Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis winery’s equivalent of a tête de cuvée was three years in the making: It’s a refreshing and elegant blend of 67% Macabeo and 33% Parellada made from nine different wines, each of which was vinified in separate tanks and spent 30 months on the lees. Aromas of brioche and lemon verbena intertwined with brine, tarragon, and honeysuckle keep you enthralled before the first sip. Persistent bubbles pave the way for a parade of florals and light, airy flavors touched with smoke. Minerality ensues on the mid-palate, where it’s joined by notes of bread dough, lemon, lime chiffon, and vanilla.
Over the years, Segura Viudas has earned a reputation as one of the top producers of Cava. The winery has been noted for its high production standards, its labor-intensive approach to winemaking, and its penchant for releasing some of Europe's ?nest artisan sparkling wines. The estate that houses Segura Viudas dates back to the 11th century. Segura Viudas became a winery and began producing and selling wines in 1959. Over the years, we have strived to combine the latest winemaking technology with our penchant and passion to craft the highest quality artisan Cavas that are enjoyed across the globe.
From our dedication to biodiversity comes commitment to sustainability across our winery and vineyards. We value the diverse relationships between the forest areas of our Heredad and vineyards that directly influence our winery and wines. To protect our rich ecological diversity, we have incorporated sustainable practices across our estate and winery. The wood from winter pruning is used to generate biomass with energy value that equals the annual consumption of heating oil used across our estate. We have also developed strategies to combat various elements, planted legumes and other vegetables to create a flora that controls the growth of the vines for more balanced production.
What is Cava?
Spain adopted the word, cava, which technically means ‘cellar’ in Catalan, to describe their sparkling wines made using the traditional method. While this style was first created outside of Spain in the 1600s, its birthplace inside of Spain came in 1872 when Jose Raventós of Codorníu first produced traditional method sparkling wine in the town of San Sadurní d’Anoia. Uniquely, the Cava denomination isn’t restricted to one geographical area but rather, it spans eight total wine regions. However, about 90% of Spain’s total production of Cava sparkling wine happens within Catalonia, and about 75% is produced within the borders of San Sadurní d’Anoia, inside the smaller Catalan region of Penedès. In 2019, Spain registered nearly 38,000 hectares of vineyards for Cava production, compared to just under 34,000 in Champagne.
How is Cava sparkling wine made?
Cava, like many other sparkling wines of the world is made using the traditional method, or "Champagne method," or método tradicional in Spanish, in which the second fermentation (the one that makes the bubbles) takes place inside the bottle. With this method, spent yeast cells remain in contact with the wine during bottle aging, giving it a creamy mouthful, a toasted bread or brioche quality and in many cases, the capacity to age.
What are the Cava wine grapes?
The mainstay Cava grape varieties include Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. Macabeo, also known as Viura, lends pleasant aromatics to the blend, while Parellada adds acidity and finesse. Xarel-lo is the grape that gives body, earth and greengage characteristics to Cava. Occasionally Chardonnay is used as a blending grape or sole variety in making Cava. Governmental inclusion approval was awarded in 1986 but still, Chardonnay makes up only a fraction of total vineyard area. For rosé, in Spanish called rosado, the local Trepat and Garnacha can be used, along with Pinot Noir (first permitted in 1998 for rosado and in 2007 for white Cavas).
Cava Tasting Profile
Since Cava is a sparkling wine produced on the Mediterranean where temperatures are warmer and there is more sunshine compared with Champagne, you can expect that Cava will generally have a gentler acid profile compared with its French counterpart. Furthermore, especially when the indigenous varieties are used, common Cava flavors will include citrus peel, fennel, wildflower, lemon blossom and flint or saline. Most Cava is produced in the Brut style, so dry, with a slightly rounder finish that balances brightness with brioche notes and supple fruit. Brut Nature or Zero Dosage examples are bone dry, whereas Extra-Dry Cava will be slightly sweet and a Demi-Sec Cava will have the highest sweetness level.
Cava Pairings
One of the best things about pairing Cava is you can drink it on its own or with just about any food! But if you want to focus on bringing out Cava's uniquely brilliant bouquet and citrus notes, rich or seafood-centric dishes are perfect food pairings for Cava. Try Cava with butter poached lobster, seafood risotto, puff pastry and caramelized onions or fried chicken.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.