Segura Viudas Brut Reserva NV

Just a quick note on a very cheap, but good cava today.  I bought this bottle at one of the more expensive retail chains, you can find this on special for under $10 at times.  I am amazed that a wine of this quality can be made, exported to the other side of the world at these price points.  Sure, it's not going to put off your next champagne order, but I think it beats the local stuff in the same price point by a mile.

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

Raventos i Blanc Reserva Brut 2005

There's been a lot a talk about the field for the Spring Racing Carnival this year, what with horse flu etc.  But I haven't heard anything about the important stuff, the fizzy booze.

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

Segura Viudas Brut Vintage 2002

Spring is here in Melbourne and its time for Cava.  I've got a few new vintages coming in this week, but I grabbed a couple of bottles of this on the weekend to get calibrated.  The rising Aussie dollar seems to have helped out here as well, the price has dropped 2 bucks from the 2001.

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

Vallformosa Classic Brut Rose NV

I  seem to have gone a bit crazy for pink wines this month, here is a couple of pink cavas.  This first one is from Vallformosa. I really like the MVSA, but the Rose isn't quite up at that level.  There is nothing wrong with it, it just that nothing really stood out.  Perhaps it needed food or I was having an off day?  It is however nice and crisp, with a bit of flavour, a good bet for the backyard BBQ on a hot summer's day.

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 Brut MVSA NV

A glass or two of cava is always welcome after work.  For my money, cava is probably the most refreshing and affordable after work drink around after sherry.  Fresh, bubbly, perhaps a bit of sweetness but not too much, not too serious and fun to drink out in the backyard. 

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

Juve y Camps Reserva de la Familia 2002

I've just grabbed a load of stuff from that good people at The Spanish Acquisition, and this wine was the first out of the box.  I find that cava is perfect in this hot weather, not too overworked but refreshing and cooling, so it was a natural choice for a hot steamy night.

The Reserva de La Familia is a blend of 40% Macabeu, 20% Xarel-lo, 40% Parellada aged in bottle for a minimum of 3 years.  Very cool retro packaging too.

Aromas of toast, lemons and apples on the nose with a boisterous fizz as its poured into the glass. In the mouth its quite tight and pointed, there is more of the apple and lemon combo with some minerals.  A very long finish with a tart fruit notes and a sherbety finish.  Classy stuff.  90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition RRP: $60 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.juveycamps.com

Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad NV

This must be one of the most recognisable bottles of wine around, the solid metal base and metal coat of arms as the label are quite striking.  Perfect for any medieval occasion you may be planning, also very handy in a bar fight. 

So what is the wine like?  Well, its very similar to the Vintage Brut, but more refined.  In fact it may be the same wine blended from multiple vintages .

Just the right amount of fizz.  The nose has a big wack of green apple with a light influence of bread and nuts.  Very good balance, every thing is in its place.  Very refreshing and enjoyable.   While not as complex as many champagnes, there is a good deal of complexity to go with the green apple and lemon:  almonds, walnuts and minerals.  Long smooth finish that keeps you coming back for more.  A very good wine with some outrageous packaging.  88 Pts.

Source: Retail Cost: $34 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.seguraviudas.com

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut NV

So, its the worlds best selling sparkling wine.  Does that mean that its horrible rubbish?  Normally I'd say yes, but after tasting this I was quite surprised.  That will teach me to be a snob.

I put this in a line up with a group of 3 aussie sparklers, and guess what, this was the favourate hands down.  And it was $5-$15 dollars cheaper than the rest.

Pale yellow with a hint of green.  On the nose there is a sour apple note, almost apple ciderish, with some biscuit.  Nicely restrained bubbles.  Dry, fresh and easy to drink. The mouth boast  apple, lemon and a hint of apricot.  The finish is creamy, if a bit short.   Very good for a tenner. 85 Pts.

Source: Retail Cost: $10 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.freixenet.com

Duc de Foix Brut Nature NV

A couple of more cavas to go before I finish up my short look at cava.There does appear to be quite a number of cavas out in the market place, the shelves of a number of retailers are loaded up with them, although it is mainly the "value" wines such as Freixenet Brut, which I will look at next.

Duc de Foix Brut Nature is a blend of the three traditional cava grapes and is aged on lees for 24 months.

The colour is light straw with a green tinge.  Light aromas of citrus and biscuit dominate the nose, but there is a subtle floral note as well as as apple.  A good level of fizz and well balanced acid.  On the palate the citrus is leaning more towards lemon with some very tidy green apple characters, some minerals add complexity.  The finish has creamy, lemon meringue feel to it that is kept fresh by the acid.  88 Pts.

Source: Importer Sample Price: Around $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Importer: Toro Wines/Wood Wines

Segura Viudas Brut Nature NV

It's cup weekend here in Melbourne and you probably should be drinking something with bubbles in it, even if its before 11am on Monday morning. (for our international guests, there is a big horse race in Melbourne on Tuesday called the Melbourne Cup.  Its a good excuse to drink a lot of sparkling wine and have a day off from work).

Aria is a Brut Nature Cava (made with no dosage) containing 60% Macabeo, 20% Xarel·lo and 20% Parellada.

If you are looking for a lot of bubbles, look no further, there is a truckload of foam when you pour this stuff.  The nose is a bit neutral, a bit of yeasty bread and a slight wiff of lemon.  In the mouth its dry and there's a load of nice acid, plus more of those bubbles.  The palate is a bit mute as well, a slight citrus tang that drops off about half way through.  It finishes off short with a good acid zing.  Some would call this delicate. It is well made, but I just think its a bit boring.  83 Pts.

Source: Retail Cost: $16 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.seguraviudas.com