Mascaró Cava Cuvée Antonio Mascaró Gran Reserva Brut Nature – 2014

Champagne method
91 pts. Guia Penin
Perellada, Macabeo, Chardonnay

“Time is to cava what fire is to cooking,” says winemaker Montserrat Mascaró. Surrounded by forest, Mascaró watches the bees and butterflies, the foliage on the trees and brambles and vines, the bud break and the way the sap flows, in order to determine when to prune, to harvest (by hand), and to observe how to “respect [the] vineyard’s cycles of life”.
As in Champagne, the sparkle happens in bottle (not tank), and each bottle then ages underground before release. With a golden color and fine bubbles (note how they run in continuous strings from each bead), fruit on the nose with some hazelnut and brioche, then a round, lingering mouthfeel, this is a sparkler you can serve with anything, any time. Drink within the year, serve very cold, and store in a stand up position.