Pale and creamy from start to finish, this has hints of richness from aging on the lees while the flavors remain tight and clean. Chill it for hamachi kama.
88 points, Wine & Spirits (Aug 2011)
There's a savory edge to the apple pastry, ginger and almond cream flavors in this well-cut and focused cava. The mouthwatering finish is tinged with smoke and nut notes. Drink now through 2015. 300,000 cases made.
87 points, Wine Spectator (Dec 2011)
For fresh, basic Cava with a juicy profile and clarity, you can’t go wrong with this. Apple and lime aromas are straightforward and clean, while the palate is tight and tastes of spiced apple, lime and orange. It’s crisp, focused and easy to enjoy. Colección Internacional del Vino. Best Buy.
87 points, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2012)
Years ago we astonished a friend by taking her out for one of those then uncommon wood-oven designer pizzas and ordering a sparkling wine to drink with it.
"You drink Champagne with pizza, on a weeknight?" She was floored.
Well, not all the time. Champagne is pretty pricey, especially for a Tuesday night takeout pie, but Cristalino, a brut Cava from Spain... is the perfect alternative and a real bargain
This medium-bodied nonvintage sparkler, made by the traditional Champagne method, has plenty of tireless tiny bubbles to tickle your nose, smooth notes of apple and fig in the drinking, and a clean, dry, lemony finish. You may never have heard of the grapes from which it's blended (macabeo, parellada and xarello), but with casual fare you'll love the balanced, fruit-forward style that Catalonian producer Jaume Serra achieves with grapes from its own Mediterranean vineyards and a few selected regional growers.
In addition to pizza, we like Cristalino with tangy tarragon chicken salad, with simply grilled fresh Coho salmon, and with shrimp sauteed in lots of garlic, lemon and white wine. It's equally delightful before dinner or with a cool fruit dessert....
Colette & John Bancroft, tbt* Wine of the Week (Oct 15, 2008)
Top Quality Store
