RAVENTÓS ROSELL | Cava | Reserva | Brut | #
xarello | macabeo | chardonnay | pinot noir | parellada

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Today we are going to review a genuine Cava sparkling wine from Comtats de Barcelona, which is one of the most important, Cava-producing regions of Spain – Cava Reserva Brut by Raventós Rosell. Cava is the spanish answer to the famous french Champagne wine and the more one explores Cava, the more parallels are found with Champagne. Most Cava on the market is the basic-level Cava Brut, but like in Champagne, Cava has a well defined classification system that defines the minimum ageing on lees for its upper levels: Reserva and Gran Reserva. Generally speaking, the longer the wine ages on fine lees, the more toasty and nutty aromas it will develop. Well-aged, vintage Gran Reserva Cava sparkling wines are similar to Vintage Champagne in both, style and complexity. This particular crémant wine is a blend of 5 grape varieties: xarello, macabeo, chardonnay, pinot noir and parellada, where xarello (often spelled as ‘xarel·lo’ and known also as pansa blanca) and chardonnay forms the wine’s main body and structure, macabeo (spelled also as maccabéo or maccabeu and known in Rioja as viura) adds some floral character to the blend, pinot noir brings slightly more complexity, while parellada adds acidity and citrusy flavours to the wine’s flavour profile. The wine is produced using the authentic méthode traditionelle technique, the same way the famous french Champagne is made, with second fermentation in the bottle. After the second fermentation in the bottle, the wine has been aged for 18 months on fine lees (sur lie ageing) which allowed it to develop extra complexity and the much desired creaminess on the palate. That said and without further ado, let’s move on straight to the tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: pale, pastel-yellow color
clarity: bright, straw-yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: pronounced & leesy
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__sweet fruits: white pear | white apple | quince
__citrus fruits: lemon
__stone fruits: white apricot | white plum
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: yeast
__yeasty: bread crumbs | bread crust | bread dough | yeast | panna cotta | yogurt | baguette | bisquit | crème brûlée
primary layer: yeast

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: low
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: round | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: yeast
finish: medium
aftertaste: appealingly-crisp

//Scoring
RAVENTÓS ROSELL | Cava | Reserva | Brut | #
variety: xarello | macabeo | chardonnay | pinot noir | parellada
country: Spain
region: Cava | Comtats de Barcelona
rating: 93.2

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now or in the next 2-3 years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Spain and with a total of 93.2 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is very fine sparkling wine: round, voluptuous and plump, with a nuanced leesy-yeasty profile on the nose and a well structured palate. The wine has almost reached the peak of its prime form, therefore we would recommend to drink it sooner rather than later, as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose it brings nuanced leesy notes mixed with ripe and overripe sweet fruits in the foreground, followed by citrusy notes in the background. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-watering acidity and a well integrated alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which evolves nicely into an refreshingly-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a rich, velvety and well balanced crémenat wine that doesn’t lack neither structure nor complexity on the palate – a wine that is quite close in style and character to a genuine NV Champagne wine. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with dishes that are rich in creamy textures, like for example lobster bisque soup. Salud!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.