[ad_1]
Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
I’ve had a few Cava samples showing up recently, so this week I decided to taste through them (along with a few domestic sparklers). A number of them are Gran Reserva designated, which means they must have aged for a minimum of three years on the lees in the bottle, though some of them have been aged for more than that both on the lees and after disgorgement.
Two examples of such wines are the Juvé & Camps and the Mata I Coloma, both of which had pretty patinas of age layered over their core fruit. I loved the berry notes in the Juvé & Camps which were surprising given the fact that no red grapes were used in making the wine. The Mata I Coloma had the baked apple quality of an older sparkling white wine, in this case, one that has aged for 7+ years on the lees.
I’ve reviewed some other wines from Parés Baltà recently, but this week I’m recommending both their “Historic” Gran Reserva Cava and their Rosa Cuisiné, which is their rosé Cava. Of the two I like the rosé just slightly better, but they’re both wonderfully saline and savory in quality.
Creaminess is an interesting sensation. In some still wines it can lead to the wine feeling flabby, but in the mousse of sparkling wines, it’s a textural quality that is usually backed up with great acidity, and therefore much more alluring. I really appreciate that texture in the Cava I tasted from Alta Alella this week, which also had that slightly salty black sesame quality that some sparkling wines can get after their secondary fermentation and lees-aging in the bottle.
Closer to home now, the folks at Iron Horse Vineyards sent through a couple of recent releases, including their annual sparkling tribute to the Chinese Zodiac, which in the case of 2020 was the Year of the Dragon. It’s a straightforward and pleasurable expression of Chardonnay, but preferred their Brut Rosé this week, which has a wonderful red berry expression.
Cuvaison also sent a sparkling wine recently, and this bottle is perhaps one of the best I’ve had from them, so bright lemony, crisp, and vibrant. They don’t make much of it, but if you can get your hands on a bottle I highly recommend it.
Lastly, I’ve got a sparkling…. bottle from Two Shepherds. But I’ve got questions: is it wine? Is it cider? The answer turns out to be… yes. Half vermentino half apple juice co-fermented, and then bottled. This kind of beverage, of course, is all the rage in the natural wine world at the moment, but this is definitely one of the better examples I’ve had. It tastes like a spritzer and a mighty delicious one at that.
Finally, I tasted two single-vineyard Pinots from Calera this week, both of which are good, but one of which, the Ryan Vineyard Pinot, was significantly more fresh and dynamic, possessing that somewhat odd but always compelling note of marijuana resin. I’m not sure why and how sometimes wines express this aroma, but despite not being a pot smoker, I tend to enjoy it when it arises.
Notes on all these below.
Tasting Notes
2017 Juvé & Camps “Reserva de la Familia – Gran Reserva Brut Nature” Cava, Penedès, Spain
Light yellow-gold in the glass with moderately fine bubbles, this wine smells of berries and toasted sesame. In the mouth, a silky mousse delivers berry and apple flavors with a bright zing thanks to excellent acidity. Hints of lemon peel and toasted nuts linger in the finish. A blend of 55% Xarel-lo, 35% Macabeo, and 10% Parellada. 12% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $19. click to buy.
2015 Mata I Coloma “Pere Mata l’Ensamblatge – Gran Reserva” Cava, Penedès, Spain
Light yellow-gold in the glass with moderately sized bubbles, this wine smells of wet…
Source : https://www.vinography.com/2024/03/vinography-unboxed-week-of-3-10-24
