Elegance and craftsmanship:
Discover Cava de Guarda Superior
In partnership with DO Cava
It was a cold and rainy early December evening: an atmospheric backdrop for a tasting that set the tone for the festive season with a unique and diverse selection of Cava, Spain’s flagship traditional-method sparkling wine.
The guests – a lively mix of wine lovers, sommeliers, wine buyers and publishers – were curious and intrigued as they were each handed their welcome glass at Decanter’s Tasting Suite.
The masterclass host, Anne McHale MW, kicked off the session by asking the audience the first words that came to mind when thinking about Cava: ‘Spain’, ‘sparkling’ and ‘approachable’ were the most mentioned. A good, if modest, starting point for what proved to be not only an outstanding tasting experience but also a fascinating learning journey.
Gianni Zucchetto, export manager at Ruggeri
The session focused on Cava de Guarda Superior, the top of the denomination’s quality pyramid. Although regulations require a minimum of 18 months of lees ageing, the specifications of the cuvées tasted highlighted that producers favour much longer time in bottle prior to disgorgement. This creates the greater flavour complexity, textural richness and ageability that impressed the masterclass attendees.
While exploring each of the wines, McHale homed in on the different aspects beyond the production method that shape Cava’s unique identity. Chief among them are origin and grape varieties. The evening’s line-up – featuring wines from the Comtats de Barcelona (this Mediterranean zone accounts for 96% of Cava production), Viñedos de Almendralejo and Requena zones – showed, with vivid clarity, how each of the regions harnesses its terroir differently to produce fruit with aromatic distinctiveness and complexity, while retaining freshness.
Of the nine wines tasted, only the first – poured upon arrival, as a welcome drink – was a Brut, with the remaining eight being Brut Natures, without any dosage. With equal amounts of focus and generosity, the wines reflected one of Cava’s common denominators: an inherent balance – structural as well as aromatic – that does not require any heavy-handed intervention in the cellar to produce world-class wines.
The secret of Cava is primarily in the vineyard – something producers are increasingly nurturing by embracing the singularity of indigenous varieties and consolidating sustainable practices. In 2024 alone, for example, the percentage of Cava with organic certification grew by a sizeable 15.24%. Moreover, the Cava DO has been the first DO to designate a category as 100% organic: all Guarda Superior is certified organic from the 2025 vintage.
The evening’s line-up...showed, with vivid clarity, how each of the regions harnesses its terroir differently to produce fruit with aromatic distinctiveness and complexity, while retaining freshness.
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A smart, moreish blend of Cava's three flagship varieties, with unctuous marzipan, fleshy coconut and fragrant apple blossom and vanilla leading. There’s weighty complexity; having spent 30 months on the lees, the wine has creamy depth and smoky nuttiness, perfectly offset by refreshing lemon zest and spicy fennel seed and star anise. Creamy, persistent mousse. The 6.5g/L dosage is perfectly integrated, adding a gentle gloss to the pink peach and red apple fruit.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2027
Canals Nadal, Antoni Canals Cupada Selecció Gran Reserva Brut 2020 | 93
A really pleasant blend of Xarel·lo and Chardonnay that harnesses the former's herbal nuance and the latter's vivid acidity. A strong mineral backbone with a saline rim adds both robustness and freshness. Quince, fennel seed, clementine zest, cranberry and redcurrant and blanched almonds mingle effortlessly and playfully. Precise and elegant, with its edges rounded by 42 months spent on the lees.
Alc 12.5% | Drink 2025-2029
Eudald Massana, MIL·LENI Reserva Brut Nature 2021 | 94
A characterful and intense take on Pinot Noir, with a precise vividness on the attack followed by a juicy mid-palate and an endless, perfumed finish. Strawberry, cranberry, blood orange and onion skin mingle on the nose, followed by pink grapefruit, brioche and almond croissant on the palate – all with a rim of vanilla, sweet spice and salted caramel. One for smoked fish and game.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2027
Bodegas Hispano+Suizas, Tantum Ergo Pinot Noir 2022 | 93
This Macabeu-led blend (with 30% Parellada, 5% Malvasía and 5% Xarel·lo), surprises with its definition, nuance and delicate floral details. Camomile, linden and apple blossom hover over the lemon flesh, white peach and Asian pear fruit. A fine sprinkle of fennel seed, a saline rim and a vibrant wet-stone-flavoured acid line add vividness and freshness.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2027
Bodegas Romale, Privilegio de Romale Brut Nature Reserva
NV | 92
A stand-out expression of traditional-method Xarel·lo, hailing from a tiny (0.4ha) plot harvested by hand. Riddling and disgorgement are also done entirely manually. There's extraordinary complexity, as well as vividness, with a delicious white grapefruit bitterness driving the weightier yellow apple, cooked quince, frangipane and gooseberry. Thick, melting rim of salted caramel and lemon curd. Long finish, saline but with an energetic, zesty pull.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2030
Pago de Tharsys, Tharsys X Brut Nature 2019 | 95
Great tension between the soft, gliding creaminess of the quince, apple and Conference pear, on a bed of almond croissant, and the vivid, zesty pull of lemon and clementine zest. Blanched almonds add meatiness to the mid-palate while toast with salted butter brings in savoury unctuousness. A thin honey glaze adds a sweet but crunchy bite. This begs for food – enjoy with medium cured cheeses or roast chicken. Yum.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2029
Parés Baltà, Blanca Cusiné Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2019 | 94
Saline, appetising and focused, this Cava is produced with Chardonnay from Chozas Carrascal's Dehesa plot, within the perimeter of the estate in Requena. The assertive acid backbone keeps it travelling through the palate with linear vividness alongside moreish notes of pickled walnuts, hazelnut shells and toasted almonds. Grippy lemon and grapefruit zest add energy and pull throughout.
Alc 12.5% | Drink 2025-2027
Chozas Carrascal, Eterno Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2017 | 92
With its creamy mousse, aromatic detail and textural depth, this is such a vinous, complex and alluring sparkling wine. There's chalky minerality underneath the apple (green and yellow), quince and pear fruit as well as a quintessentially Xarel·lo herbal twist. Characterful and unapologetically Mediterranean, with vibrant fennel top and coriander seed framing toasted almonds and fresh walnuts. Beautiful weight on the mid-palate followed by a focused, linear finish.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2030
Bodegas Sumarroca, Núria Claverol Homenatge 2016 | 97
Tasting Notes
Discover more at D.O. CAVA
Event photography: Lola García Photography
Published 18th December
Ruggeri wines are available in the UK from the Great Wine Co, imported by Enotria & Coe
Produced with fruit from the Vallcirera vineyard in Sierra Mar, a mere 2km away from the Mediterranean, this blends Pansa Blanca (Xarel·lo) with 40% of Chardonnay and spends 64 months on the lees. The result is a vibrant wine with a lot of character: a distinct herbal veil and sour fruit core, drenched in citrus fruit and seawater. Pear peel adds an appetising crunch, while pickled walnuts and marcona almonds bring in meaty richness. Endless finish – so salty and nutty. Simply irresistible.
Alc 12% | Drink 2025-2032
Art Laietà d’Alta Alella, EXEO Paratge Qualificat Vallcirera, Brut Nature 2019 | 96
Elegance and craftsmanship:
Discover Cava de Guarda Superior
Serendipitously timed, the session hosted at Decanter’s Tasting Suite on 4 December unofficially kicked off the festive season with a stellar line up of premium sparkling wines bearing the DO Cava stamp.
Top of the pyramid
Two of the cuvées tasted demonstrated the ability of two international varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to yield sparkling wines with a character of their own in each of Cava’s zones. This is particularly topical as other classical sparkling regions are grappling with the challenges of climate change. However, these examples also emphasised the idiosyncrasy of Cava’s flagship, indigenous varieties: Xarel·lo, Macabeo (Viura) and Parellada.
With Macabeo bringing in fragrant nuance, Parellada helping with structure and Xarel·lo contributing moreish, textural depth, Cava’s leading trio of grapes – which together represent 82.1% of DO Cava’s area under vine – shape the DO’s identity as well as the quality, complexity and ageworthiness of its top wines.
Diverse singularity
While exploring the foundations of DO Cava, masterclass attendees were also introduced to the sense of identity and personality that each producer brings to their own wines. The reason so many of these wines stand out at tastings and competitions – not least Decanter’s own World Wine Awards – is that they are born at the intersection of viticultural expertise, Mediterranean flair, winemaking craftsmanship and passionate personalities.
As the session wrapped up, McHale once again asked the audience what words came to mind. The vocabulary had changed: ‘diversity’, ‘age-worthiness’, ‘character’ and ‘premium affordability’ bounced around the room.
This fascinating tasting experience had unlocked a world of sparkling excellence.
Craftsmanship reimagined
Masterclass host, Anne McHale MW
Decanter Regional editor for Spain, Ines Salpico