It’s Friday, and that means time to talk fizz!
In this week’s #WineWednesday #Wordologie I wrote about the lovely Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method style, cava. So now that Wordologie has taught you all about this type of bubbly, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what #FizzFriday is about and talk about a few new cavas I’ve tasted recently, along with my tasting notes and recommendations.
LET’S HAVE A LITTLE TASTE
El Xamfra Brut Reserva Cava {$16}
I really liked how toasty and “round” this cava tasted. There was some citrus flavors and nuttiness on palate, with the nutty notes also appearing on the nose. Overall it has some traditional champagne boldness; a great, creamy mousse; and a long finish with right, crisp acidity.
Nadal Avinyó Cava Reserva {$17}
This cava had a nice and soft, yet distinctly pear aroma on the nose with some floral notes. On the palate it was slightly green apple-y with a little bit of pear. While it was okay, this one wasn’t a pick for me. It lacked a little balance for my tastes, and I wanted fuller acidity and a longer finish. Not one of my favorites.
Codorniu “Anna” Brut Cava {$14}
The 1st thing I noticed about this bubbly is the super bright and fresh citrus aromas that wafted from the glass. Rather than the normal lemon notes, I instead got robust lime and grapefruit aromas on the nose–so pleasant! The lime followed through on the palate along with some green apple flavors. Crispy acidity, creaminess, and persistent bubbles sealed the deal. This one is a definite winner.
Codorniu “Anna” Rosé Brut Cava {$14}
Oh. My. GOODNESS! First let me start by saying I was completely enchanted by this wine’s gorgeous coral-salmon color. My eyes were drinking in this wine long before the 1st sip, and boy did that 1st really deliver! So what was the tasting experience like? Okay, try this: close your eyes. Picture yourself sitting in the middle of a field of fresh, sun-ripened, juicy strawberries. Now bite into one of those strawberries. Then imagine that, while you were eating that perfectly ripe, sweet strawberry that someone came and started simultaneously feeding you fresh, ripe raspberries too so that you were tasting a mouthful of strawberries and raspberries at the same time.
Is your mouth watering yet? If so, now you know what smelling and tasting this wine is like. Add in the fact that it was balanced, creamy, and had juicy acidity and you have a bubbly that should serve as a part of the “sipping soundtrack” to your summer. Just divine!
The #BubbleistaApproved Verdict
If you remember from this week’s Wordologie, Codorniu is one of the premier producers of cava in the region, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that my favorites were {in order}: (1) the Codorniu “Anna” Rose; (2) the Codorniu “Anna” Brut; and (3) the El Xamfra rounding out my top three. This trio of wines get my #BubbleistaApproved stamp for wines to try and and add to your sparkling stash.
But did you notice something? The cava that cost the most was also the one I liked the least. . In fact, the least expensive cavas ended up being my favorites.So the moral of the fizzy story is this: price is not necessarily indicative of whether or not you will like a sparkling wine–let what you truly enjoy dictate what you drink, not just the price tag.
¡Salud!
[…] Codorniu “Anna” Rosé** […]