When it comes to great-value sparkling wines, Spain leads the way with its Cavas. While Cava is made throughout Spain, it is in Catalonia — especially the Penedès region just west of Barcelona — where most of the production is centered and where some of the best wines are produced.
A delightful example is the under-$15 “Pura” Cava from the Poema winery, a relatively small producer in a category dominated by industrial-scale wine companies that churn out oceans of Cava.
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While Poema produces a range of Cavas, its Pura is a dry (brut) wine made from grapes farmed organically in its own vineyards and from other growers in the region. The wine was released this summer for the first time.
It’s made in the traditional Champagne method in which the bubbles are created by a secondary fermentation in the bottle. While Champagne’s grapes — mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — are permitted, the stars of Cava are the traditional Xarel-lo, Macabeu (known as Viura in Rioja), and Parellada varieties, used in roughly equal proportions in Poema’s Pura.
This is a light and lively sparkler with fine bubbles and tastes that suggest green apple, lemon-lime, grapefruit, and subtle herbal and earth notes. There’s a touch of brioche on the finish from 12 months of aging on the lees, and refreshing acidity that makes this an excellent food wine.
The fruit flavors dominate, with none of the bitterness that you sometimes find in these wines. This one is made for appetizers, from savory vegetable tarts to grilled shrimp.
Poema’s Pura shows us again that when you find the right producer and the right bottle, Cava is one of the real bargains in the wine world. You can find some of VinePair’s other favorite Cavas here.
