From: Penedes, Spain
Blend: Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo
Taste and Critical Acclaim: A pale, sparkling wine with lasting bubbles and a crisp finish. The bouquet is fruity and vigorous, with its yellow apple and white flowers aromas. This extremely refreshing Cava is an ideal aperitif and shows off a tight core and saline minerality. This cava is made with a blend of three grape varieties - Macabeo, Xarello, and Parellada - all carefully selected from the Montsarra vineyard in the Penedes region of Spain.
Critical Acclaim
W&S 90 Wine & Spirits
Bosky apple scents and flavors of clotted cream imply richness, but the wine cuts that with Spanish severity, finishing on the flavor of Marcona almonds, briny and tight.
Pairing: A natural pair with seafood; almost any preparation of shrimp, scallops, oysters, and fried seafood will be a natural fit (check out the recipe below for Fish Cakes with Herbs and Chiles by Melissa Clark). Salmon (smoked/grilled/roasted/pan-fried) and dishes incorporating anchovies are other fantastic seafood alternatives. Fried chicken or fried vegetables are a staff favorite, as are pairing this wine with a Spanish Tortilla, Spanish ham, and/or olives.
Fish Cakes With Herbs and Chiles
By Melissa Clark
About. Montsarra Cava is located in Torrelles de Foix, a small town in the Alto Penedes winemaking region of Catalonia, Spain. Tucked in between the coastal hills southwest of Barcelona, Alto Penedes (aka Penedes Superior) is the highest of the three sub-regions—at 800-1,000 feet—and provides an ideal micro-climate for white grapes to thrive. The varieties are harvested and vinified separately. Destemming of the grapes, cooling of the pasta, gently pressing, musts selection, static racking and alcoholic fermentation. Later transfers after the alcoholic fermentation, blend of the different wines, clarification, stabilization and final filtration. Fermentation continues in the bottle and aged for a minimum of 12 months to perserve its maximum freshness with slight aging notes.
Macabeo makes up 60 to 70 percent of the blend; Xarello, which comprises 15 to 20 percent, adds substance and structure; and Parellada, at 15 to 20 percent, supplies the deep aroma. Once blended, the cava receives a second fermentation in the cellars, where the temperature is constant and the wine is protected against light and vibration. Montsarra Cava is typically cellared for a minimum of 1 1/2 to 2 years.
