From: Catalunya, Spain
Blend: 40% Xarello, 30% Macabeu, 20% Parellada, 10% Chardonnay
Tasting Notes: Generous peach, pear, and crisp grapefruit aromas coalesce with toasted pastry and floral jasmine notes on the nose. The palate is fresh, fruity, and leesy with a soft, delicate texture and a fine finish shaded with pretty touches of minerality and almond.
Pairing: This is an ideal cava to drink as an aperitif and with a great variety dishes, from the richer side of the spectrum—think terrine of foie gras or mediterranean-inspired lamb dishes—to the lighter white meat stews, fresh fish with herbs, sushi, and dishes incorporating anchovies. Finger foods like Jambon iberico, macrona almonds, and olives are other great pairings, along with fried chicken or veggies! For today’s pairing, we recommend Ali Slagle’s quick recipe for Dill Pickle Tzatziki (below) if you’re pressed for time. For a slightly more involved recipe, we’re sharing David Tanis’ Red Pepper Crab Croquetas With Garlic-Almond Sauce recipe for a classic finger food found in tapas bars across Barcelona.
About. The winery Mont Marçal Vinícola was founded in 1975 by Manuel Sancho who directed his activities towards making wine and cava after many years of dedication in the world of the music. Bardinet, a global wine & spirits company acquired the winery in 2015, but Mont Marcel’s philosophy and dedication to producing quality wines under the Denominations of Origén Penedès, Catalunya, and Cava continues to this day.
The 40-hectare (230-acre) estate, known as “Finca Manlleu,” is located on a prominent chalky knoll five miles south of Vilafranca del Penedès overlooking the hamlet of Sant Marçal. One hundred acres are planted to Parellada, Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The “Mont” provides 360-degree exposure, creating a wide variety of microclimates for maturation of the various varieties. Made in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility housed in a renovated 14th century farmhouse that also functioned as a convent in the 19th century, Mont Marçal’s wines are certified Organic by both Spain and the USA, and vegan friendly. Recent excavation has expanded the CAVA aging and bottling capacity, at the same time revealing medieval underground passageways in the chalk which have been carefully preserved for additional bottle storage.
Intrinsic vineyard quality and careful handling of the grapes obtain a naturally-rich base wine in little need of dosage. The 2021 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva is produced from Cava’s three traditional indigenous white grapes, Xarello (40%), Macabeo (30%), and Parellada (20%), with 10% Chardonnay incorporated into the blend. These grapes came from vines planted in chalky limestone at 720 feet above sea level. The wine aged a minimum of 18 months with the yeast, and was disgorged upon order for shipment.
