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Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011

Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011

Very pleased to taste this exquisite biodynamic Cava from Gramona after having visited the winery last year. Pale straw, the 2011 III Lustros Brut Nature is a blend of 75% Xarel·lo and 25% Macabeu. Seven years en tirage has graced it with a degree of depth that’s hard to find in most wines from this […]

Josep Masachs Mas Fi Cava Brut Rosé NV

Josep Masachs Cava Mas Fi Brut Rosé NV

From the Josep Masachs family, the Mas Fi Brut Rosé is a celebratory shade of salmon. Crafted with 100% estate-grown Trepat, delicate aromas of pie cherry, strawberry, apple blossom, and graham cracker are held aloft on a nose tickling net of fine buttles. It’s fresh on the palate, with just a hint of autolysis—no doubt […]

Josep Masachs Mas Fi Cava Brut NV

Mas Fi Cava Brut NV

I’ll be featuring affordable bubblies and rosé wines in the runup to Valentines, so stay tuned. The Josep Masachs Mas Fi Brut opens with a vinous nose that is classic Cava: white flowers, lemon drop, pear, and apple. More defining features can be sussed out on entry, with crisp bubbles set against an understated, autolytic […]

Juvé & Camps Cava Pinot Noir Rosé Brut

Juvé & Camps Cava Pinot Noir Rosé Brut

Sporting a brilliant robe of vermillion red, Juvé & Camps NV Pinot Noir Rosé Brut opens with red-fruited aromas pie cherries, watermelon, strawberry, pomegranate, and a pinch of spice. Crisp and fresh on the palate, with a degree of softness, this Cava is crafted with 100% Pinot Noir from the winery’s Espiells estate, and goes […]

Juvé & Camps Reserva Essential Xarello Brut 2014

Juvé & Camps Reserva Essential Xarello Brut 2014

The winemaker at Juvé & Camps attributes this Cava’s round, rich mouthfeel to the presence of polysaccharides released during fermentation, as well as during the process of maturation on the lees. Indeed, all of the wines in this lineup display autolytic features to a greater or lesser degree. The 2014 Reserva Essential Xarello Brut also […]

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut 2012

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut 2012

The color of onion skin, Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut 2012 unfurls at a leisurely pace. Smoky, autolytic notes rise above decadently layered aromas of dried fruit, molasses, baked apple, forest honey, and almond skins. As fine, cascading bubbles dart to and fro, springing forth from a core that is softly textured and […]

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2013

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2012

Another Cava from my visit to the region last year—according to the winemaker, 2013 was a cooler, wetter vintage in the region—in the lineup we tasted, this bottle, the Reserva Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2013 was appreciably leaner, but also fresher in its comportment. Fennel, white peach, lime, and grapefruit pith dominate the […]

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva La Capella 2006

Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva La Capella 2006

My visit to Catalonia last spring proved to be an eye-opening experience. There, I would learn that some Cavas, with this monovarietal Xarel·lo, have the potential to age. The Cava Gran Reserva The Capella Brut Nature 2006 matured on its lees for 108 months, gracing it with enormous complexity and depth, as only the passage […]

Mistinguett Cava Brut Nature NV

Mistinguett Cava Brut Nature NV

Another winery visited on a recent press trip to Catalunya, Mistinguett is one of the larger Cava producers in the region, turning out values like this Brut Nature. The arrow of their marketing is squarely aimed at youth and celebration, indeed, it was hard to glean anything about the technical aspects of this wine since […]

Codorníu Cava Brut Reserva Anna de Codorníu NV

Codorníu Cava Brut Reserva Anna de Codorníu NV

A winsome blend of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Parellada, 7.5% Xarello, and 7.5% Macabeo. The brand commemorates Anna de Cordorníeu and her marriage to Miquel Raventós in 1659, notably Anna was the first to incorporate the addition of Chardonnay into a Cava blend. And the nose is quite Chardonnay-esque with subtle notes of yellow apples and […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com