Carles Andreu Cava Brut Reserva.

Aged for a minimum of 18 months, this sparkling wine from Spain is pale yellow in colour with green highlights and fine bubbles. Fruity on the nose with an intense apple aroma. A dry and fruity palate. One of many Vegan friendly wines available from Wines Direct.

Country

Spain

Region

Conca De Barbera

Grapes

Parellada, Macabeu

Vintage

NV

ABV

11.5

Code

10400

Style

Sparkling

Certificate

• Vegan

This, to me, is the closest to Champagne you'll get outside of that region and price tag. There are many sparkling wines available in Ireland today, some excellent, some just fizzy grape juice. Cava is Spain's equivalent to Champagne, in that it is made in the same way. This does not always guarantee quality, and many of the Cava's on the Irish market are oxidised and unpleasant. 

It took me a while to find the Andreu family, who have been dedicated to growing vines since the 18th century. In 1991, Carles Andreu, continuing the family tradition, established the winery that bears his name. His is a small bodega in the village of Pira, housed in the old-manor house of Cal Celdoni. The fermentation tanks are where the wines used to be fermented many years ago.

In the cava-making region, one of the counties with the most distinct microclimate is the Conca de Barberà. Here, they make their Brut Nature using the typical grape varieties of the county, Macabeo and Parellada, with a minimum ageing period of 18 months. It has attracted the attention of Robert Parker, who considers it, "nearly as good as high-quality Champagne, but sells for a much lower price."