Gran Sarao Cava Brut
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Pale yellow, giving off light bubbles and crown making. Yeast touches in a fruity background of ripe apple, banana and pineapple. Good mouth feeling, with a light touch of sweetness, harmonious, fresh, elegant, tempting and with character.Gran Sarao cavas are always disgorged prior shipment in order to offer all the fruitness and freshness to the consumers.
Blend: 30% Macabeo, 40% Xarel·lo, 20% Parellada and 10% Chardonnay
The Masachs family elaborates cavas since 1880, and therefore belongs to the pioneers of cava production in Spain. The ‘secret’ of producing outstanding quality lies mainly in the growing of grapes. Besides the 45 ha of vineyards in family possession Masachs also has long term contracts to purchase grapes from neighbouring farmers. Our wine makers, today under supervision of the oenolog Alex Ruiz Masachs, the fourth generation, guide the farmers to produce the best quality. Josep Masachs has strong relations with the farmers for many years and understands that quality is not equal to quantity. Therefore they reduce the yields of young vines and nourish the old vines for obtaining a high level of aromas, colour and structure. The three main varieties Macabeo, Xarel.lo, Parellada are native of the Penedès area and many of the vineyards have been elaborated for more then 100 years, thus reaching a high level of optimization of production with sustainable agriculture techniques and maximum respect for nature. Thirty years ago Masachs introduced the Chardonnay variety to give a touch of florality and creaminess to his cavas.
Steve Miles and Josep Masachs put their know-how and experience together to produce a unique cava that meets the most demanding palates in the US. The selection of only the highest quality grapes guarantees the authentic character of this Cava. The Gran Sarao cava is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel.lo, Parellada and Chardonnay and undergoes a second fermentation on the bottle for a minimum period of 15 months and therefore is be considered a Reserva quality. As to express a maximum of natural flavours there is almost no liquor or sugar added after the ‘degorge’ to obtain a clean nose, an elegant mouth feel and a generous explosion of fine bubbles.
The second fermentation or ageing of this cava is carried out in the 10.000 m2 of subterranean cellars of the winery where the cava develops under a constant temperature and humidity.
Josep Masachs is proud to produce the Gran Sarao cava that transmits the long history of cava making in the family. Cava Gran Sarao is the sparkling sensation of Spanish traditional method cava and represents a perfect balance between youth and maturity, man and nature and is ultimately to be enjoyed for every great moment in life.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
What is Cava?
Spain adopted the word, cava, which technically means ‘cellar’ in Catalan, to describe their sparkling wines made using the traditional method. While this style was first created outside of Spain in the 1600s, its birthplace inside of Spain came in 1872 when Jose Raventós of Codorníu first produced traditional method sparkling wine in the town of San Sadurní d’Anoia. Uniquely, the Cava denomination isn’t restricted to one geographical area but rather, it spans eight total wine regions. However, about 90% of Spain’s total production of Cava, Spanish sparkling wine happens within Catalonia, and about 75% is produced within the borders of San Sadurní d’Anoia, inside the smaller Catalan region of Penedès. In 2019, Spain registered nearly 38,000 hectares of vineyards for Cava production, compared to just under 34,000 in Champagne.
How is Cava sparkling wine made?
Cava, like many other sparkling wines of the world is made using the traditional method, or "Champagne method," or método tradicional in Spanish, in which the second fermentation (the one that makes the bubbles) takes place inside the bottle. With this method, spent yeast cells remain in contact with the wine during bottle aging, giving it a creamy mouthful, a toasted bread or brioche quality and in many cases, the capacity to age.
What are the Cava wine grapes?
The mainstay Cava grape varieties include Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. Macabeo, also known as Viura, lends pleasant aromatics to the blend, while Parellada adds acidity and finesse. Xarel-lo is the grape that gives body, earth and greengage characteristics to Cava. Occasionally Chardonnay is used as a blending grape or sole variety in making Cava wine. Governmental inclusion approval was awarded in 1986 but still, Chardonnay makes up only a fraction of total vineyard area. For rosé, in Spanish called rosado, the local Trepat and Garnacha can be used, along with Pinot Noir (first permitted in 1998 for rosado and in 2007 for white Cavas).
Cava Tasting Profile
Since Cava is a sparkling wine produced on the Mediterranean where temperatures are warmer and there is more sunshine compared with Champagne, you can expect that Cava sparkling wine will generally have a gentler acid profile compared with its French counterpart. Furthermore, especially when the indigenous varieties are used, common Cava flavors will include citrus peel, fennel, wildflower, lemon blossom and flint or saline. Most Cava is produced in the Brut style, so dry, with a slightly rounder finish that balances brightness with brioche notes and supple fruit. Brut Nature or Zero Dosage examples are bone dry, whereas Extra-Dry Cava will be slightly sweet and a Demi-Sec Cava will have the highest sweetness level.
Cava Pairings
One of the best things about pairing Cava wine is you can drink it on its own or with just about any food! But if you want to focus on bringing out Cava's uniquely brilliant bouquet and citrus notes, rich or seafood-centric dishes are perfect food pairings for Cava. Try Cava with butter poached lobster, seafood risotto, puff pastry and caramelized onions or fried chicken.