Since the late nineteenth century Spain has been producing traditional method sparkling wines, and like Champagne, French Crémants or Italy’s Alta Langa, Franciacorta or Trentodoc, Spanish Cava is produced with this method, remaining on its lees for a minimum of nine months with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
What’s unique, however, is that Cava is often produced with a blend of indigenous white grape varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Several international varieties, including the more common varieties for sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, can also be used.
Scroll down to see the top 10 Cava wines of DWWA 2024
Cava has established a global reputation for making some of the best value sparkling wines produced by the traditional method. But it’s important to note the quality to be found across Cava’s categories and styles, with top expressions on par with some of the world’s best.
Styles of Cava
There are three main categories of Cava which produce different styles of sparkling wine.
When labelled Cava, the wine must undergo a minimum of nine months of lees aging, providing subtle notes of autolysis (the bready aromas and flavours found in traditional method sparkling wines). These Cavas typically have light apple, citrus and herbal notes with moderate acidity.
Cava Reserva must spend a minimum of 15 months on the lees – 3 months less than Champagne requires. Here, biscuit autolytic notes are more evident.
Aged a minimum of 30 months on the lees, Cava Gran Reserva wines can show pronounced autolytic characters including smoky and toasty notes. These Cavas can be premium in price but can show outstanding quality for value, especially when compared to traditional method sparkling wine counterparts.
To strengthen Cava’s notoriety as a world-class sparkling wine, estate produced and bottled Cava can qualify for a relatively new category, Cava de Paraje Calificado. These wines must age a minimum of 36 months, showing even more development and integration of flavours.
Quality rising
Cava’s quality renaissance was recently recognised by leading experts at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards with Catalonia’s celebrated sparkling wines earning seven Golds, one Platinum and one Best in Show.
Awarded to just 50 wines out of the 18,143 judged, Cava’s Best in Show (97 points) for Alta Alella’s Mirgin Exeo Evolució Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2004 marks Cava’s second-ever win in this top category (last awarded in 2018), highlighting the exceptional quality and impressive aging potential Cava wines can achieve.
Also awarded 97 points and a Platinum medal, Bodegues Sumarroca, Núria Claverol Homenatge Gran Reserva Brut 2016, produced from 100% Xarel-lo, was described by the judges as having ‘a lot of life ahead’ at eight years old, with ‘spectacular aromatics of green apple, lemon and quince with a toasty chalky twist.’
Joint Regional Chair for Spain at the 2024 competition, Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW commented:
‘What excites me about judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards, as a professional in this sector, is that it’s a wonderful opportunity to taste a wide array of wines from my country, all levels of quality, without being influenced by the label. Looking at what is there, it helps a lot to understand the present state of the fine wine industry in Spain.’
Along with the top accolades, Cava was awarded an additional 54 Silver and 57 Bronze medals, surpassing last year’s achievements across all medal categories from Silver upwards.
To celebrate International Cava Day this 12th July, we highlight the top 10 to cheers with.
International Cava Day: 10 award-winning wines to try
Alta Alella, Mirgin Exeo Evolució Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2004
Best in Show, 97 points
The Cava scene is undergoing an exciting process of change at present, as it expands stylistically as well as in terms of its legislative iteration. When this wine was made in 2004 those changes were still a decade or more away – but they’re prefigured here, in what was clearly a vanguard style with clear sub-regional identity. The wine is a pale gold in colour, and fresh and lifted on the nose, with the wild grass and saffron notes of Xarello (under its northern Catalonian synonym of Pansa Blanca) mingling with creamier, limpid orchard fruits from Chardonnay. The intrinsic drama of Brut Nature makes for a high-impact palate: searching, long and fine-foamed, its southern breadth and structure backing a fine-honed blade of flavour to great effect. Two decades in the cellar has brought great harmony, yet the retained freshness of the fine raw materials remains evident. Alcohol 12%
Bodegues Sumarroca, Núria Claverol Homenatge Gran Reserva Brut 2016
Platinum, 97 points
Spectacular aromatics of green apple, lemon and quince with a toasty chalky twist that simpers gracefully over the flawless mousse and vibrant seam of acidity. Full of varietal charm and character with a lot of life ahead. Alc 12%
Ferrer Family Wines, Can Sala Brut Nature 2013
Gold, 96 points
Mouth-puckering elegance displaying myriad grapefruit, lime and lemon zest tendencies embellished with creamy toast and roasted almonds. Textured and refreshing with exquisite bubbles and a herbaceous finish. Alc 12.5%
Castell d´Or, Imperial Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2018
Gold, 95 points
Adorned with roasted hazelnut, praline and ripe yellow apple aromas which percolate the elegant mousse and lemon curd acidity and onwards to the bitter almond finish. Alc 11.5%
Caves Miquel Pons, Montargull Criança AMB Tap de Suro, Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2017
Gold, 95 points
A ravishing combination of candied citrus, toasted cashews and buttered brioche enriched by the wonderful tension of acidity, persistent mousse and startling crème brûlée finale. Alc 11.5%
Dominio de la Vega, Cerro Tocón Brut 2017
Gold, 95 points
Wow! Concentrated apple and raspberry pie, melted butter and burnt toast aromas with a fine sheen of lemon acidity and radiant bubbles. Rapturously pure and fresh. Alc 12.5%
Marc Esteve Vives, Nodal Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2018
Gold, 95 points
Complex, multi-layered and exceptionally pure with ripe apple, fragrant chamomile and toasted almond characters which dance gracefully over the fine bubbles and delicate mineral texture. Alc 11.5%
Pere Ventura I Familia, Gran Vintage Paraje Calificado 2015
Gold, 95 points
A sumptuous generosity of apple pie, custard and honeyed nuts bathed in a mouth-filling lemon freshness with lavish bubbles and a saline note to end. Alc 12%
The Sea Wine Club CV 01 NV
Gold, 95 points
Exhilarating apple charlotte, key lime pie and juicy pear aromas with an enriching biscuit and toast depth. Zesty and verdant with wet stone acidity and well-defined bubbles. Alc 11%
Cavas Hill, Panot Gaudí Reserva Brut NV
Silver, 94 points
Beautifully evolved, showing aromas of toasted almonds, lemon curd, dried flowers and honey overtones. Energetic on the palate, very long. Alc 11.5%