B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
Renowned as the benchmark for vineyard-driven sparkling wines in Spain, these impeccably crafted 93-point Raventos selections express their mineral-rich terroir in a fresh, elegant style, offering richly concentrated fruit with balanced acidity on a fine beaded mousse and delivering “unmatched value” according to the Wine Spectator’s Keith Newton at unbeatable, best on the market pricing.
Boasting a 500 year history stretching over 21 generations as growers in Catalonia, the Raventos family are pioneers of the Cava industry, producing the first bottle of Cava under the Cordoniu label in the late 1800’s by applying the traditional method used to make Champagne to a blend of classic Penedes grape varieties. Selling their interest in Cordoniu in 1984 in response to a Cava’s overall decline in quality and reputation, the Raventos family refocused on making vineyard-driven sparkling wines from their 90-hectare biodynamically farmed estate across from their old winery and established Raventós i Blanc in 1986, officially withdrawing from the Cava classification in 2012 while championing the creation of a new D.O. with higher standards. A blend of 49% Xarel·lo, 34% Macabeo and 12% Parellada with the addition of 5% old vine Monastrell to add complexity and enhance its rosy color, the Wine Spectator’s Alison Napjus calls the lush 95 pt. 2022 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Rosado Brut Rose “a bright and harmonious sparkler” with “snappy acidity” and a refined, creamy texture resulting from extended less aging, its name translating as ‘Of the Night’ in Catalan in reference to the estate’s cool evening harvest times considered optimal for preserving freshness. Sourced from vines averaging over 40 years of age and composed of 40% Xarel·lo, 39% Macabeu, 15% Parellada and 6% Malvasia de Sitges, the fresh and silky 93 pt. 2022 Raventos i Blanc Blanc de Blancs is a bright, aromatic sparkler with impeccable balance described as “pure, clean and pleasant” and declared “complex and expressive beyond its price point” by the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez.
Among “the finest and most elegant sparkling wines being made in Spain” according to Vinous critic Joaquin Hidalgo, this enticing 93 pt. duo from leading Spanish producer Raventos delivers incredible bang for the buck among its sparkling wine peers, bargain priced for mixing a case and a sure bet for sparkling wine lovers seeking to pop the cork more often. |