Description
Cava Mestres, Rosé Reserva Brut “1312”
My goodness is this a refined, sublimely sleek rosé. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was a Champagne that cost a pretty penny, but in fact, it’s a Spanish Cava costing about half of what a typical rosé Champagne would cost. This isn’t any old Cava, either, but arguably the most historic house in Spanish sparkling wine.
Mestres, as you may have gathered from the label, dates to the year 1312, and this landmark winery is now owned by the 30th (!) generation of the same family. I don’t know about you, but I never fail to be impressed by a $32 bottle of wine with such an elite pedigree. Over the centuries Mestres has had plenty of time to refine their craft, and that’s a key word—craft—when listing the merits of this Rosé Reserva Brut. This is painstakingly crafted wine, aged two years on its lees and riddled and disgorged by hand, so they’re hardly paying lip service when placing the word “Reserva” on the label. It is a gorgeously aromatic, subtly smoky, seductively silky rosé. The Mestres have really outdone themselves here: this is incredible stuff.
Mestres is said to have six vintages of stock aging in their cellars in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, a small village not far from Barcelona in the heart of Spain’s Penedès DO. They bottled their first sparkling wine in 1925, in a winery facility that was finished in 1861, and they were the first to officially register the name “Cava,” in 1959. That’s a lot of dates, but here’s one more: the first records of the Mestres family as vine growers and négociants dates to 1312.
Technically, a wine labeled “Cava” can be produced just about anywhere in Spain, but Penedès, on the northern Mediterranean coast, is its spiritual home. The climate is Mediterranean, the soils a favorable mix of limestone (key in preserving acids), slate, and clay, and Cava sparklers are crafted in the traditional Champagne method. Because of the scale of most Cava production and its favorable pricing, it’s easy to forget that last point.
The family now farms roughly 80 hectares of vineyards and focuses exclusively on the traditional native grapes of Penedès: Xarel lo, Parellada, and Macabeu for the whites, and, for this rosé—rosat in the local parlance—Trepat, Garnacha, and Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre). There’s a nice core of wild strawberry and white cherry fruit at the heart of this wine (likely courtesy of the Garnache), but also beguiling spicy and floral notes (thanks, Trepat and Monastrell). It is medium-bodied and exceedingly fine, with a delicate mousse and bright, cleansing acidity. Notes of lavender, sandalwood, and crushed rock provide a savory overlay to the juicy, yet restrained, fruit. It would be a delicious accompaniment to some Jamón Iberico or other Spanish tapas—just spot-on in every respect. If you’ve got any larger-scale events coming up and can’t abide serving some low-rent sparkler, this wine will make you look like a genius. Stock up!
