La Bota de Cava
Colet-Navazos Cava:
09 Extra Brut & 08 Brut Reserva
Cava By Way of Jerez
Equipo Navazos is one of the most intriguing, dynamic and compelling projects in the world of wine. They are key players in the renewed interest in Sherry.
Today, we leave sherry country (kind of) to focus on another one of their projects, Cava.
Just to get this all out on the table: we're looking at Cava aged under flor and given a sherry dosage at bottling.
This is pretty crazy, for sure, but it's also a rendering of Cava that's elegant, complex and fascinating. These bottles are horizon-expanding Cavas, but they're not the polarizing, aggressively oxidative wines you might be expecting. They're easy to engage.
We've been chasing after these Cavas for the past few years and it's been almost impossible to find them in any quantity.
Finally, we have enough for a very small offer. Today, only to people who've supported the La Bota Sherries, we're happy to offer Colet-Navazos 09 Extra Brut and 08 Reserva.
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The Sergi Colet/Equipo Navazos partnership began years back when they discussed the parallels between Sherry and Champagne (chalk soils, the importance of yeasts, etc.) They originally and still plan to make sparkling wines in sherry country. So far, though, the vintages have been too ripe to produce the proper musts for sparkling wines. There's also the issue that since sparkling wines aren't really made in sherry country there's a shortage of needed equipment.
While sparkling wines from sherry country haven't gotten off the ground yet, they've brought some of sherry country to Catalonia. Colet-Navazos Cavas spend some time aging under flor and, after the secondary fermentation (the one that makes it sparkling,) a sherry dosage is added. For the wines on offer today, it was the Amontillado #37 that was added.
The 09 Extra Brut is based on the local Xarel-lo grape with a touch of Macabeo and is aged on its lees for 30 months. The 09 Extra Brut shows more oxidative notes and is the leaner of the two. It boasts a dark minerality with Mediterranean herbs and zingy citrus.
The 08 Reserva is based on Chardonnay that's spent 40 months on its lees. The 08 Reserva is the richer, toastier of the two. If you want to draw the comparison, this is the more Champagne-like of today's pair.
As John Gilman points out, only 6% of producers grow their on grapes. This highlights an industrial and quantity focus that dominates the region. It's very nice to see such an original and impressive group of Cavas made with such care.
As I mentioned earlier, quantities are very limited. Only 250 cases were produced of the 09 Extra Brut. For the 08 Reserva, it's 225 cases. Please give us your ideal order and we'll do our best.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
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Colet-Navazos Cava is in stock!
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