Anna De Codorniu Brut Nature NV Cava

Codorniu has an impressive 500 year history and is still, amazingly, a family-run enterprise. The Codorníus were the first Spaniards to use Champagne's 'traditional' method of production, which ensures extraordinary quality, and also lobbied DO Cava to allow the use of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

As such "Anna" was the first cava to be made using Chardonnay and there is something very Champagne-like about this premium cava. You'll find bright aromas of tropical fruit and a soft well-balanced and refreshing palate, with elegant citrus notes and fine, persistent bubbles.

If this is what history tastes like, then we'll be, er, eating more history.

Anna de Codorniu is Spain's best-selling sparkling wine brand. It is named after the 17th century head of the Codorníu estate, Anna, who was the last direct member of the Codorníu family. Codorníu has been making wine since 1551 and is still a family owned business to this day. In 1872, Codorníu was the first Spanish winery to produce sparkling wine using the ‘traditional’ method, used in Champagne. This later became known as Cava. Codorníu has always been at the forefront of innovation in the Cava category and lobbied DO Cava to allow the use of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It promotes viticultural research and development programmes relating to all stages of making Cava.

Bruno Colomer Martí has been the head winemaker at Codorníu since 2008. Colomer is from Catalonia and holds an Agricultural Technical Engineering degree from the Polytechnic School of Barcelona. He continued his studies and took the Diplôme National d’Oenologie at the University of Borgogne, in France. He has also worked at the Mont Ferrant and Heretat Mas Tinell wineries in Penedès. He has been shortlisted for the 2012 IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year (to be announced September 2012).

The grapes used for Anna de Codorníu Brut Nature are sourced from two very different growing areas. The Chardonnay comes from its own vineyards in Lleida. This region’s continental climate gives the grapes optimum flavour concentration, lower acidity and greater body and intensity. The Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada varieties come from vineyards in the Penedés area. The region’s hot Mediterranean climate allows for earlier fruit ripening and guarantees a good level of acidity and freshness. The must for the base wine is fermented at 15º to 17ºC. Once the fermentation process is complete and the wines are stabilised, blending takes place and the resulting product is bottled together with the licor de tiraje (a mix of sugar, yeast and still wine). The bottles are stored in underground cellars (at a constant temperature of 17ºC), where a second fermentation occurs followed by a period of ageing in contact with yeast lees. In all, it spends at least 12 months on the lees. Eggs and dairy are not used in these processes.

Brilliant pale yellow in colour, it has aromas of tropical fruit such as pineapple, as well as citrus, grapefruit and lime. On the palate it is soft, well-balanced and refreshing, with elegant citrus notes and fine, persistent bubbles.