One of the best values on the market for sparkling remains Cava. Inspired in its origin by Champagne, Penedes in Spain began making their own sparkling wine back in the 1870’s. Realizing the potential to make the champagne of Spain, they start converting still wine to sparklers. While Champagne has a reputation for being a drink of the rich, cava is still a drink that’s enjoyable by everyone.
Differences between Champagne and Cava
So how do Champagne and Cava compare?
- Cava is aged a minimum of 9 months on the lees – Champagne is 15 at minimum
- Champagne is only allowed pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay. Cava is made from any of these 7 grapes:
- Parellada, xarel-lo, macabeo, chardonnay, pinot noir, subirat, and trepat (the first 4 are the most important)
- Where Champagne is usually a marriage of white and red, Cava tends to usually be mostly white.
- Cava can include distinction for Reserva, aged 15 months, and Grand Reserva, aged 30 months
- Cava and Champagne share similar methods for describing sweetness
Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava
Hailing from one of the best cava producers in Spain, how does Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava compare to the offerings of other great producers like Codorníu, Freixenet, and Segura Viudas?
Sight: Moderate to deep gold with lots of bubbles
Smell: A slightly rubbery note, but plenty of yellow apples, pear skins, and hint of minerals. Notes of dusty earth and tingly citrus round it out.
Sip: The body is medium, and has a nice roundness and plentiful soft bubbles. The big down swing here is the sheer amount of acidity. Bright, bright, and brighter, the flavors of golden delicious apples, toasty yeast, and wet rocks are met with lemon zest, juice, and pith. The bitter notes wash out some of the fresh pome fruit flavors.
Savor: The ending leans toward citrus pith, and is a touch bitter. Fresh peeled apples that are under ripened add flavor components.
Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava has some fun apple and citrus flavors in place, as well as some aggressive acidity. From a yeasty and fruit perspective, it’s nice, but the lemon pith and zest drive things somewhat out of balance. That said, Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava will do in a pinch, but there’s strong competition in this price point of the market.
Verdict: Golden Delicious Apples, Pear Skins, Toasty Yeast, Astringent
Price: $10
Penedes,Spain
Available at Wine.Com