As most Cava I tasted, the nose is not very expressive. In the mouth refreshing, with a pleasant finish that last for a while and encourages to take another sip.
This Spanish sparkling wine is produced by Artcava winery, which has been the first stop during my most recent wine holiday.
Located in the Penedès wine region, close to Barcelona, Artcava is a dynamic winery run by a new generation of Catalan winemakers, who look more like friends than business partners.
The smell of the place is inspiring: full of passion and enthusiasm for what they are doing. A reality that according to my experience visiting wineries around Europe is becoming more and more rare. In fact, in the wine world there aren’t many places left where the overwhelming hospitality exceeds the economic interests involved. Every time I find one, I personally get excited.
Foodie’s Selection is made with a blend of 50% Xarel·lo and 50% Chardonnay and sells for 13.65 EUR. The 2017 vintage spent 30 months on the lees. Only 2’976 bottles have been produced. Although I’m not a fan of blending indigenous grapes with international ones and most Catalan would agree that using French grapes doesn’t fit the Spanish tradition, I must admit that in this case the result is the best wine I tasted while visiting the winery. Mainly thanks to a balance that I didn’t experience in the other Cava I tasted.
Among them the Rosé selection, made with Pinot Noire and priced at 10 EUR. A sparkling that doesn’t have anything to do with its relative from Champagne.
The Winemaker’s selection, a fresh and crispy fruity wine that sells for 9.15 EUR. The result of the blend of the three traditional Cava grapes of Penedès: Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Paralleda, and some well-chosen winemaker’s interventions.
The Farmer’s selection, a Cava made 100% with Xarel·lo grapes and priced at 16.95 EUR. For me the most fascinating, being produced with an indigenous grape as varietal, but honestly not the best experience of the tasting.
Last but not least one of the Rarities that is marketed at the premium price of 19.90 EUR. This last sparkling wine is made with Macabeo and Muscat de Frontignan, which is not a recognised grape in the production of Catalan Cava.
I found all these products praiseworthy, although the hospitality may have skewed my judgement. But does it really matter? At the end of the day, once the wine in the glass is good enough, the setting, the occasion, the friends you drink the wine with is part of the overall experience and enjoyment. Does the wine need to be perfect? Not at all. A perfect wine may even be boring. Most of the time what makes the experience of drinking a specific wine unique is the context. To me it happened so many times that I’m persuaded about it. There are of course a few wines that are enjoyable every time, unrelated to the contest, but they are too few to mention.
Country: Spain
Region: Penedès
Grapes: Xarel·lo, Chardonnay
Type: Sparkling
Vintage: 2017
Producer: Artcava
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5