Cava’s Not So Secret Value Proposition

By Thomas Madrecki

Let’s get one thing straight – Cava will never dethrone Champagne as the world’s premier sparkling wine region.

But what it will do, and has proven capable of for several decades now, is produce wines of similar quality at (sometimes significantly) lower cost. In general, due to the grapes used, Cavas might be thought of as more straightforward and acid-forward than high-end Champagne, but if price is of any importance (and it is to most drinkers), that “gap” shrinks considerably.

Consider it a result of what I’ll call the “Loire Effect” – just as the Loire Valley churns out delicious wines but at a fraction of the cost of nearby Burgundy, so too does Cava in relation to Champagne. To me, it’s all about image: Compared to the elaborate estates and storied history of Champagne, Cava is more a land of grape growers and plain villages.

Both regions are situated only about an hour from a major city (Paris and Barcelona, respectively), but the differences couldn’t be more startling. You probably have never heard of a hip-hop artist bragging about how he was “popping bottles of Cava” late into the night. Likewise, you are similarly unlikely to find a pretentious snob in Penedes – it’s a much simpler place, with real people that still do things the old-fashioned way.

The Historical ‘Smart Buy’

Vineyard manager Sebastia Raventos still advocates hand-picking and other labor-intensive techniques, even at a high-production winery such as Segura Viudas with a truly global distribution.

Even at large, well-established wineries like Segura Viudas, which is owned by (the generally mimosa-destined) Freixenet brand, you will be surprised to find that grapes are still grown “in bush” and harvested by hand. Similarly curious is that vineyard manager Sebastia Raventos eschews many modern, large-production agricultural methods in favor of more sustainable practices; he is not natural or biodynamic according to some organization or government standard, but he sees no point in harming his ability to harvest grapes well into the future, and so takes real care to limit interference in the field. And at Christmas, even with close to a 1,000 employees and local grape providers, Segura Viudas still gives each and every one a live chicken to enjoy at Christmas dinner.

A typical Catalonian "calzot" feast tells you a lot about Cava's place in the wine world. To eat a calzot, a type of local leek harvested in the spring and burnt over a wood fire, you pull off the charcoaled exterior to reveal only the tender, sweet inside. Dipped in a sauce of tomatoes, almonds and garlic, it's finger-licking unpretentious fun.

All that being said, then, it doesn’t make sense that the cost of a Segura Viudas wine is so much lower than a wine of similar quality elsewhere. Whereas a 90+ rated French Champagne is likely to run upwards of $30-50, a 90+ Cava may cost only $25-40. It’s as if the high costs and fancy rituals associated with sparkling wine do not apply in Cava; there is no shortage of bargains in the $8-20 range, either. I like to imagine that one day, the late Mr. Viudas woke up for a spring calzot feast and asked his wife, “Honey, why can’t a man drink sparkling wine with every meal?” and she responded, “I don’t know, blame the French.”

That’s a funny statement, of course, because what you can blame the French for is making Cava what it is today. Prior to the 1920s, most of Cava still made wine in clay troughs, a process that had its origins in Roman winemaking techniques. But when phylloxera struck and wiped out scores of vines, local grape growers headed to Champagne to see how “the experts” were responding to the infestation. Along the way, they picked up new ideas about how to produce sparkling wines and thus modernized their practices upon returning to Penedes. Segura Viudas was one of the first wineries in Cava to adopt these new techniques, with Mr. Viudas investing all of his money in a brand-new winery with dozens of fermentation tanks and innovative temperature controls.

Such rampant spending exposed the winery to being purchased – first by an investor, then by the government when that investor was sentenced to jail, then by Freixenet – but it also established Segura Viudas as a leading brand in the region, with the production capacity and expertise needed to produce a wine that could compete against French products.

Today, the wines of Cava are made using the traditional méthode champenoise, undergoing a second fermentation process in bottles and then being racked at a 45 degree angle for daily riddling until being disgorged and packaged one to five years later. In more recent years, the brand’s continued insistence on producing a “smart buy” has helped it grow in new markets even at a time of recession, with 17 percent growth in the U.S. last year and 10 percent overall growth globally.

Sourcing the Value

Cava, however, is more than just Champagne at a lower price point. It’s a uniquely Spanish product with characteristics all its own, and so one must understand the appellation’s geographic situation and native grape varieties to draw informed conclusions about the wines.

“Cava,” broadly defined as a D.O., includes a scattering of vineyards across the entire country of Spain due to what might be termed typical governmental absurdity, but its true focal point is in Catalonia, around Penedes. There, the climate is Mediterranean, with abundant sunshine, mild winters and a reasonably high degree of temperature variation from day to night. Rainfall in the summer is rare, but its occurrence at certain times in the year can be expected and allows winemakers to plan their harvest with regularity. In recent years, global warming has slowly begun to shift the growing season ahead and allowed grape growers to plant vines at higher elevations.

Perhaps more importantly, this microclimate has proven conducive to the growth of the three classic Cava grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Red grapes for rose Cava and still wines are also grown, with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cariñena, Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon and (most recently) Pinot Noir being among those grown successfully.

The most simple and best way to explain the Cava-making process, then, is to think of the region as being occupied with hundreds of local grape growers and several major production houses like Segura Viudas, which with their years of expertise guide growers throughout the year and then buy grapes in addition to their own harvest. The job of the Cava producer is not so much vigneron in the French sense, but more akin to an orchestra conductor, trying to coax different instruments and players (grapes and growers) to play in harmony.

Blending skill and a vast understanding of the local grape growers’ plots are vital to the final product; at Segura Viudas, each Cava is a highly coordinated product of Raventos and head winemaker Gabriel Suverbiola’s efforts. Raventos and Suverbiola aim for a balance between the three Cava grapes, typically using the fine, apple-tinged aromas and fruitiness of Macabeo as a majority base, then adding Xarel-lo’s acidity, structure and yeasty-banana tones and Parellada’s effervescent, highly delicate floral aromas in proportion.

This annual blending is the assemblage, and is conducted differently for each Cava, depending on the desired product. Surprising, of course, is that the final outcomes can be so different; many American consumers tend to think of sparkling wine as a beverage with limited range, but the reality is that Cava is incredibly versatile and can pair with a wide range of foods, so long as they help retain the wine’s inherent freshness and vivacity.

No matter the blend, though, one thing’s clear: There’s bang for your buck in Cava country. And with a known producer such as Segura Viudas, with its wide distribution in the United States and elsewhere thanks to Freixenet distribution, you don’t have to look very hard to find value in your vino.

Reviews

NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, D.O. Cava

Blend of 50 percent Macabeo, 35 percent Parellada and 15 percent Xarel-lo grapes results in a high-performing entry-level Cava that makes up for its relative lack of complexity with its “bang for the buck.” Clear, persistent flavors of green apple and crusty bread with some floral, vaguely tropical (mango, papaya) notes in the nose could make for great blind-tasting fun.

MSRP: $8 (March 2012)
Wine Lines Rating: 86

NV Segura Viudas Brut Rosé, D.O. Cava, Spain – Tasted in November 2011, in U.S.

This “Cava Rosado” has a medium, persistent mousse, with mild aromas of dried red fruit and a sharp, steely/gunflint edge. A blend of seven wines and two varieties — primarily Trepat, with a splash of Grenache — its red fruit flavors pick up in the mouth toward the finish. A Wine Lines Best Buy, just in time for holiday toasting.

MSRP: $10 (November 2011)
Wine Lines Rating: 87 (Review By Glen)

NV Segura Viudas Brut Rosé, D.O. Cava – Tasted in March 2012, in Spain

Dehydrated raspberries, slightly under-ripe strawberries and mild minerality on the finish, rounded out with a faint toastiness. This is easy-going sparkling wine, with moderate bubbles and a non-cloying mouthfeel that makes it a refreshing accompaniment to many dishes. An everyday, food-friendly sparkler that won’t put a hurt on your wallet.

MSRP: $10 (March 2012)
Wine Lines Rating: 87 (Review By Tom)

NV Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut, D.O. Cava

By increasing the proportion of Parellada to Xarel-lo grapes compared to Segura Viudas’ standard Brut Reserva, winemaker Suverbiola has produced a slightly more aromatic, floral sparkling wine that lends itself to youthful, American palates (and my apologies if that sounds snobbish at all). Slightly sweeter in the mouth than the Brut Reserva as well, it picks up on similar flavors of green apple and shortbread pastry crust.

MSRP: $11 (March 2012)
Wine Lines Rating: 86

NV Segura Viudas Aria Pinot Noir, D.O. Cava

Segura Viudas’ Raventos and Suverbiola were some of the first in the Cava appellation to experience success growing Pinot Noir grapes in the region, and view it as a strong addition to their lineup of wines (when used correctly) even if it breaks with Spanish tradition. The Aria bottling is 100 Pinot Noir and is a redder, more fluorescent pink compared to French sparkling rose; as a whole, rose Cava is typically riper and thus more prone to expressing Mediterranean flavors of strawberry, citrus and almond. The potential for increasingly complex Pinot-based rose Cavas is certain, but here perhaps unrealized; expect a brand-new Segura Viudas bottling from estate grapes in late summer 2012.

MSRP: $13 (March 2012)
Wine Lines Rating: 86

NV Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad, D.O. Cava

Reserva Heredad is Segura Viudas’ premier bottling available in the U.S. market, but is still available at a fraction of the price compared to many French sparklers. Macabeo (67 percent) and Parellada (33 percent) grapes are harvested from estate vineyards, with winemakers using only juice from the first pressing. Sugar cookie, Chinese pear, red apple and a touch of dried mango on the palate, with an ever-present flintiness on the finish. To impress guests, serve with seared scallops, fresh egg pasta and excessive shavings of black truffle (you’ll be able to afford the truffle, after all, having saved so much money compared to a bottle of Champagne).

MSRP: $23 (March 2012)
Wine Lines Rating: 90

2007 Segura Viudas Brut Vintage, Cava Gran Reserva

With the same proportion of Macabeo and Parellada grapes as Segura Viudas’ standard NV Reserva Heredad, this is undoubtedly a similar wine in almost all respects. But the selection of only one strong vintage results in a wine that seems slightly rounder and “singular.” Not available in the U.S.

MSRP: N/A (March 2012, European Distribution Only)
Wine Lines Rating: 89

2005 Segura Viudas ‘Tore Galimany’ Brut Nature, Cava Gran Reserva

What a shame Segura Viudas’ distribution of ‘Torre Galimany’ is currently limited to European markets; it universally impressed American travelers during my visit to Penedes.

As a well-aged 100 percent Xarel-lo wine turned sparkler thanks to a second fermentation, this isn’t your typical Cava. But it’s precisely that uncommonness and revolutionary attitude that makes for a great wine. On its own Xarel-lo offers Cava makers a grape with yeasty notes of banana and honeysuckle, along with ample acidity and structural strength that can extend the aging process. The 2005 vintage here plays off those strengths, rewarding the drinker with complex, almost Chenin-like aromas of egg-y choux pastry, toasted oak, spring wildflowers, mandarin orange and fried plantains. The mouthfeel is glycerin and full of lively bubbles, offering a honeyed sensation but one that is still refreshing and dangerously drinkable. Considering its European price tag, a superb value (if you don’t count the cost of flying overseas to get it).

MSRP: N/A (March 2012, European Distribution Only)
Wine Lines Rating: 92

2009 Segura Viudas ‘Creu de Lavit,’ Penedes, Spain

100 percent Xarel-lo still wine from Segura Viudas offers a refreshing, acidic break from Cava. Floral notes with a touch of grass and lemon balm in the nose lead to a refreshing but short and simple taste of honeydew melon, citrus and red apple. Alcohol could be more fully integrated; serve with equally acidic seafood fish dishes, like scallop ceviche with grapefruit, ginger and lemongrass.

MSRP: N/A (March 2012, European Distribution Only)
Wine Lines Rating: 86

2005 Segura Viudas ‘Mas D’Aranyo,’ Penedes, Spain

Red blend of 80 percent Tempranillo, 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Carinena is the definition of food-friendly wine. Easy to drink, with well-integrated alcohol and smooth, Merlot-esque tannins, its flavors of ripe plums, port-soaked cherries, firewood, star anise and cocoa nib make it a quaffable, crowd-pleasing accompaniment to braised red meats, juicy pork loin or spicy sausages roasted over an open fire.

MSRP: N/A (March 2012, European Distribution Only)
Wine Lines Rating: 87

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2012 at 9:08 am. It is filed under Appellation Trail, Slider, Tom the Terroirble and tagged with Cava. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.