Score: 90/100
The Laietà Cava sparkling wine is made from organic grapes grown on the Alta Alella – Privat estate vineyards in the Catalonia wine region of Spain (locally spelt Catalunya).
It is bottled in an elegant and very loooong bottle (see YouTube video below) you don’t come across very often.
The producer, Alta Alella put emphasis on providing this wine with such a spectacular packaging because unlike other Cava wines they produce, the Laietà has high proportion of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varieties, blended with the local Pansa Blanca (Xarel-Lo).
This wine is made from a selection of the best estate grapes. It is elaborated using the Traditional Method (fermented in its bottle) and bottle-aged on lees for 30 months before disgorgement.
No oak is used. Being a Brut Nature, no sugar is added in the dosage before bottling to provide the pure expression of the fruit and wine.
So how good is the long-bottled, long-named Laietà Gran Reserva Organic Brut Nature Cava?
The answer is in the tasting notes:
The nose is subtle and very elegant, almost shy.
It’s dominated by green apple, delicately floral characters, apricot, lime, and acacia honey. There’s an oxidative character to this wine in a positive way with notes of nuts like walnut and the green apple.
The palate is equally subtle, full of minerality and saltiness.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir come through dressed in all their elegance. Chardonnay with its nutty personality. Pinot Noir with a touch of delicate berry tone. The brioche element from the bottle aging on lees is more affirmed here than on the nose.
Bubbles are fine, and come backing up the good acidity. Being a Brut Nature, this wine was no addition of sugar during the dosage. It is therefore dry but the wine’s body and finesse balances it out.
Overall
A good sparkling wine than blends the best of both world: the Xarel-Lo (or Pansa Blanca) typical of the Catalan cava region the wine originates from, but also the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir elements that reminds of fine Champagnes. It’s earthier, mineral and salty than most French Champagnes though, reminding of the wine’s origin from the Mediterranean coast of Spain and the local Saulo soil of Alella D.O.
Check Out How Looong the Laietà wine bottle is. Put a smile on your face with this happy video:
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