My note from the 2005 is fairly well spot on for the 2006 as well: Very pale in colour with plenty of bubbles, aromas of apples and pears, toasty bread and white flowers.  Good presence in the mouth, just the right amount of bubble and acid.  Pure apple on the palate with minerals and lemon sherbet on the finish.  Very cooling. This 06 seems to have a bit of mid palate sweetness, and a little more apple and less pear on the nose. Crunchy chalk and, as always, nice bubbles. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2004, 2005

The ATM Rosado Cava has been around for a while, but the rest of the range has just arrived and I am very impressed with this reserva. It’s from 30+ year old vines and spends 24 months on lees.

A nose of yeasty bread, green apples with a flinty, sea spray note. A vigourious bead in the glass, it’s tight and focused but still gives enough fruit and lees character to be a crowd pleaser. Tangy apples wizzed up with a bit of lemon, followed by a long finish of lemon sherbet and sea mineral tang. A classy bottle the could show a number of NV champagnes (at a higher price) a thing or two. 91 pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.agustitorellomata.com

Just a quick note on this one. Gran Reserva Cava is one of those styles that we don't see a lot of here in Australia but they are well worth hunting down if you like more complicity in your sparkling wine. You get more aged characters (of course) but also great freshness and complexity when done right.

Aromas of Granny Smith apples, guava, toasty bready, hay and a note of herbs and anise. Creamy and broad in the mouth with a hit of sweetness in the middle followed by spike of acid to keep things focused. On the palate you'll find some cidery apples, aniseed, and guava. A good long finish that shows a minerally aspect. More of a food style I think, but very enjoyable on its own. 91 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.gonzalezbyass.com

Brut Nature is idiosyncratic wine style, the Spanish seem to love it, but the rest of the world seems to think: oohh too much acid and not enough fruit for me. Personally, it's a style I really like. Its bone dry, fresh, shows tight fruit and acid when it's done right. And it's cracking on a hot day. It kind of shoots straight down your throat leaving some lovely apples and minerals on your palate.

A fine nose of crisp apples, chalk and minerals.Focused with tight, driving acid that eases off for a creamy sherberty finish.  On the palate there is some more tart apples with some lemon and more minerals. It might not sound like much, but the real appeal here is the purity, refeshment value and pointed nature of the wine. Its also very easy to down a glass, so you're constantly checking to see if there's any left in the bottle. 91 Pts.

Bready with notes of lemon, apple and strawberry.  Creamy and fresh with a touch of sweetness, the acid is more of a background player here but there is enough to keep things moving. Strawberries and cream on the palate with a bit of apple, raspberry and light herbs. A bit short, but with notes of sherbet on the finish. Really nice with a mushroom and truffle oil omelette, but it'd do well without food too. 86 Pts.

March and April are my favourite months of the year. Not only is the weather starting to get cool so you can drink red wine again, but it's also when a lot of the new release Spanish wines arrive in Australia. The tasting pile (which is really just a shelf in my wine fridge) is full of top names from excellent vintages. I've had a smile on my face for days.
 
So to get back into the swing of things I pulled out this cava, I have 5 different Cavas to taste over the next little while. This is an entry level wine from Vilarnau, who are part of the Sherry giant Gonzalez Byass. Made from 50% Macebo, 40% Pardellada and a dash of Xarel.lo, its aged on lees for 24 months.

Fine nose of lemons, yeasty bread and apples. Focused on the palate with a creamy, sherbet texture and refreshing acid. Pure, fresh apples and lemons on the palate with a touch of bitter herbs and some orange sherbet and minerals on the long finish.  Refreshing with a purity keeps you interested to the last glass. 88 Pts

A bloke I worked with years ago with dropped me an email from out of the blue about this Cava he'd just had. I had to have a look he said, nice and fresh appley goodness apparently. So I tracked down a bottle at Randalls last week and polished it off in the backyard on Friday night. Its 100% Macabeo grown in Utiel-Requena, just inland from Valencia, that sees 18 months on lees. I noticed that its currently selling for just under $20, which puts it in with some pretty smart company. But its been on as low as $16 or $15 for case buys at times. At the lower price its a no brainer.

Medium bead in the glass, not too creamy just right. A clean nose of bright, green apples, a touch of lemon and chalky soil. Fine and focused in style with a persistent finish. Quite classy and pure on the palate: more flinty green apples and lemon rind with sherbet and a touch of minerals on the finish. A crisp tasty Cava, thats good value at $16. 87 Pts.

Source: Randalls Price: $16 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.torreoria.com

This is the top level wine from Raventos i Blanc, well that is imported to Australia anyway. There are a couple of other top level wines in the range that don’t make it out here.  Its a blend of the traditonal white cava grapes with 10% chardonay and 5% pinot noir.  Aged for 36 months in bottle and available to drink just in time for Christmas.  There is a nice little diagram on the back showing all the vineyards that go into making this wine.

A clean crisp nose of apples and lemons with freshly baked bread slathered with wild honey and some white flowers. Focused style cava, really fresh and balanced.  Just the right amount of bubble. Apples lemon and limes in the mouth topped off by a long, creamy finish with a lime and orange sherbet tang.  You have to watch yourself with this one, the bottle was gone within minutes.  93 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.raventos.com

This is the big brother of the Juve y Camps Vintage, a slightly different blend and more time in bottle. Its a blend of 40% Macabeu, 20% Xarel-lo, 40% Parellada aged in bottle for a minimum of 3 years.  The destinctive packaging has to be a big plus, retro with a touch of class. 

Light gold in colour with a fair wack of bubbles.  The flavours are in the apple and lemon spectrum, with some notes of white peach, baked buscuits and toast.  Crisp and fresh in the mouth, showing balance and just the right level of acid.  It finishes off clean and a apple/lemon sorbet note lingers on after the glass is finished.  Excellent.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $50 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.juveycamps.com

Other Vintages: 2002

The Vintage Reserva is always one of my favourites and the 2004 really hits the spot.  Its a blend of 45% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 20 % Xarel.lo. and sees 24 months on lees giving it a bit of extra complexity and ommpf.

A radiant pale gold in colour with good bead and an enticing nose of apple and lemon, toasty, yeasty bread and with a touch of melon.  Its not as razor sharp as many cavas, a bit broader and complex in the mouth. For the most part the palate mirrors the nose, it shows some oxidative notes that adds complexity and creamy, lemon sherbet on the finish.  Very enjoyable and well worth the asking price. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.juveycamps.com 

Other Vintages: 2003

Lots of fizz and bubbles on opening with a pleasant nose of lemons, grapefruit and freshly cooked biscuits.  Its quite creamy in the mouth with plenty of bubbles. Lemons and limes, a touch of minerals with a shot of sugared lemons thought the middle. The finish is dry, but fairly short.  Great value.  86 Pts. 

Source: Retail Cost: $12 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.seguraviudas.com

The Raventos range is very classy stuff. Raventos and Juve y Camps are the best cavas you can buy in Australia at the moment.  Sure they aren't cheap, but your looking double the price for something as interesting from France or Australia.

Very pale in colour with plenty of bubbles, aromas of apples and pears, toasty bread and white flowers.  Good presence in the mouth, just the right amount of bubble and acid.  Pure apple on the palate with minerals and lemon sherbet on the finish.  Very cooling.  91 Pts. 

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.raventos.com

A classic nose of toasty bead and nuts with a touch of apple.  Loads of fizz in the glass, not over the top though.  Quite creamy, but with good acid and a minerally, medium length finish.  The trademark tangy green apples with some almonds.  Very cooling and refreshing all round.   88 Pts.

Source: Retail Cost: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.seguraviudas.com

A nice petrol colour in the glass with a fine bead.  Subtle aromas of strawberry with a bit toast.  Truckloads of bubbles in the mouth, crisp, dry and refreshing.  On the palate there's more strawberry, a slight herb note and bit of sherbet on the finish.   85 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $23 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.vallformosa.com 

Vallformosa are a mid sized house that make a range of cavas and table wines.  MVSA is a fairly much equal blend of Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada, a touch less Xarel.lo than the other two, and is aged on lees for 24 months. 

Golden straw in colour, the nose offers up apples, bread and subtle spice with a hint of lemon.  Rich mouth feel, but elegant and cleansing in mouth.   A fine bead, just the right amount of fizz.  Apple and spice with lemon sherbet on the finish.  There is a touch of sweetness, that really suits this wine.  Very good value and quaffability.  88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.vallformosa.com