Vilarnau Cava by Gonzalez Byass

Spain’s great offering to the world of sparkling wine is called Cava and it is made in the same way as champagne and this exceptional bubbly spends the same amount of time ageing in the bottle on yeast lees as most champagne. That long ageing process is 15 months and it results in a wine with fresh baked bread and yeasty aromas, which are tempered by citrusy freshness and depth of flavour from the complex combination of both. This makes it stunningly good value for money.

The producer is Gonzales Byass, the largest sherry producer and owners of the great classic, Tio Pepe Fino.

This bubbly comes from grapes grown on a vineyard planted in 1991 in Espiells, the highest, windiest area of the municipality of Sant Sadurn dAnoia. 250 metres above sea level. Bordered to the south by the Coastal Serralda and to the north by the Montserrat mountains, the vineyard benefits from an exceptional microclimate. The soil is alluvial and comprises three layers;; of clay and silt, pebbles and loose stones and fine sand that compacts down and is called saul. Together, they produce a cava with very warm climate characters which are balanced by a touch of saltiness. The Parellada vineyard is located at 700 metres above sea level in the municipality of La Llacuna, considered to be one of the highest in Peneds.