We served this blind at an event recently, and it ended up averaging 92 points among the tasters, beating a few bottles that were much more. We discovered this one after trying lots of Cava while in Spain a few months ago, and this was an incredible value that takes a page out of grower Champagne's book. Carles Andreu is a family-run winery established in 1991 in the historic Conca de Barberà region of Catalonia, Spain. The vineyards span approximately 50 hectares, primarily planted with traditional Cava grapes such as Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada, but there is also a bit of Chardonnay here that makes it into the final blend. The winery emphasizes sustainable and traditional methods with secondary fermentation in the bottle, just like in Champagne, with the final blend coming to 60% Parellada, 23% Macabeu, 14% Xarel·lo, and 3% Chardonnay. Each plot is vinified separately and sees no malolactic fermentation; instead, it gets its creamy texture and richness by aging on the lees for at least 18 months. This is the house cuvee, which maintains a very consistent style and is a blend of multiple vintages, with a base vintage of 2021 making up the majority of the blend. It is finished with zero dosage to show off the purity of fruit and terroir. This is exceptional and is an insider buy. Typically, this is never sold outside of Spain, but today, we have the only bottles available in the USA, and it's a stunning example on par with grower Champagne at a price we never see anymore. We are offering this one at our same special pre-arrival price with no upcharge. It's an impressive bottle of bubbles that would make a great party bottle for the holidays!
N.V. Carles Andreu Cava Brut Nature (2021)
N.V. Carles Andreu Cava Brut Nature (2021)
We served this blind at an event recently, and it ended up averaging 92 points among the tasters, beating a few bottles that were much more. We discovered this one after trying lots of Cava while in Spain a few months ago, and this was an incredible value that takes a page out of grower Champagne's book. Carles Andreu is a family-run winery established in 1991 in the historic Conca de Barberà region of Catalonia, Spain. The vineyards span approximately 50 hectares, primarily planted with traditional Cava grapes such as Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada, but there is also a bit of Chardonnay here that makes it into the final blend. The winery emphasizes sustainable and traditional methods with secondary fermentation in the bottle, just like in Champagne, with the final blend coming to 60% Parellada, 23% Macabeu, 14% Xarel·lo, and 3% Chardonnay. Each plot is vinified separately and sees no malolactic fermentation; instead, it gets its creamy texture and richness by aging on the lees for at least 18 months. This is the house cuvee, which maintains a very consistent style and is a blend of multiple vintages, with a base vintage of 2021 making up the majority of the blend. It is finished with zero dosage to show off the purity of fruit and terroir. This is exceptional and is an insider buy. Typically, this is never sold outside of Spain, but today, we have the only bottles available in the USA, and it's a stunning example on par with grower Champagne at a price we never see anymore. We are offering this one at our same special pre-arrival price with no upcharge. It's an impressive bottle of bubbles that would make a great party bottle for the holidays!
