Josep Masachs 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
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
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
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
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 Penedès Gregal d’Espiells 2015
The only still wine I tasted on the day we visited Juvé & Camps. It was late spring and this blossomy white—the 2015 Penedès Gregal d’Espiells-is made from organically-grown Muscat Alexandria. It’s surprisingly light and fresh with vivid tones of rose tea, chamomile crushed underfoot, mango and yellow peach. In the mouth, it’s tarter than […]
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 […]
Dinastía Vivanco Rioja Blanco 2016
Soft in tone and texture, Vivanco’s 2016 Rioja Blanco is a non-traditional blend of 50% Viura, 35% Tempranillo Blanco, and 15% Maturana Blanca. It’s the color of sun-bleached straw, and with a swirl radiates underripe pineapple, yellow apple, pear, lemon blossom, and barley flour. Lees contact has graced this Rioja blend with deceptive softness on […]
San Alejandro Las Rocas Garnacha Calatayud 2014
Nice value in this Calatayud Garnacha—loaded with plums, savory red cherries, and violets couched in earth. The 2014 San Alejandro Las Rocas Garnacha is a food wine through and through, with a shock of acidity that ricochet’s through it’s red and black fruited core. If there is any oak here, it’s not evident. Tart red […]
LaFou Celler Terra Alta El Sender 2015
LaFou’s 2015 El Sender is a young, slightly unruly blend of Garnaxta Negra and Syrah. Aged in concrete, it’s vivid and fresh, emitting a constant stream of pungent black cherries, strawberries and blackberry pie. Dried flowers and anise crown the nose—a plunge into the wine itself reveals purity of fruit, crunchy acidity contrasting soft texture. […]