Sunday, March 3, 2013

2009 Raventos I Blanc De Nit (Rose Cava)

Cava

This sparkling wine is from Spain. It is considered a DO (Denominación de Origen).  This cava is a roast, as it is made in the rosé style, and is aged neck down for at least 15 months.  Sparkling wine is far from new to the region, first introduced in Spain in 1851.  I enjoyed a festive bottle of the Raventos I Blanc De Nit (Rose Cava) 2009.  This wine is a blend of 50% Mecabeu, 25% Xarel lo, 20% Parellada, and 5% Monastrell with 191,000 bottles being produced. It has an alcohol content of 12%.  Cava can bring great value, made in the same vein as Champagne.  However, Champagne is still the crème de la crème of sparklers.  This wine is on the higher side of the price spectrum for cava at $24 (most cava are sold for $10 or less).

On the nose: Beautiful scents of rosewater perfume.  Color of The Pink Panther cartoon character from 1969 on NBC.  When you go in for a sniff you get the fizziness that tickles the nose.  Berry bonanza, the red ones (strawberry, raspberry, and tayberry).  Has a sweetness that I hope stays away from the taste of this wine, as sometimes sweetness equals cloyingness.

Palate: Very clean, refreshes the mouth.  Better as it gets closer to room temperature.  20 second finish  Why not just open a bottle in the afternoon on a Saturday and enjoy this on the porch.  Serve this as an apéritif and people will be asking if you are in the wine business.  Sourced from 30 to 40 year old vines.


Rating Scale (out of 5 +):
+++½

Price: $24


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