Winemaker Notes
Cava made from xarel·lo grapes from the Espiells estate and Can Rius. Pale yellow in color with green and grey hues, its subtle aroma evokes the personality of the xarel·lo variety with notes of anise (fennel), white fruit (pear) and Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme). Over time it develops a fine yeastiness, giving it complexity and elegance. A pleasing attack gives way to a creamy, fresh cava in the mouth that has the same taste of ripe fruit as on the nose. Its balanced acidity brings with it a long, vibrant finish.
Juvé & Camps is a family-owned winery located in San Sadurní d’Anoia, a small town in the northeastern Penedès region near Barcelona. Founded in 1921 by Joan Juvé Baqués and his wife Teresa Camps Farré, the winery’s three-generation history has resulted in an international reputation for producing top-quality Cava. Juvé & Camps comprises 2700 acres of vineyards. Those acres are divided into three properties where native varieties Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel-lo are grown. From the beginning, the winery’s philosophy has been to use only traditional, high-quality winemaking practices. Its Cava is made in the método tradicional, as is Champagne, meaning it undergoes a secondary, in-bottle fermentation prompted by the addition of yeast and sugar. The wines are often aged in bottle for 18 months or more.
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.