The Non-Vintage Cuvee de Carol Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay. Gold-colored, it has an attractive aromatic array of green apple, pear, and yeasty notes. Creamy and surprisingly rich on the palate, this well-made sparkling wine provides competition for a good many vintage Champagnes. High-end Spanish restaurants should give it serious consideration. Pares Balta is one of a number of wineries in Penedes with serious aspirations. It produces a wide range of wines from Cava to Rose to stratospherically priced red wines. While Pares Balta appears to be a work in progress, it is clear that their intention is to produce world-class wines. While Pares Balta makes many different Cavas, the importer only brings in their two top-of-the-line sparkling wines. Several of Pares Balta’s red wines could not be recommended and the best of the rest possess a certain rusticity that belies their lofty price tags.Importer: Bryce McNamee, Boutique Wine Collection, Philadelphia, PA; www.boutiquewines.info