [of giving back].’

Estate after estate is adopting organic practices, with some going further to embrace biodynamics. Travelling through the vineyards, you can see rows of compost heaps, a shed full of cow’s horns and wooden signposts naming each block. One of these signs bears the name Bourguignon, in homage to the soil experts Claude and Lydia, whom fifth-generation winemaker Jaume Gramona met in 2010 and invited to the estate.

Pamela Anzano Valero of Gramona says: ‘The Bourguignons came here and told Jaume: “you have a problem with your soils and if you don’t do something your wines will be rubbish in years to come”.’ So they did something radical, following fellow Cava producer Recaredo in adopting biodynamic viticulture.

In touch with terroirThe increasing focus on the health of the land and its vines might be a recent shift for larger wine producers here, but at Alta Alella, an estate making both Cava and still wines just 15 minutes’ drive north of Barcelona’s city centre, it is nothing new.

On the ridgeline of the estate, with Barcelona in full view, Mireia Pujol-Busquets Guillén, a biologist who now works with her father on the family estate, explains: ‘We started here in 1991 and were organic from the beginning. Imagine being organic 26 years ago – people back then thought we were crazy. And 11 years ago we were the first winery to produce Cava without sulphites – we wanted to go further than organics.’

With the inception of a new single-vineyard Cava category – Cava de Paraje Calificado (see p10) – it is clear the DO’s emphasis is firmly on the terroir. Pujol-Busquets adds: ‘Cava has never been related to land and now it is.’ But there will be a ceiling on

Cava Alta Alella’s Josep María Pujol Busquets

Jaume Gramona

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the number of single vineyards – around 50 – and the category will account for a tiny proportion of the 250-odd million bottles that the region will sell each year. Bonet explains: ‘There is a part of Cava that is technology-driven: well-made and fault free; but there’s another part – people are trying to make terroir-driven Cava.’

Yet ageing is the factor that sets reserva and gran reserva categories apart from the rest of the Cava market, so what does this new vineyard classification actually mean for them? Are they now second best? The hope is that Cava de Paraje Calificado will have a cascade effect, improving the image of all premium Cava categories. What’s more, these new single-vineyard wines are gran reservas,

having to meet the minimum ageing qualification of 36 months. It is all part of an effort to improve the quality of Cava wines and improve Cava’s international reputation.

There’s still plenty of work ahead to convince drinkers that Cava – and its three major grape varieties (Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada) – are capable of producing fine fizz to rival the best in the world, but a handful of producers provide a beacon for others to follow. While the occasional pilgrimage to the top of Monserrat won’t do local producers any harm, they realise that their time is better spent in the vineyard. By questioning their growing methods and their varieties, the quality of Cava is only set to improve. D

Left: Cavas Freixenet can be found in the Penedès region

Claude Bourguignon

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Gramona, Enoteca 2001 96 £160 Berry Bros & Rudd

An almost Amontillado-like nose full of almonds, salt and dried fruit starts proceedings in this complex, full-bodied and savoury Cava. It is powerful, with masses of fruit concentration and an appetisingly chewy texture –

a wine that’s good enough to eat. Long length. Superb to drink now. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

Gramona, III Lustros 2009 92£38 Berry Bros & Rudd

Harmonious and mellow, this wine has fruit cake and almond flavours, which have hints of an Amontillado. This mid-weight style packs a lot of concentration in its core with bright acidity on the finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

Alta Alella, Capsigrany 2015 91POA Georges Barbier

100% Pansa Rosado, which is also known as red Xarel.lo. Rich and savoury on the nose, this is like no other Cava I have tasted: savoury, salty, almondy, there’s tannin on the finish. This is a Cava that’s

chewy and offers texture and lots of weird goodness. A real food Cava. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

Recaredo, Finca Serral del Vell Brut de Brut 2007 91£36.94-£44.99 Bottle Apostle, Exel Wines,

Les Caves de Pyrene

Round and elegant, sitting very comfortably on the mid-palate like a sofa you’ve owned and loved for a few years. On the finish it’s long and nuanced, with brioche and lime characters. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

Alta Alella, Bruant 2015 90 POA Georges Barbier

100% Xarel.lo made by Ancestrale Methode. Lovely and pure apple nose with some almond hints. It’s unadulterated. An assertive fizz on entry. Salty and almondy leads to salty on the

finish, which speaks of the sea. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

Codorníu, Ars Collecta 456 2007 90£200 Codorníu UK

A mature, rich and full-bodied Cava. It is dense on the mid-palate; taut and almost chewy on the finish. You can expect biscuit, graphite and ripe peach flavours, reiminiscent of the

fully developed Chardonnay in this blend. Very good in the category, but the £200 price-tag is a bit too ambitious. Drink 2017 Alc 11.5%

Pere Ventura, Gran Vintage Brut 2012 90£47.50 Enotria & Coe

While the gold bling bottle might not be to everyone’s liking, the wine is ambitious and tasteful. It may not be hugely aromatic, but this full-bodied Cava has lovely creamy texture and elegance

with an integrated mousse and subtle autolytic notes. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

Recaredo, Terrers Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2010 90£23.78-£28 Exel Wines, Les Caves de Pyrene

Savoury, mellow and rich – offers a lot for less than £30. Made biodynamically, it has a complex range of flavours from pear, dates and plums to pastry and treacle. The mousse is fine, integrated and the finish is long and fresh, with an attractive chewiness. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

Llopart, Panoramic Gran Reserva Imperial Brut 2012 89£18.65 Bibendum PLB, Exel Wines

A developed Cava that has spent more than 42 months’ ageing. A blend of the three traditional varieties, this wine offers subtle but distinctive aromas of baked apple, dried fruits and toast. Beneath the bouyant fizz there’s a full-bodied, harmonious wine with long length. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 11.5%

For full details of UK stockists, see p27

Gibb’s picks of premium Cavas


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Cava’s new top tierThe region’s dozen best single-vineyard Cavas are now officially recognised as Cava de Paraje Calificado. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW explains how the new

quality tier has been assessed and why the wines have a typically individual style

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During the 17th century, manufacturers developed a type of glass that was strong enough to withstand high pressure. This was significant for

winemakers in the Champagne region, whose sparkling wines had previously tended to explode in bottle. It was a catalyst to the development of the méthode Champenoise technique for making sparkling wine – and the rest, as they say, is history.

The success of Champagne inspired winemakers in many other regions to adopt the same production methods. Though without the terroir of Champagne, most were inferior in quality. Only a few of them, such as Cava, showed a potential for high quality and genuine expression of terroir.

Cava quickly gained popularity, thanks to its affordability and taste. Keen to innovate in pursuit of higher quality, producers mastered the traditional-method technique and went on to develop new styles, using long bottle ageing to create gran reservas, and using the best grapes from particular vineyards.

Peak of qualityRecently Cava producers have taken the final step up the quality ladder by legalising single-vineyard Cava, now recognised as Cava de Paraje Calificado (CPC). The selection process for CPC wines is understandably strict, with stringent eligibility conditions. Vines must be at least 10 years old, with lower yields, and all wines must be brut, extra brut or brut nature, and bottle-aged on the lees for at least 36 months.

There is also a requisite for full traceability, meaning all CPC vineyards must be owned or

contracted on a long-term basis by the wineries. If all of these criteria are met, the wines are then tasted blind by a panel made up of a majority of ‘outsiders’ – wine judges and experts who aren’t Cava producers themselves. Winemakers also have to explain to the judging panel what makes their vineyard a unique terroir.

The initial group of CPC wines (see box, p12) form the vanguard of the category. It is hoped that these single-vineyard Cavas will become known for providing a genuine expression of terroir. For Pere Bonet, president of the DO Cava, the path is clear. ‘We need to concentrate our efforts in developing distinguished premium categories in Cava,’ he says. ‘Cava must be aspirational, and Cava de Paraje Calificado is one of the summits.’

Indeed, the new regulation recognises a small number of wines that already comply with the requirements and are already recognised by wine experts for their higher quality. Because of the ageing requirement, all of the initial CPC candidates were prestige wines nearing the end of their maturation period. Not all were selected, but the ones that became CPC are, unsurprisingly, among the top Spanish sparkling wines.

Vineyard management The increased focus on the vineyards, which is highlighted by CPC regulations, is a complex issue. Individual wineries have developed a variety of approaches and winemaking philosophies in response. Some, such as Recaredo, look for the unique expression of very old vineyards planted with native grape varieties. Its Turó d’en Mota is

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW is a DWWA Regional co-chair for Spain

Left: Ton Mata (left) and Joan Rubió of Recaredo in their Turó d’en Mota vineyard, and the newly declared Cava de Paraje Califcado wine made from it

Above: Castellroig’s FInca Sabaté i Coca in the village of Subirats; its Reserva Familiar Cava from the Terroja vineyard is a new CPC

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a great example of a unique wine that sings its origin. Winemaker Ton Mata says he feels humbled by the character of this vineyard – a delicate pearl that needs respectful care and is farmed biodynamically to produce its precious grapes.

Others, such as Gramona, create their best expressions by focusing on the complexity of long maturation on lees – to such a level that Gramona Cavas regularly beat top Champagnes in blind tastings. However Jaume Gramona also applies biodynamic principles in his vineyards, as a strategy for getting more intimate knowledge of the life in his soils and discovering the subtleties and balance in nature. As a result, he says his wines are ‘more balanced, more connected to the well-being behind respecting the nature’.

Vins El Cep, an unusual winery that’s jointly run by four families, is the third biodynamic producer in the initial CPC group. It’s my opinion that biodynamic practices will be become increasingly widespread among other wineries in the future.

Another important factor is the unique type of soil that can be found in particular Cava vineyards. Known as saulò, it is made up of granite rocks which have degraded in sand. Such soil has little water retention capacity and quite low fertility. It is ideal for cultivating high-quality Xarel.lo grapes, known locally as Pansa Blanca. An example comes from Alta Alella, another member of the initial CPC group. This winery is a personal project by the oenologist Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets, now supported by his daughter Mireia. Their CPC wine, Mirgin, is as unique as the soil in which the vines are planted.

Grape variety Codorníu, the giant Cava producer, adopted a different strategy, building a micro-winery within its large winery, dedicated exclusively to researching top Cava wines, and to selecting the most promising

Cava de Paraje Calificado: the first wave PRODUCER Cava DE PaRajE CalifCaDO (vinEyaRD)

Torelló Gran Torelló (Vinyes de Can Marti)

Recaredo Turó d’en Mota (Turó d’en Mota)

Recaredo Serrall del Vell (Serrall del Vell)

Alta Alella Mirgin (Vallcirera)

Juvé & Camps La Capella (La Capella)

Freixenet, Casa Sala Casa Sala (Can Sala)

Codorníu Finca La Pleta (La Pleta)

Codorníu Finca El Tros Nou (El Tros Nou)

Codorníu Finca La Fideuera (La Fideuera)

Vins el Cep Claror (Can Prats)

Gramona Enoteca, Celler Batlle, Ill Lustros (Font de Jui)

Castellroig Sabaté i Coca (Terroja)

vineyards that will develop different visions of the terroirs in Catalonia. For each of the company’s top vineyards chief winemaker, Bruno Colomer, selected a single grape variety: Chardonnay for La Pleta, in clay-loam soil; Pinot Noir in a high-altitude cool llicorella (slate) soil; and Xarel.lo in a high-density vineyard of loam soil. Each one is a CPC with tiny productions – partly because Codorníu also uses grapes from the vineyard to produce a blend, named 456 in tribute to the company’s age (which, as a blend of three vineyards, is not CPC).

Similarly, Juvé & Camps selected the vineyard that, according to owner Joan Juvé, gives the purest expression of the indigenous Xarel.lo grape. He believes the resulting CPC wine, La Capella, embodies the Cava personality. I recommend comparing it with Castellroig’s Finca Sabaté i Coca, Reserva Familiar, as it is made to the same principles – selecting the best terroir for the expression of Xarel.lo – but the soils, the winemaking and the maturation period are quite different. In my opinion one isn’t better than the other; they offer two absolutely different pleasures.

Torelló’s concept for its CPC wines is much closer to the best-known definition of Cava, as it’s a blend of Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada. In this case the different grape varieties are grown on the same piece of land; they are planted in different parts of the vineyard according to suitable exposure and soil type. Torelló introduces complexity by producing two CPC wines from the same vineyard, Can Marti, which are also very interesting to

‘Cava must be aspirational, and Cava de

Paraje Calificado is one of the summits’ Pere Bonet

Above: Joan Juvé of Juvé & Camps, whose La Capella Cava, from the vineyard of the same name, is one of the 12 CPCs (below)

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CPC wines to try

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compare. One of them, the 225 Brut Nature Gran Reserva, is fermented in oak barrels; while the other, Gran Torelló Brut Nature Gran Reserva, is aged for a longer time on its lees.

Not to be outdone, Gramona produces not two, but three CPC wines from its Font de Jui vineyard: Enoteca, Celler Batlle and III Lustros. Honouring its company logo – ‘Artesanos del tiempo’ (‘Craftsmen of time’) – these wines are differentiated by their maturation time (up to 12 years for Enoteca).

Finally the other giant, Freixenet, decided to return to its origins in order to celebrate its 100th anniversary. After replanting its original vineyard, Freixenet recreated its very first winery, filling it with equipment that would have been used at the time, such as a Champenois vertical press, and following hand-crafted production methods. Freixenet gave responsibility for this project to Josep Bujàn, its long-standing chief oenologist. The result is Casa Sala, named after Freixenet co-founder Dolores Sala. It is a genuine single-vineyard CPC with a unique history behind it.

These examples show why, in a typically Spanish way, there isn’t one standard definition of the tasting profile of a CPC. This is partly because producers have different philosophies, but also because CPC wines showcase the diversity of the Catalonian landscape.

Cava de Paraje Calificado wines come from a varied range of soils: saulò (sandy granite), llicorella (slate), calcareous, clay or loam. Microclimates are also diverse, because of the mountainous topography and uneven influence of the Mediterranean sea.

When it comes to grape varieties, the native Xarel.lo is probably the most preferred, either used on its own or blended with Macabeo and/or Parellada. However, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used in two single-varietal CPC wines and present in a few blends. Finally, in the winery, only a few producers stick to the 36-month minimum period of ageing; most age their wines for much longer.

The only factor uniting all of these wines is their excellent quality. They captivate, thanks to their balance and complexity. Some add power and length to the picture, while others show delicacy or intensity of expression, and others are simply one of a kind. So it seems that Cava de Paraje Calificado can best be defined by their uniqueness and personality. What else would you expect from Catalonia? D

Recaredo, Turó d’en Mota 2005 97£103 Christopher Keiler,

Fine & Rare

A most exclusive wine, singing the uniqueness of its terroir. Pure old-vine Xarel.lo, fermented in oak, aged for more than 10 years. A wonder of layered aromatic

precision. Drink 2017-2035 Alc 12%

Gramona, Celler Batlle Gran Reserva Brut 2006 96£60 Berry Bros & Rudd

The second wine, aged for 120 months, from the same vineyard as Enoteca. Elegant, with discreet concentration; the finish is a hymn to the persistence of

beauty. Drink 2017-2030 Alc 12%

Freixenet, Casa Sala 2007 94£35 Soho Wine Supply

From Freixenet’s original vineyard. A new winery using old techniques, with a hand-crafted approach. Spends seven years on lees. A high proportion of Parellada, showing huge quality potential. Magical balance and complexity. A future icon. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 12%

Torelló, Gran Torelló Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2009 93N/A UK www.torello.com

Classic cava blend matured for almost seven years. Discreet and elegant, with a suave creaminess and much delicacy, followed by a remarkably long

and persistent finish. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 12.%

Codorníu, Finca La Fideuera 2007 92£100 Codorníu UK

Formerly known as Finca La Nansa, this pure Xarel.lo is matured for 90 months. The calcareous soil results in a distinctive profile. One of a series of three CPCs in three vineyards. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 12%

Alta Alella, Mirgin Gran Reserva 2013 91£15.93 Georges Barbier

The vineyard is in a natural park, with amazing saulò soil. Intensely aromatic, with gentle oak and Xarel.lo’s typical tisane notes. Nice acidity, high extract, baroque finish. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12%

Vins El Cep, Claror 2012 91N/A UK www.vinselcep.com

Great wine built upon purity and freshness, reinforced with the long ageing. A mineral expression of Cava; a consequence of biodynamics? Very distinctive. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 12%

Juvé & Camps, La Capella Gran Reserva 2007 91N/A UK www.

juveycamps.com

Pure Xarel.lo, aged on its lees for nine years. Intense brioche and toasty expression on the nose. Solidly built, powerful and

persistent. Drink 2017-2021 Alc 12%

Castellroig, Finca Sabaté i Coca, Reserva Familiar Brut Nature 2010? 91N/A UK www.

visitacastellroig.com

A blend of Xarel.lo and Macabeo aged for 36 months, from a vineyard with four different soil types,

Distinctive oxidative style. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 12%

For full UK stockist details, see p27

‘In a typically Spanish way,

there isn’t one standard

definition of the tasting

profile of a CPC’

CAVA_p010-013 Cava de Paraje Calificado.indd 13 18/08/2017 16:17

1 4 | C a v a 2 0 1 7 • S P O N S O R E D G U I D E

A taste of CavaThere is a Cava for every budget and every palate, discovers Rebecca Gibb MW, who picks out a selection of UK-available

wines that excelled at a tasting organised by the DO Cava

On a rainy morning in Villafranca, the headquarters of the DO Cava provided shelter from the storm and a line-up of nearly 40 reserva and gran reserva

Cavas. There were a number that shone, brightening up the grey day; there were also plenty of technically proficient wines that were serviceable but failed to excite in quite the same way. It’s hardly surprising that there is variation in quality and style within a DO that covers almost as much land as New Zealand’s entire wine industry, at 33,903 hectares.

Within the gran reserva category there were some clear stand-outs, showing that the varieties that make up most Cava blends – Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo (see p20) – can produce wines with finesse and ageing potential. On release, they are ready to drink and there’s little to gain from further cellaring. While there were some stars in the show, the rather non-aromatic nature of this trio combined with extended ageing failed to produce an interesting end result in others. As with Rioja gran reservas, longer ageing doesn’t necessarily mean a better wine.

While no wine achieved more than 93 points, those achieving 90 or more displayed harmony, complexity and textural interest, clearly the result of tender loving care in both the vineyard and winery, offering intensity and fruit concentration.

When it comes to the components of the blend, Xarel.lo, which covers some 25% of the Cava vineyard area, seems to offer the most personality

and excitement. Giving its blending partners the heave-ho, there were a number of varietal Xarel.los in the line-up that offered power and drive – no doubt due to the grape’s naturally low pH. Macabeo remains the most planted grape in the DO and has long proved a trusty base wine, but the tasting suggested that as a varietal sparkling wine it is unlikely to generate the same excitement and interest as Xarel.lo. Parellada generally plays a minor role in blends or is left out of the equation due to its soft acidity and lack of aromatic interest.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are relative newcomers to Cava’s vineyard scene. The amount of debate these international varieties has created far outweighs their importance: they still play a minor role in terms of total plantings (11%). Even the biggest opponent of this pair’s inclusion in the DO, Freixenet, had a change of heart and included them in some of its blends. However, the resulting wines are a mixed bag: while Chardonnay can offer attractive elegance and roundness to blends, let’s not forget that Catalonia is a warm region and, when mishandled, it can a bring a heaviness and obvious peach fruit character, which isn’t particularly attractive.

In general, you get what you pay for, and the real excitement in Cava starts at around £25. That said, there were some genuinely good sparkling wines, with several at the sub-£20 level displaying skilful viticulture and vinification, as well as an evolution from lengthy ageing.

‘It’s hardly

surprising

that there

is variation

within a

DO that

covers almost

as much land

as New

Zealand’s

entire wine

industry’

Rebecca Gibb MW is an awarded freelance wine writer and editor

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CAVA_p014-019 Cava tasting.indd 14 18/08/2017 14:42

S P O N S O R E D G U I D E • C a v a 2 0 1 7 | 1 5

‘Wines achieving

90 points or

more displayed

harmony,

complexity and

textural interest’

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2Gramona, III Lustros Gran Reserva Brut

Nature 2009 92£38 Berry Bros & Rudd

Gaining lime and toasty characters like an ageing Eden Valley Riesling, this is a dry, delicate, light-bodied Cava,yet doesn’t lack in the concentration department. Fine, pure and driven, this spent 96 months on its lees and is now nicely maturing and ready to drink. Long length. Drink 2017-2021 Alc 12%

3Freixenet, Casa Sala Gran Reserva 2007 91

£35 Soho Wines

Nutty, savoury, rich and powerful with almond and Christmas cake-like flavours – almost like it has a touch of amontillado. Powerful, full-bodied, soft and fully mature with lovely lime freshness on the finish and a medium-long length. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12.5%

4Recaredo, Finca Serral del Vell Brut

de Brut Gran Reserva 2007 91£36.94-£45 Bottle Apostle,

Exel Wines, Les Caves de Pyrene

Round and elegant, sitting very comfortably on the mid-palate like a well-loved sofa. On the finish, it’s long and nuanced with brioche and lime characters. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

5Agustí Torelló Mata, Kripta Brut Nature

Gran Reserva 2008 90£46-£55 Basco Fine Foods,

Georges Barbier

Now nearing a decade since the fruit was picked, this wine shows its age in its golden hue and powerful toasty aroma. The palate shows good concentration, decent weight, and a touch of elegance (from the 45% Macabeo) with an attractive grip on the finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

6Codorníu, Finca el Tros Nou 2007 90

£100 Codorníu UK

Fully developed almond and stewed apple flavours. Full-bodied and round with mouth-coating tannins, firm acidity and a mineral grip on the finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

7Codorníu, Jaume 2011 87

£70 Codorníu UK

There’s an almost sweet white stone fruit to this – its ripeness and voluptuousness screams of non-indigenous varieties. Soft in style and easy to enjoy now. Drink 2017 Alc 12% �

1Gramona, Celler Batlle Gran Reserva Brut

2006 93£60 Berry Bros & Rudd

Cava’s answer to an aged Bollinger vintage, this is deep, rich and profound, offering savoury, biscuity, complex flavours that fill the palate and linger long after your mouth stops watering from the fresh Xarel.lo (75%) acidity. Incredibly alluring – an excellent wine. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

Splash out – wines for £30 or more



1Alta Alella, Mirgin Gran Reserva 2013 91

£15.93 Georges Barbier*

A richly ripe, toasty wine that shows some oxidatively aged characteristics of almonds plus a rounded structure. Vinous, with a nice grip on the finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12%* When this tasting took place, the wine was listed

at being between £20-£30

2 Gramona, Imperial 2012 91£29.95 Berry Bros & Rudd

Powerful, assertive, toasty nose with real zip – this is a Cava that wakes your palate up mid-tasting thanks to 50% Xarel.lo.It has gained some lime and nutty characteristics over its 60 months on lees and is losing its primacy of fruit, but this wine is all about texture and purity. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12%

3Alta Alella, Opus Evolutium Brut Reserva 2012 90

£22.60 Georges Barbier

Rich and nutty with a portion of the wine that’s been part-fermented in used barrels. It’s round and harmonious with nice developing characters, integrated mousse and a long, nutty finish. Savoury and nutty, with nice texture, freshness and salinity on the finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

4Sumarroca, Núria Claverol 2011 90

£22-£25 Alliance Wine, Drinkmonger

100% Xarel.lo that’s starting to show development on both the nose and palate. This wine offers both lime and apple flavours in a concentrated, vinous core. Powerful and grippy. Drink 2017-2020Alc 12%

5Dominio de la Vega, Brut Reserva Especial 2014 89

£21.95 Jeroboams, Laytons

A rather deeper golden hue than many Cavas due to part-fermentation in French oak barrels, bringing an attractive hint of nutty oak flavours and the rounding effects of a touch of oxidative ageing. Vinous, round and full bodied, with 30% Chardonnay adding stone fruit notes to the Macabeo. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

6Juvé y Camps, Gran Juvé 2011 89

£29.99 Amazon, Blanco & Gomez, Broadway

Wine Co, Rosso Bianco Wines

Deep and savoury characters in this mature blend. Paralleda and Chardonnay bring a softness and richness to the mid-palate, Macabeo adds a touch of the suave and the Xarel.lo brings its characteristic photo-finish acidity. Leaves a mellow, generous finish. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12%

Mid-week treat – wines from £20 to £30

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7Pere Ventura, Vintage Brut 2012 89

£24 Enotria & Coe

Starting to show some development in its stewed apple characters. Light bodied, elegant and soft on the mid-palate with a finely integrated mousse, and a mineral, grippy, textural finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

8Agustí Torelló Mata, Gran Reserva Barrica 2011 88

£26.50 Basco Fine Foods

This 100% Macabeo provides plenty of its signature fresh apple fruit on the nose. Relatively light-bodied but showing a good level of concentration; starting to lose some of its fruity freshness. Some interesting treatment in the winery: part-fermented in new oak and 30 months on lees. Nice dry finish. Drink 2017-2018 Alc 12%

9Carles Andreu, Reserva Barrica Brut Nature 2013 87

£25 La Cuina

Fermented in new French oak barrels, this 60% Parellada with no dosage offers subtle flavours and softness. A Cava that is so relaxed it feels like it has just completed a meditation! Drink 2017 Alc 11.5%

10 Sumarroca, Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2012 87

£25 Alliance Wine

Lemon and lime combine on this bright Cava. Soft on the mid-palate, assertive fizz then a fresh finish and brightness with good grip coming from the 29% Xarel.lo.A good wake-me-up. Drink 2017-2020Alc 12.5%

11Castillo Perelada, Gran Claustro Gran Reserva 2010 86

£25 Barwell & Jones, Chalie Richards, Field &

Fawcett

A modest gran reserva with notes of baked apples and toast. Round and weighty thanks to a decent proportion of Pinot Noir (42%). Textural finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

12 Juvé y Camps, Reserva Brut Milesimé 2014 86

£26.99 Amazon

Tasted from magnum. Lime and toast combine in this starting-to-develop Cava. It’s zingy and taut while also being a little creamy (this is 100% Chardonnay). A relatively simple, easy-going wine with a brisk finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12% �

7 8 9 10 11 12


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1 8 | C a v a 2 0 1 7 • S P O N S O R E D G U I D E For full details of UK stockists, see p27

1Freixenet, Elyssia Gran Cuvée NV 89

£15 Ocado, Tesco, Waitrose

This Chardonnay, Macabeo, Parellada and Pinot Noir blend provides nutty, savoury and subtle autolytic notes. Quite assertive at first, but then becomes harmonious and round with modest concentration. Nice flush of acidity on the finish.Drink 2017-2020 Alc 11.5%

2Torelló, Special Edition Brut Reserva 2012 89

£18 Enotria & Coe, Great Western Wine

Vivacious and bright, this wine has plenty of energy in its light-bodied core. The wine finishes with real drive, likely due to the 46% Xarel.lo in the blend, with nearly one-third Macabeo bringing elegance on the mid-palate as well as apple fruit. Appetising, with attractive grip on the finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

4Cava Rimarts, Gran Reserva 40 2013 88

£18 Bancroft Wines

An ambitious wine that has spent more than 40 months ageing, showing toasty, biscuity notes. Rich and focused, with high levels of concentration, and just a hint of bitterness on the finish. Drink 2017-2019Alc 11.5%

5Marqués de la Concordia, MM Gran Reserva 2012 87

£14.99 The Haciendas Co

Made from 40-year-old vines, this is a ripe expression offering up Golden Delicious apples and peaches with a hint of autolytic-derived almonds. Dry, fresh, easy-going style that is ready to drink.Drink 2017 Alc 12.1%

3Alta Alella, Mirgin Reserva Brut Rosé 2015 89

£11.29 Georges Barbier

Pretty strawberry colour. An appealing nose of cherry, orange and watermelon – a really quite intriguing combination of flavours. Bright with a fine fizz and a mineral finish. A really cheery wine that’s fun and will make you smile. Made from Mataro. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

6Juvé y Camps, Brut Rosé 2014 87

£12.99 Amazon, Baileys of Beccles, Broadway

Wine Co, Chislehurst Wines, Duncan Murray, Lewis &

Cooper, Noble Wines, Rosso Bianco

Macerated on the skins for about 12 hours, giving a bright strawberry colour. Primary red cherry fruit with a little sour cherry on the finish. Dry, bright and crisp – perfect for summer. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

On a budget – wines for £20 or less

1 2 3 4 5 6

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9Marqués de la Concordia, MM Reserva de Familia Brut Rose

2013 86£12.99 The Haciendas Co

This blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Monastrell creates a bright, fruity rosado with juicy strawberry flavours and a hint of creaminess that’s off-dry and fresh. Enjoy now for its vibrancy. Drink 2017-2018 Alc 12%

10Castellroig, Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2011 85

£18.95 Albion Wine Shippers

Strong toasty character on the nose dominates. Easy-going, dry, crisp style; rather one-dimensional. Drink 2017Alc 12%

11Castillo Perelada, Stars Brut Nature 2014 85

£14.90 Barwell & Jones, Chalie Richards,

Supper Wines

Fresh, crisp, approachable sparkler that’s dry, with apple and toasty characters. The 55% Parelleda gives a soft, come-hither note to the wine, but could do with a touch more acidity to back it up on the finish. Drink 2017 Alc 12%

12Sumarroca, Núria Claverol Pinot Noir Rosé 2014 85

£19.99 Alliance Wine

A beautifully pale, almost Provençal shade of pink. Reductive on the nose with a gentle, almost spritzy character. Drink 2017 Alc 12% D

7Llopart, Brut Reserva 2014 87£13.42-£14.03 Bibendum PLB,

Exel Wines

This organically grown blend of Cava’s traditional trio of varieties offers a gentle nose of pure fresh apple and hints of almond biscuits. Round and mellow mid-palate with assertive acidity and a touch of bitter phenolics on the finish.Drink 2017-2020 Alc 11.5%

8 Llopart, Rosé Brut 2014 87£15.60 Bibendum PLB, Exel Wines

Fresh and lively, this rosé has an attractive watermelon-pink hue and a delicate nose reminiscent of baked pastry and red cherry flavours. Rather frothy, but the palate follows up with lovely weight and a bracing finish. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 11.5%

7 8 9 10 1 1 1 2


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2 0 | M o n t h 2 0 1 7 • D E C A N T E R

Grape celebration

Had it not been for phylloxera, the main grape varieties used in the production of Cava may never have been planted in Penedès.

Lenka Sedlackova MW looks at what these indigenous as well as the international grape varieties lend to Spain’s celebrated sparkling wine

Lenka Sedlackova MW is marketing manager for Fields, Morris & Verdin, as well as a judge at the DWWA 2017

SPONSORED GUIDE

CAVA_p020-023 Cava grapes and terroirs.indd 20 18/08/2017 14:41

C a v a 2 0 1 7 | 2 1

Wandering the streets of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia during the second week of September, you will no doubt stumble upon a seemingly strange

sight. Locals dressed in yellow insect costumes roam the streets, dancing and watching fireworks. This is the Festa de la Fil-loxera, the town’s annual fiesta, which celebrates the arrival of the phylloxera louse in Penedès. It may seem odd to celebrate an insect that decimated much of Europe’s vineyard area towards the end of the 19th century, but when phylloxera first arrived here in 1886, it changed the viticultural map of this region for good. Whereas Penedès used to be a predominantly red grape growing region, the combination of phylloxera and an increased interest in sparkling wine production resulted in a shift towards planting white grapes – most notably the indigenous trio of Macabeo,

Xarel.lo and Parellada, which to this day constitute the main varieties used for Cava production.

Today, a total of nine varieties are allowed in the production of Cava. Outside of Spain, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the most favoured varieties for traditional-method sparkling wine production, while here they are in the minority. Most notably championed by Codorníu, they represent a mere 11% of total plantings within the DO Cava. It is Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada that give Cava its unique character. These three varieties are traditionally blended together, although there is an increasing trend towards single-varietal bottlings as producers seek to express their individual merits.

Headline grapesFor many leading quality Cava producers, Xarel.lo is the most important grape variety. At Recaredo it represents 60% of plantings and Ton Mata, third-generation enologist, defines himself as a staunch Xarel-list, or as he explains, ‘someone who is looking to interpret and explore the properties and virtues of the Xarel.lo grape variety’.

Research conducted by the University of Barcelona and UC Davis has highlighted that among white grapes, Xarel.lo is the variety with the highest concentration of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that can be found in grape skins. This, along with Xarel.lo’s low pH and fresh acidity, is beneficial for long ageing. Xavier Gramona from the family-owned estate Gramona describes Xarel.lo’s acidity as ‘Mediterranean’ and its high antioxidant capacity is therefore necessary to allow long ageing. He adds that ‘the high concentration of resveratrol allows Cava to age without the need for dosage’ – in fact, the leading producers of premium Cava largely concentrate on producing Brut Nature styles. And while these Cavas are bone dry, they have plenty of fruit and lees complexity to carry it.

For most of the longest-aged Cavas, Xarel.lo represents the main component of the blend, if not the whole blend. It is a variety that is difficult to grow and performs best when it’s at lower altitudes (below 400m). Early budding and late ripening equal a long growing season and the development of thick skins. Both Mata and Gramona highlight Xarel.lo’s ability to withstand drought as hugely important and this benefit was demonstrated during the very dry 2016 season, when other varieties did not perform so well.

Xarel.lo’s flavour profile is best described as intense and reminiscent of dried camomile and fennel, adding a pleasant bitter tone to the finish. With long ageing on lees, these flavours can develop into honeyed acacia tones and notes of warm patisserie. The older the vines, the more intense the grapes. This extra intensity is not beneficial in sparkling wine production, where elegance and delicacy are preferred, and ➢

Above: Xarel.lo vine

Below: Festa de la Fil-loxera is an annual event in Penedès

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White (% of plantings)Macabeo (35.3%)Xarel.lo (25.5%)Parellada (20.3%)Chardonnay (8.7%)Subirat Parent (0.2%)

Red (% of plantings)Garnacha (4.1%)Trepat (3.3%)Pinot Noir (2.5%)Monastrell (0.1%)

Permitted varieties in Cava production

old-vine Xarel.lo is best vinified as a still wine. Xarel.lo-based Cavas are excellent food wines and match with anything from nuts and charcuterie to fish dishes. They tend to have fresher acidity and fuller body than other Cavas, and also the finest mousse.

Macabeo is the most common variety found in the Cava blend and represents 35% of plantings within the DO Cava. Known as Viura in Rioja, it is a relatively neutral variety that shows delicate orchard fruit flavours. Because of this neutralityit is very useful in traditional-method sparklingwine production as it is easily able to take on secondary flavours from lees ageing. Mata believes that Macabeo gives long-aged Cavas their delicate floral aromas. Macabeo also displays elevatedlevels of resveratrol, although not in the same concentration as Xarel.lo, making it useful forlong ageing.

Parellada often plays a supporting role in the Cava blend, but there are some producers, including Llopart and Mascaró, who put emphasis on this oft-maligned grape. Elegance, delicacy and finesse are the strings to Parellada’s bow. Higher-altitude plantings are crucial to get the best out of Parellada, according to Jesi Llopart of Cava Llopart, one of the longest established producers of traditional-method sparkling wines in Penedès: ‘Altitudes of 300m and

above allow us to unlock its potential, a balance of acidity and adequate fruit ripening.

‘As Parellada ages on lees, it develops an orange zest aroma,’ she adds. Older vines and lower yields can further add to flavour concentration. Not all producers are prepared to use Parellada. The importance of site is further emphasised by Gramona, who purposefully avoids its use: ‘We are reluctant to use it in our area, where it reaches low acidity and its large and thick grapes retain a lot of water.’ Gramona goes on to explain that these big berries and Parellada’s low alcohol of 9–10% result in oxidative characters, rendering it undesirable for long ageing.

Supporting castAside from these three main varieties, which perform so well in the limestone, sand and clay soils of Penedès, there is a host of other varieties less commonly found in Cava blends. The only other indigenous white variety permitted is Malvasía, known locally as Subirat Parent, although you will rarely find it in a Cava blend. Often Malvasía is vinified as a monovarietal Cava and its aromatic, floral nature can find its best expression in a sweet Cava intended to match desserts. Freixenet has been making a dessert Malvasía Cava since 1991 under its Cuvée de Prestige range.

Perhaps less well-known, but no less interesting, is Trepat, the strawberry-scented, light red grape indigenous to Catalonia and mostly found in the higher altitude vineyards of Conca de Barberà, in the province of Tarragona. Trepat is used exclusively in the production of rosé, giving fruity

‘Xarel.lo-based Cavas are excellent food

wines and match with anything from nuts

and charcuterie to fish dishes’

Harvesting Parrelada grapes for Cava in a Cordoníu vineyard

Macabeo

Xarel.lo

Parellada

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) SPONSORED GUIDE



and delicately scented Cavas that are really worth seeking out. Among the producers making excellent varietal Trepat are Freixenet, Pere Ventura and Augustí Torelló Mata, whose Trepat comes, uniquely, from slate soils in the Alt Penedès and is planted at 400–900m altitude, giving the wine a real freshness and elegance.

The other two indigenous red varieties used are Garnacha and Monastrell. The latter, despite being much more prevalent in the area in the past, still represents a mere 0.1% of all plantings. Both varieties are used for rosé production, whether that is adding a touch of colour to a predominantly white blend or being specifically vinified as a rosé, as in the case of Recaredo’s fantastic, deeply coloured and gastronomical ‘Intens Rosat’. Mata explains that for him, this rosé embodies the chromatic intensity that can be achieved by Mediterranean grapes. In the blend, fruity Garnacha reveals itself first, whereas Monastrell is more intense in the mid-palate and on the finish.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the only two international varieties permitted in the production of Cava. While Pinot Noir is often used for rosé, it is

also vinified as Blanc de Noirs, with successful examples available from Sumarroca (Núria Claverol), Juvé y Camps and Codorníu. The best Chardonnay-based Cavas come from more continental vineyards and are distinctively more Champagne-like in profile, with vibrant, citrussy acidity. Codorníu’s Ars Collecta 456 series Chardonnay is a great example of what this variety can do in Spain. However, there are producers who are looking to move away from using international varieties, Recaredo being one of them. Recaredo used to work with small plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but in 2014 these vineyards were ripped out. ‘We decided to try and be coherent with our philosophy as wine-growers and try to convey our landscapes through wine by farming only indigenous grapes,’ says Mata.

The future of Cava is undoubtedly linked to its native varieties. In a sea of traditional-method sparkling wines that rely heavily on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Cava provides a unique proposition. The history, individuality and passion for local varieties is instrumental in making Cava the exciting and interesting sparkling wine that it is today. D

‘Used in the

production

of rosé,

Trepat gives

fruity and

delicately

scented

Cavas that

are worth

seeking out’

Gramona, Enoteca Gran Reserva Brut 2001 96 £160 Berry Bros & Rudd 75% Xarel.lo, 25% Macabeo. Aged 12 years on lees and majoring on Xarel.lo, this Cava is an exercise in decadence: it shows complex notes of salted Marcona almonds, creamy nougat and rich white

chocolate. There is even a white coffee note on the dry, lingering finish.Drink 2017-2023 Alc 12%

Llopart, 1887 Espumos Original Gran Reserva Brut Nature 94 N/A UK www.llopart.com 50% Parellada, 25% Xarel.lo, 25% Macabeo. This is a faithful re-creation of the very first Llopart Cava produced from 1887. Very aromatic and deliberately

oxidative on the nose, with orange blossom, macadamia and red apple, and a lovely clementine rind zing to the finish. Drink 2017-2021 Alc 11.5%

Juvé & Camps, Essential Xarel.lo Brut 2013 93 £18.10 Amazon 100% Xarel.lo.This is only the second vintage of this fresh and gentle, aromatic herb-scented Xarel.lo. It shows characteristic camomile and fennel notes along with apple and pear,

and dry fruit. Farmed organically. Perfectly pairs with salty goat and sheep cheeses, as well as dried and cured meats. Drink 2017-2019Alc 12%

Augustí Torelló Mata, Barrica Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011 92 £26.50 Basco Fine Foods 100% Macabeo. Some 30% of the base wine is fermented in oak and this Macabeo can take it. This is a pale straw yellow, rich Cava with notes of grilled nuts, and

fruity nectarine and bitter lemons. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 12%

Freixenet, Cuvée de Prestige Trepat Brut 2015 89 £8.64-£10 Univum, Vinissimus

100% Trepat. A small production of 20,000 bottles. Fashionably pale pink in colour with elegant aromas and flavours of roses and strawberries that so typical for this variety. Lovely balance

between acidity and dosage. Drink 2017-2018 Alc 11.5%

Recaredo, Intens Rosat Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2012 95 £26.63-£31 AG Wines,

Christopher Keiller, Exel, Les Caves

de Pyrene 71% Monastrell, 23% Pinot Noir, 6% Garnacha.A deeply coloured, serious rosé to be enjoyed with food. Bursting with fresh cherries

and hedgerow fruit, but with toasty undertones and real creaminess.Drink 2017-2021 Alc 12%


A taste of the Cava grapes

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Cava finds its matchIts characteristic dryness makes Cava an

excellent partner for a wide range of dishes. Fiona Beckett picks some of the best, from

simple tapas right through to dessert

Fiona Beckett is Decanter’s chief restaurant reviewer and publishes www.matching foodandwine.com

CAVA_p024-26 food matching.indd 24 18/08/2017 14:39


Afew years ago I was sitting in Tickets tapas bar in Barcelona, bombarded with the sort of wildly creative dishes that the Adriàs do so very well. (Tickets

belongs to Albert Adrià, brother of Ferran, of El Bulli fame.) I remember specifically what appeared to be a large green olive, but turned out to be a spherical construct, that exploded with a great gush of olive flavour in my mouth.

What kind of wine do you drink with things like that? Cava, it turned out, was the perfect answer.We tend to think of Cava, like all sparkling wines, as a drink for celebration; an aperitif or party wine. But, in fact, it’s one of the most flexible wines around – from tartares to tapas and Italian to Indian, there’s scarcely a type of food it won’t take in its stride.

Cava is, of course, made in more than just one style. There are the inexpensive wines that can be used to make a great base for cocktails and party drinking; bright, berry-flavoured rosados; the more complex styles of reservas and gran reservas; and complex, aged Cavas that bear comparison with vintage Champagne.

But what makes it distinctive is the freshness to which the indigenous grapes – Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo – contribute and its dryness (many are made with a low or even no dosage). ‘In Spain we love our Cava to be brut nature instead of the internationally preferred brut (off-dry),’ says Ferran Centelles, former sommelier at El Bulli. ‘This makes

it a versatile match for long tasting menus or the more difficult dishes. In fact, at El Bulli, almost 25% of the wines served from 2003 to 2011, the year we closed, were sparkling.’

Seafood and spiceThat cleanness and precision makes Cava a particularly good match for raw and lightly cooked seafood dishes, from oysters and crab to carpaccio and sashimi. ‘Logically, if a dish is delicate, it calls for a younger Cava so that neither overshadows the other,’ says sommelier-turned-winemaker Franck Massard, who makes his own Cava under the Mas Sardana label. ‘For example, a seaweed wakame salad tossed with a touch of sesame oil would be a beautiful match.’

Cava also has an affinity with the fried dishes that are so beloved by the Spanish (to call a chef ‘a good fryer’ is a high compliment in Spain). The contrasting textures of a croqueta – the crisp shell encasing the near-liquid filling – is enhanced by the creamy bubbles of a glass of Cava. It works equally well with chipirones (baby squid), calamari and other fried fish – in fact, it’s one of the best matches for fish and chips. And crisps! The Spanish have the best crisps in the world; one spectacular dish eaten at the Juvé & Camps winery combines them with creamed beans and mushrooms topped with truffle foam. Cava and fried chicken? Absolutely. Cava and Japanese gyoza (fried dumplings). Why not?

‘My best memory is drinking Cava with red mullet tempura on a lovely sunny day in Cádiz and it was so, so good,’ says Nieves Barragán, the former executive chef of Barrafina in London, who is putting together a list of Cavas for her new restaurant Sabor. ‘We are finding some amazing ones,’ she enthuses.

Another natural register are rice dishes, such as paella, arroz negro and even risotto, where the texture of the rice plays nicely with the effervescence of the wine. Despite its low levels of alcohol, Cava can handle a fair bit of spice, including Spain’s trademark garlic, saffron and pimenton.

‘I could drink Cava throughout the meal,’ says chef José Pizarro, who has three eponymous restaurants in London. ‘It goes with tapas, obviously, but you could equally drink it with Indian street food, too. It is incredibly versatile.’

‘More mature Cavas being aged longer on their lees exhibit a more toasted, umami flavour from the yeast,’ says Massard. ‘They’re weighty enough to deal with the punchy flavours of Catalan cuisine, like Xató salad, which has similar ingredients to a romesco sauce, including nuts, roast peppers,

Main picure: Enjoying Cava, in situ! Top right: Albert Adrià in Tickets tapas bar, Barcelona

Above: Cava is a good match with seafood

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‘Cava has an affinity with the fried dishes that are

so beloved by the Spanish’

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Artichokes and asparagus Notoriously tricky vegetables to pair with wine, but no problem for Cava (though I’d go for white rather than green asparagus). ‘In winter in Catalunya we grow a small seasonal artichoke, and Cal Xim, one of my favourite restaurants in Sant Pau d’Ordal near Vilafranca del Penedès, cooks them on charcoal and they are dressed with olive oil. This is a heavenly match with a fresh Cava, preferably one that is aged on its lees,’ says Christophe Brunet.Cheese Especially sheep milk cheeses. Older gran reserva Cavas are good with aged cheeses like Manchego, but also

with crumbly cheeses, such as aged Parmesan or Asiago.Creamy sauces Cava is perfect as it cuts through the richness (it’s particularly delicious with a fish pie). Richer, aged Cavas are a good counterpoint to creamy foie gras, too.Fried foods Anything that is crisp and crunchy is great with bubbles – even a simple cheese straw.Rice Paella and risotto, obviously, but also think of Iranian dishes, in particular, jewelled rice.

Salads Because of its relative dryness, Cava doesn’t jar with vinaigrette. It’s particularly good with salads that contain fruit, such as grapes, apples and oranges.

Seafood From anchovies to zarzuela (seafood stew), taking in hake and turbot along the way. José Pizarro reckons the perfect match is gambas al ajillo – prawns with hot peppers and lashings of garlic, while Ferran Centelles recalls the ‘oysters with solid Cava’ dish at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona – an oyster topped with Cava to which xanthan gum was added during the winemaking process. ‘The Cava was semi-solid and sparkled, and was served over a delicate oyster. What a memory!’Tapas Nuts, cheese and olives being the most obvious ones. And, of course, with jamón. Sparkling wine also works particularly well with eggs, which makes it a good match for tortilla.

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garlic and Sherry vinegar. With mature Cavas you can serve more flavourful dishes, such as escabeche and anchovies,’ he adds. ‘I like the fusion of the oxidative notes of old Cava with the sour taste of escabeche. It just adds whole layers of flavour.’

‘One of my best memories ever was a very simple match,’ recalls Centelles. ‘In northern Catalonia, they produce a superb premium caviar called Nacarii and I had that with Gramona’s III Lustros, a Cava aged for 96 months – it was quite honestly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’

Balancing actSo, should the grape varieties that are used in Cava alter your approach to matching it with food? Former sommelier Christophe Brunet, currently ambassador to global premium wine association Primum Familiae Vini, doesn’t think so. ‘I don’t believe the classic Cava blend pairs better than the Champagne varieties,’ he says. ‘I’ve witnessed some really great matching with both styles – it all depends on the balance, acidity and structure of the wine and, of course, on the dish you are serving with it. Personally, I believe that lees ageing gives more depth to the wine, as well as more character and flavour complexity. Longer lees ageing can often give you more integrated and finer bubbles, and on the palate it shows more richness and breadth.’

Cava can also be used in cooking. Barragán makes a gazpacho with melon and Cava, while Pizarro has a simple yet delicious dessert of apricots macerated with peach liqueur, topped with fresh

raspberries and chilled Cava. He also uses it to cook a dish of chicken and apples, and even in a beef recipe in his new book Catalonia: Recipes from Barcelona and Beyond (published October 2017) ‘It has a flavour and freshness that you cannot easily get from any other wine – and it’s also very good value. In my view, Cava is totally underrated.’

Not everyone is convinced about the virtues of Cava in a dessert context though. ‘There is a very annoying Catalan tradition,’ explains Centelles. ‘We love to serve dry Cava with dessert, as a celebration. For me this isn’t the best option, as the sweetness overwhelms the delicacy of the wine, but it is such a tradition that I can’t avoid it even in my own family!’ In general, you need an off-dry style to work with desserts, such as crema catalana – though you can get away with a slightly drier style with cake or turrón (nougat). But Cava is a Catalan institution and you break with tradition at your peril! D

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Drink Cava with...



AAG Wines, London (www.agwines.com)Albion Wine Shippers, London WC1 (www.albionwineshippers.co.uk)Alliance Wine, Ayrshire (www.alliancewine.co.uk)Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk)

BBaileys of Beccles, Suffolk (www.upstairsatbaileys.co.uk)Bancroft, London SE1 (www.bancroftwines.com)Barwell & Jones, Ipswich (www.barwellandjones.com)Basco Fine Foods, West Yorkshire (www.bascofinefoods.com)Berry Bros & Rudd, London (www.bbr.com)Bibendum PLB, London (www.bibendum-wine.co.uk)Blanco & Gomez, London (020 7352 8680)

Bottle Apostle, London (www.bottleapostle.com)Broadway Wine (www.broadwaywinecompany.co.uk)

CChalié Richards, West Sussex (www.chalierichards.co.uk)Chislehurst Wines, Kent (www.chislehurstwines.com)Christopher Keiller, Dorset (www.finewineservices.co.uk)Codorniu UK, Kent (www.grupocodorniu.com)

DDrinkmonger, Scotland (www.drinkmonger.com)Duncan Murray, Leics (www.duncanmurraywines.co.uk)

EEnotria & Coe, London (www.enotriacoe.co.uk)Exel Wines, Perth (www.exelwines.co.uk)

FField & Fawcett, York (www.fieldandfawcett.co.uk)Fine & Rare (www.frw.co.uk)

GGeorges Barbier, London SE12 (www.georgesbarbier.co.uk)Great Western Wine, Bath (www.greatwesternwine.co.uk)

JJeroboams (www.jeroboams.co.uk)

LLa Cuina, Cardiff (www.lacuina.co.uk)Laytons Wine Merchants (www.laytons.co.uk)Les Caves de Pyrene, Surrey (www.lescaves.co.uk)Lewis & Cooper, North Yorks (www.lewisandcooper.co.uk)

NNoble Wines, Uckfield (01825 760 680)

OOcado (www.ocado.com)

RRosso Bianco, Woking (www.rossobiancowines.co.uk)

SSoho Wine Supply, London (www.sohowine.co.uk)Supper Wines (www.supperwines.co.uk)

TTesco (www.tesco.com)The Haciendas Co, London (www.the-haciendas.com)

UUvinum (www.uvinum.co.uk)

VVinissimus (www.vinissimus.co.uk)

WWaitrose (www.waitrose.com)

All the information regarding stockists and prices of wines featured in this issue has been supplied by either the agents, distributors or retailers of the wines. Decanter can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the information.

UK stockistsWhere to find the wines featured in this Cava sponsored guide

pIBC Cava stockists.indd 27 15/08/2017 11:53

Cava cover.indd 2 15/08/2017 11:51

Cava 2017 · 14 Cavas for every budget Rebecca Gibb MW picks out a selection of UK-available wines...

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