Recaredo Subtil Gran Reserva Brut Nature, Cava, Spain

雷卡里多酒莊蘇比提特級珍藏天然極干型卡瓦起泡酒

點擊次數(shù)：2002

The 2008 Subtil Gran Reserva Brut Nature also wears the name of the vineyard where its grapes are grown, the Finca Serral del Roure. The bottle I tasted spent 80 months in bottle with the lees. 2008 was a challenging year, with a lot of rain in May and the subsequent botrytis. At Recaredo, the vineyards yielded 34.2 hectoliters per hectare on average, when the Cava appellations allows up to 88 hectoliters per hectare. It's mostly Xarello with some 29% Chardonnay. Chardonnay was only used until 2013, when it was discontinued and only local varieties are grown since then. The nose is certainly subtle (pun intended!) but perfumed, and with some time in the glass it opens up to floral notes with fine bakery aromas. The palate is superb, with power and elegance and very good freshness. This wine started as a blend of Xarello, Macabeo and Chardonnay, then the Macabeo disappeared. In 2014 there is no Subtil, as they regrafted the Chardonnay to Malvasía (which will probably go to a still wine from Celler Credo), and from 2015 it will be 100% Xarello. 12,000 bottles produced.

The 2007 Subtil Brut Nature is a blend of 62% Xarello, 30% Chardonnay and 8% Macabeo, which aged for 59 months in bottle with the lees, a process that has fine-tuned the bubbles to a tiny size and makes them part of the wine, giving it a creamy texture and great freshness. The nose is terribly complex, with notes of toasted almonds, bread dough, brioche, lemon meringue, apple tart and a fresh, chalky mineral sensation that is more evident in the palate, which has great freshness and delineation. A superb, powerful Cava. Bravo! Drink now-2019. Recaredo is a very old Cava house, as they have been grape growers and wine producers since 1924, but they have come to the forefront of the quality leaders recently. They have worked very hard for that, especially when it comes to work in the vineyards and respect for nature and tradition. They only use grapes from their own vineyards in the Alt Penedes zone, which are worked organically and biodynamically (Demeter certified). All grapes are hand-harvested and vinified by them and the wines are aged sur lie with cork stoppers. They are disgorged by hand without resorting to freezing the neck after no less than 30 months in contact with the lees and regular hand turning of the bottles. No liqueur de expedition is added to any of the wines, they are all Brut Nature. All wines are produced from a single vintage. I’m not sure if there is any other sparkling wine producer in the world who works with such strict standards, but what is most impressive is that all that is certified for the wines produced in the last ten years! Congratulations to the Mata family and to winemaker Ton Mata for such achievement. There is a sense of energy and harmony in their wines that is impressive; they are all highly recommended. Prices for the top-bottling can be steep, but the regular Brut Nature is a bargain. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Maspeth, NY; tel. (518) 207-9100, www.madrose.com

The 2006 Subtil Gran Reserva Brut Nature contains 12% Chardonnay in addition to the traditional varieties. It exhibits a slightly more refined perfume including notes of minerality, almonds, white peaches, and fresh biscuit. Savory and flavorful in the mouth and impeccably balanced, it is a first-class effort in sparkling wine. Recaredo Mata Casanovas is on my (very) short list of finest Cava producers in the DO. All of the fruit is sourced from estate vineyards in the Alt Penedes region, is Demeter-certified biodynamic in its farming practices (since 2009), aged in the cellars with natural cork stoppers, bottles are turned by hand in traditional racks, and are disgorged by hand without freezing. The vintage, months of aging, and date of disgorging are shown on all bottles. The Bodega’s stated reference points for their Cavas are Salon, Selosse, and Paul Bara. As an aside, I was shown three older vintages (1996, 1991, and 1984) disgorged in my presence during my visit. They were fully alive and vibrant, developing in the manner of the grandes marques of Champagne. These tasting notes are from my visit to Cava Recaredo in January 2011. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, The Mad Rose Group, www.madrose.com