Cava, Cava, Cava

[Florida Jim]

Good:

N/V Mont Marcal, Cava Brut Reserva Rosé:

Deep color for a rosé with a good bead, clean flavors, quite airy in the mouth, solid flavors and an earthy finish. 12% alcohol and $9. Interesting but not fascinating.

Better:

N/V Mont Marcal, Cava Brut Reserva:

Cleaner on the palate and finish than the preceding wine with a strong bead, not as airy in the mouth, deeper flavors and a longer finish. 11.5% alcohol and $9. Lovely wine.

Both of the above served with homemade pizza.

Best:

N/V Marqués de Monistrol, Cava Brut Reserva Selección Especial:

That’s a lot of words to say yummy. Good balance, bead, fruit and finesse make this a delicious, dry sparkling wine. The 11.5% alcohol makes it more versatile than many Champagnes and the $7, price tag makes it affordable in quantity. Something my cellar will never be without.

With Insalata Caprese, a focused, palate cleansing accompaniment.

Still wines:

2000 Hudelot-Noellat, Bourgogne:

Slight roasted character on an otherwise black fruit and incense nose, this wine is full flavored with red and black fruit, spice and soy flavors, well-balanced and medium long.

An elegant, albeit simple, 12% alcohol bottle that went well with grilled salmon. About $10.

2002 Domaine du Clos de Fief (Tete), Juliénas:

About as good as Beaujolais gets. Wonderful, wild red and black fruit aromatics and flavors that show nuance and depth, some spice and very slight floral tones, smooth, concentrated and persistent. 13% alcohol and $20. Certainly it has a shelf-life but it’s so glorious now I can’t keep my hands off. This bottle we had with appetizers.

Best, Jim