This Trepat Cava Beats Bubbly At 2x The Price
Sparkling wine is immediately gratifying. My heart always beats a little faster--a Pavlovian response--when I hear the sound of a popping cork. That first sip, bubbles dancing on your tongue, is a surefire mood enhancer. And I’ve never seen anyone frown when offered a glass of sparkling wine.
And that's how it went when we met up with Ricard Foraster back in January at his winery in Catalunya. Handshake. A sparkling rosé in the glass. Sniff, Sip…
Instant smiles all around!
The world of sparkling wine is expansive. Champagne casts a long shadow, but the fact is, many places in the world make top-tier bubbly. Some with a long, distinguished history, and some that can match in quality at a fraction of the price. Cava ticks all the boxes.
Sadly, Cava became saddled by big industrial brands with a reputation as cheap and simple…something for mimosas at brunch. But we knew, with a little digging, quality-minded producers were out there making wines to rival the best sparkling wines in the world. Ricard, with his artisanal, family-run operation in Conca de Barberà, fit the bill perfectly.
Cava is made all over Spain, but over 95% of production is based in Catalunya. It was here, in 1872, that the Codorníu winery started producing sparkling wine using the same techniques as Champagne, but with local varieties like Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. Unlike Champagne, rosé Cava cannot be blended and must be made entirely from a red grape, so producers turned to the local Trepat, a grape that Ricard happens to know a lot about.
If any of you have ever engaged with me about sparkling wine, you know how passionate I am about the subject, so I’m going to state it plainly: This is one of the best Cavas I’ve come across, and it’s one of the few we've ever imported. It’s flat-out delicious, and I’d take it over nearly every Champagne I’ve tried at twice the price.
But unlike that ubiquitous yellow-labeled Champagne, there are only 10 cases of this to go around. So, hop on the train while it’s still in the station--stock up for the holidays, make sure you always have one in the fridge, and put a smile on your face.
MAS JOSEP FORASTER
• CAVA TREPAT ROSAT •
100% Trepat from Catalunya
High-toned, with a crunchy berry fruit salad aroma
All organically farmed, high elevation (500 meters) vineyard
A gorgeous example of a bone-dry Cava (NOT sweet!) with a beautiful light pink tint
Satin-y and persistent bubbles throughout. Perfectly refreshing when drunk ice cold
Ricard's winery is an amazing place. Situated at the edge of Montblanc, a mountain village just up the road from Tarragona, his vines surround the old house, retrofitted over the years to accommodate the gleaming winery. The tank room is pristine and clean, with experimental concrete vats and terra cotta amphorae lined up neatly along the walls. Everything feels right and in its place, and the attention to detail reflects in the finished wine--precise and delicious.