The Wine: Cava Brut Nature NV

Great Cava from top region Alt Alt Penedès, Catalunya, Spain. The wine is a blend of classic Cava varietals, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada vinified following the traditional method, also known as the Champenoise method.

The must is fermented with native yeasts, and the dosage is less than 2g/l of sugar, hence the denomination “nature”. The wine ages a minimum of 10 months in the bottle and is disgorged only at the time of order. This Cava Brut Natura is straw yellow in color with a fine perlage, redolent of yeast and ripe tropical fruit, fine and elegant on the palate.

The Producer: Azimut

Azimut winery, also called Cellers de Can Suriol del Castell, is owned by the Suriol family. The estate is located in Alt Penedès, Province of Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain. Azimut is known primarily for producing Cava and other local wines from organic estate grown grapes from the Can Suriol vineyards of Alt Penedès – certified organic by the CCPAE (until 2007 NOP certification).

The Region: Penedès

Penedès is a sub-region located west of Barcelona, in Catalunya, Spain. Penedès is Catalunya’s most important wine district and carries the status of DO, Denominación de Origen. The region is famous worldwide for its main product: the excellent Cava sparkling wine – made with the Champenoise method.

The Terroir of Penedès

Penedès has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. The three subregions in which it can be divided, Baix Penedès, Medio Penedès, and Alt Penedès (where Azimut is located) – respectively low, middle, high Penedès, - have slightly different climates due primarily to altitude and distance from the coast. Soils range from calcareous, the prevalent formation, to sandy and clayey.

The Red Wines of Penedès

Red wines are usually blends of native varietals such as Tempranillo, Penedès main red grape varietal, Garnacha (Garnatxa), Monastrell, and Carinena. In recent years, a handful of producers have been experimenting with international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with good results.

The White Wines of Penedès

White still wines, in other words, non-Cava white wines, are made from the same native varietals used for Catalunya’s flagship sparkler, Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada. Only recently Chardonnay has been used both in Cava blends and as a still wine, a trend that’s gaining popularity.