2007 Cava Gran Claustro Brut Nature
Castillo Perelada, Spain
This is the top of the Cava range from this producer. It is made from a blend of two traditional Champagne varieties, pinot noir (40 per cent), chardonnay (40 per cent) and paralleda (20 per cent). This sparkling wine is made in a Brut Nature style with no dosage (sugar). You will have to decide if you prefer this very dry style, or a sparkling with a touch of sugar that helps balances the high acidity levels.
It has light berry fruit, toasty, buttery notes, and is rich and full bodied on the palate. The wine has a very dry finish with a touch of bitterness at the end and there is some complexity from the 24-month ageing in the bottle. At HK$248 from Watson's Wine Cellar, it's a cheaper option to Champagne, but the downside is that the wooden packaging makes it challenging to open.