Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva Cava 2017

Mont-Marçal fashions exceptional vintage Cava that ranks among the best and most consistently satisfying sparkling wines in the world, and the 2017 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva, the most recent release from this family owned property, already sings beautifully from the glass. Unlike most sparkling wine producers (which includes the finest purveyors of Champagne as well as Cava), Mont-Marçal vintage dates all of its Brut Reserva so that the consumer knows the age and freshness of the wine. The 2017 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva personifies all the elegance and charm of the finest bubbly. It offers a light airy appeal from the moment it is poured as its delicate pinpoint bubbles stream exuberantly to the top of the glass. Fun and always versatile, the 2017 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva resonates with supreme elegance, flavor and texture. It offers soft seductive scents of spring flowers and golden pears infused with a hint of fennel and a gentle minerality. In the mouth, light, clean, and clearly delineated fruit flavors glide easily across the tongue, while the wine’s creamy mousse and perfectly balanced acidity carry the wine’s flavors and charm through to a satisfying mouth-refreshing finish. In a world in which authenticity is hard to come by, the 2017 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva once again makes a delightfully strong case for Cava. Enjoy the delicious 2017 Brut Reserva from Mont-Marçal well chilled (38°-40° F).

One needs nothing but a bottle and a little time in order to enjoy Mont-Marçal’s 2017 Brut Reserva. However, we must add that one the most memorable meals we have ever eaten in Spain was accompanied by Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva. Our tasting panel members and I all agreed that not only was the food incredible (the very best calamari, octopus, and an entire array of seafood delights any of us had ever eaten), the Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva was the perfect foil to our seafood spread. In addition to calamari, octopus, sea bass and other Mediterranean specialties, the 2017 Mont-Marçal Reserva Brut will provide an exceptional complement to all kinds of tapas, hors d’oeuvres, poultry and lightly smoked meats and cheeses. Salmon mousse, sautéed scallops, stuffed mushrooms, sautéed oysters, prosciutto, Jamón Ibérico, and even foie gras, offer especially rewarding accompaniments to Mont-Marçal’s Brut Reserva, too. Steamed crab legs and herb-roasted chicken or turkey served with a savory stuffing offer other tasty companions to Mont-Marçal’s elegant Cava. A plate of fresh fruit and soft, ripe, creamy cheeses will also complement the fresh, highly delineated flavors of this Cava. Like most Brut sparkling wines, Mont-Marçal’s 2017 Brut Reserva is at its very best early in the evening, either as an aperitif or with a first or main course of a meal. The dry, delicate flavors of Cava are best enjoyed before dessert and the onset of palate fatigue. Enjoy!

Editor’s Note: Cava is a wine that is under pressure. It should always be well chilled before opening. Always exercise caution when opening a bottle of sparkling wine. Point the bottle away from people and objects. Use a clean towel or cloth to firmly grip the bottle. Gently remove the wire stopper while firmly holding the cork in place. Then with thumb and forefinger, remove the cork slowly from the bottle. Do not let the cork fly. Enjoy!

Nestled into the Mediterranean coastal range, about an hour’s drive south from Barcelona, is the Penedès wine region where for over a century Spain’s great wine culture has fostered talent in the art of elaborating Cava, Spain's most artisanal and labor intensive sparkling wine. Following a successful career in musical recording, Manuel Sancho brought a fresh eye and classical vision towards creating a new benchmark in style for Cava from the heartland of Cataluña’s Cava production.

In 1975, Manuel Sancho purchased a neglected 18th century convent, originally a 15th century farmhouse set atop a prominent knoll overlooking the hamlet of Sant Marçal. Conversion of the property into a state-of-the-art winemaking facility has preserved the historic significance of the 15th century farmhouse, while medieval underground passageways in the chalk have carefully been preserved for maturing and storing Mont-Marçal’s Cava. From the hilltop’s vantage with 360º of exposure, the “Mont” provides a range of microclimates with ideal chalky soils for the maturation of Chardonnay as well as the estate’s indigenous Cava grape varietals: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. As a “grower producer” dedicated to intrinsic vineyard quality and careful handling of the grapes, both of which are paramount to quality winemaking, Mont-Marçal produces a naturally rich base wine with fresh, clean flavors in little need of dosage.

Mont-Marçal Reserva Brut is a vintage wine that benefits from nearly 24 months aging in bottle prior to disgorgement and departure from the winery cellar. Disgorgement on order for localized shipments ensures the wine will be enjoyed at its optimal freshness while the extended maturation on the lees imbues delicate biscuit notes and terroir focused pedigree, all wrapped in ever more finely textured bubbles. At Mont-Marçal, quality is indeed paramount.

On the world’s wide menu of fine wine, the first course is most aptly set with bubbles, Cava bubbles. Commemorative, celebratory, spontaneous and infinitely versatile with or without food, to share a bottle of fine Cava is timeless. The exuberant character of fine sparkling wine epitomizes both class and charm, so let’s set aside the antiquated conceptions that a regional affiliation automatically equates to quality, or the prejudiced value that price equals prestige. Yes, there is more to fine bubbly than Champagne. It’s Cava, made with the same painstaking traditional method as Champagne. In today’s advanced and competitive market, what matters is identifying producers who are attuned to what is actually in the bottle. Mont-Marçal has proven reliability as a key producer of the world’s most accessible, consistent, and satisfying sparkling wine – Cava.