Pares Balta Cava Blanca Cusine 2012

BIO/Organic wine

Ideally drink now through 2026. Serve chilled.

A unique blend of the traditional Cava grape Xarel-lo and the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir create the Cava Blanca Cusine. Grown at high altitudes in the Penedes region in Spain, this wine has a straw yellow color with hints of gold at the core. Subtle aromas of biscuit, hazelnut, honey, and baked pear are followed with a fresh and round palate. Flavors of apricot, spiced applecake, and candied red fruit pair with a creamy mousse and long, elegant finish.

Like many sparkling wines and Champagne’s, the Cava Blanca Cusine would be well used as an aperitif, served with oysters on the half shell, light summer salads, or even sushi.

For their Cava Blanca Cusine, Pares Balta carries out fermentation for the two white grapes in the blend, Chardonnay and Xarel-lo, in stainless steel tanks. This helps to keep freshness and acidity, while retaining varietal character. The Pinot Noir is fermented in new French oak barrels after being pressed, lending more complexity to the wine. After fermentation, the wine is bottled on the lees for 30 months to give it a biscuit-y, brioche-y character that is commonly found in traditional method wines. Zero dosage is used after disgorgement, giving the Cava Blanca Cusine acidity and lift to pair with its rich, lees-y character.