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Producer Profile: Finca Viladellops

Finca Viladellops

Along the rocky spine of the Massif Garraf, a calcareous mountain chain that extends to the Mediterranean Sea, in the heart of the Penedès is the hamlet of Viladellops. The town is a tightly-knit group of 18 farmhouses—Viladellops’ history dates back to the year 958 when the order of the Templars flocked to the town […]

Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat 2017

Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat 2017

Rose petal pink in the glass, the Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat is crafted from 100% Grenache grown on steep clay and granite soil terraces. Interestingly, it’s made under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union (OU) and is a kosher wine—aromatically speaking, it’s fairly bursting with aromas of bright pie cherries, almond paste, and […]

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 […]

Finca Viladellops Penedès Xarel·lo 2016

Finca Viladellops Penedès Xarel·lo 2016

Located in the Garraf Massif, a rugged mountain massif that extends to the Mediterranean Sea, the soils found throughout Finca Viladellops’ 60 ha estate are low-fertility limestone-based soils studded with marine fossils and sediment. Aged in stainless tanks on fine lees, the 2016 Xarel·lo offers lilting, subtle aromas of pear and apple, prairie flowers, apple […]

Finca Viladellops Penedès Garnatxa 2016

Finca VilaDelloPs Penedès Garnatxa 2013

A mineral-infused spine creates palate tension as it ripples through the juicy core of this 100% Garnaxta. Inviting aromas and flavors of roasted strawberries, cherry compote, warm raisin bread, loamy soil, and iron shavings wink in and out of an agile profile. On the palate, it’s medium bodied, and yet it feels light on its […]

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 […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com