“C” is for Cava
“C” is for Cava. Cava / Champán / Champaña - This Spanish Sparkling is certainly something to savor! Known as “Spanish Champagne” before the term “Champagne” was protected under European Union Law, Cava has been cherished in Catalonia, Spain, as either blanco or rosado.
Celebrating the Spanish Sparkling, we poured three wines to compare and savor the blends from similar grapes and regions. The fun wasn’t only in the popping of the bottles but comparing how similar and different these three bottles are.
It’s as easy as “A-B-C” with these three Cava wines! Each had a clear golden color and warm aromas of fresh baked bread and a hint of the yeast that ferments with the wine while in the bottle. Made the exact same way as Champagne, many of the same flavors come through as they are from the Catalonia region of Spain along the border of France and Mediterranean Coast.
“Méthode Champenoise” or “Méthode Classique” is the traditional method of this vintage wine. Starting at the harvest of the grapes, the pressing of the juice creates a base wine for the sparking favorite. Cavas are aged on the “lees” which is a tasting profile I grew to love during my time in Virginia. What makes it most similar to the French Champagne is the second fermentation in the bottle that brings the bubbles. A bi-product of lees aging, known as autolysis, has begun, and the enzymes in the inactive yeast cells (lees) contribute to the strong buttery, nutty, bread-like aromas & flavors found in Cava
My favorite background from the Cava story is its reference to where it was stored - the caves. The difference from this sparkling wine compared to others is the traditional grapes used in its production, many I was not familiar with but anticipate pouring more in the near future. Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel·lo are the most popular and traditional grape varieties.
The wine grape, Macabeo, is also known as Viura in Rijoa or Macabeu in France. Wines made from this grape can vary drastically depending on when they are harvested and how they are produced in either stainless steel or oak barrels.
Parellada is a true Spanish grape and is used in many blending wines valued as crisp aperitifs due to its citrus and apple aromas. Parellada is considered to be the most complex of the Cava grapes and is rare to find in a wine on its own.
The wines we tried were all from a local beverage store and ranged in much reasonable prices than its French comparison.
My go-to happy hour or store Cava is Poema Brut Cava, which can be found for $9.99 per bottle (sometimes $8.99). From Pened`es, immediately to the west of Barcelona, Poema describes its region as the finest growing region for the grapes of Cava which includes 40% Macabeo, 40% XareHo, and 20% Parellada. While crisp & cold, you taste the fresh, clean citrus and mineral flavors with granny smith apple aromas with toasted bread notes. It was fun to include this Cava as the Spanish Sparkling with my family over the holidays as many picked up on the apple & bread! Their tasting notes are spot on with the mineral, fruity focus that tingles on each part of the tongue, the nose filled with bread, and it’s color darkens with golden tones as it warms to room temperature.
Next were two other labels that appear familiar, but I had not paid special attention to until now.
The Campo Viejo Cava Brut was $8.99 after the holidays and had an incredible light, beautiful color versus the other two pours. The Campo Viejo showed a slight citrus, peachy nose at first that opens to more buttery popcorn aromas. The crisp taste does not carry the baked bread aroma to the pallet which is nice and refreshing for an easy drinking Sunday kind of wine! Campo Viejo has an incredible website with a lot of fun marketing imagery – makes you ready for the party and confident in what you are drinking. They talk about the wine as an elegant and well-balanced sparkling wine that is versatile and food-friendly. The Cava description hits the flavors on the nose as it is a very easy sipping crisp tasting glass of wine and may possibly be a new favorite – and at the price, sounds just right!
As you sip on different styles of sparkling, you find yourself curious if the first taste relates to the sugar and if it affects what I envision for the entire glass and/or bottle. Nevertheless, this Cava has a really nice nose which I would love if @rewined could capture for my next candle! Clearer in color, it definitely was not as golden as the others and has a pretty light pale yellow look.
The most golden treasure we found was poured from Gran Castillo Cava Rocio at $10.99 per bottle. Produced in Spain and estate bottled, this Cava also includes Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel.Lo. You see right away the deep, golden color. Before you sip, you smell the heavy aroma of beautiful vanilla and sweet taste as the vanilla carries to the tongue. Not what I would expect from a Cava but certainly enjoy each sip. This Cava could pair with heavier dishes than expected or a very nice dessert like crème brûlée, which would be fun to try – curious if that would contradict as it’s what I’m already tasting or pair perfectly! Would really like to serve during our next Thanksgiving dinner!
Some of the tasting notes refer to “fine and persistent bubbles we perceive pleasantly intense aromas of rich butter croissant, resulting in a cava that is mild and well balanced in the mouth.” You can see that rich buttery croissant in the color, but I tasted more caramel notes which linger at the end of the taste, rich but not overwhelming. The delicious flavor of Gran Castillo Cava Rocio is something I’m excited to share at my next dinner party.
Pour on, my vino friends! Let me know your cava celebrations!
