Gramona III Lustros 2011
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Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Straw hue with golden highlights. Intense with clear notes of maturity under a constant veil of freshness. Baked apple and sweet pears. Ripe citrus, grapefruit peel. Faded flowers and a herbal backdrop reminiscent of fennel and rosemary. The ageing notes run through a gamut of aromas which includes hazelnuts, pastries, toast, brioche and toffee. The cava becomes more and more expressive as it opens up in the glass. Powerful on entry with great structure. The carbon dioxide is fine and creamy. Loads of candied fruit balanced by the notes from ageing. The balsamic aromas come through again. Lively, refreshing finish on the palate. The aftertaste is never-ending.
This is very much a cava for enjoying with good food. With its balance of structure, creaminess and freshness, it works well with all food types and recipes. Appetizers, foie gras, terrines and cold meats. Seafood and fish. Poultry and even rice dishes, stews and hotpots.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very attractive smoke and candied lemon-peel nose. Then a lot of power on the very dry palate, but more than enough freshness to carry the long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Peachy aromas are slightly briny and suggestive of scrambled eggs. This is a touch flat on the palate, without much activity or punch. Minerally apple flavors finish with notes of green herb and stone fruit pit, while this is smooth as well as quiet on the finish.
Other Vintages
2014-
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
Gramona is located in the Penedes region of Spain just 45 minutes from Barcelona along Spain's Mediterranean coast. The Climate in the Penedes is mild and warm, benefiting mostly from a Mediterranean influence. However, as the differences in elevation are quite dramatic (with some vines at over 700 meters), there are many microclimates in the zone. Soil in the region is not particularly rich in organic material (as is often the case in great winemaking regions) with high levels of sand and clay.
Gramona is, unfortunately, one of the last remaining family-owned cava houses of the Penedes. Here, elderly ladies from the village carefully wrap each bottle before being packed for transport and the entire operation is carried out by people who love the family and the estate. For the property, their reference points are in Champagne in France, and they regularly taste wines from this area next to their own (with often astonishing results). However, pricing remains very low compared to even the most mundane, negociant Champagnes on the market. These are some of the best values in our portfolio.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
A superior source of white grapes for the production of Spain’s prized sparkling wine, Cava, the Penedes region is part of Catalunya and sits just south of Barcelona. Medio Penedès is the most productive source of the Cava grapes, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Penedes also grows Garnacha and Tempranillo (here called Ull de Llebre in Catalan), for high quality reds and rosès.