The 2017 Raventos Blanc de Blancs is one of the greatest sparkling wine values on the planet.
At less than $25/bottle, you won’t find a better grower/producer bubbly anywhere. Guaranteed!
2017 Raventos I Blanc ‘Blanc de Blancs’ Brut
93 points — JS — that’s me!
To place your order, stop by or click here to access this item in our store.
Raventos I Blanc is the longest, documented viticulture tradition in the world, owned by the same family since 1497. It was a member of this family that made Spain’s first bottle fermented sparkling wine, and the estate is run today with great passion by Pepe Raventos.
And it was Pepe and his father Manuel who led the charge to return the estate to the “old ways.” They slowly brought their land back into balance with organic and biodynamic farming. In addition, they returned to using only native grapes to craft their wines, all of their wines are fermented traditionally (like Champagne), all of their wines are vintage dated, and all of their wines are aged for at least 18 months in the bottle before release.
Having visited the estate a couple of years back, I can say this is one of the most beautiful and pure estates I’ve ever visited. And that purity of land combined with the passion of its people is clearly on display in this wine. It is a wine of beautiful precision and intense minerality, a reflection of the River Anoia Valley from which it comes.
But don’t call it Cava! Don’t even think about it. In November 2012, the family decided to leave the DO Cava. I can talk to your more about that when you stop by. In a nutshell, they felt the quality standards of the Cava DO had become too loose. So they created their own appellation: Conca del Riu Anoia. The rest is history.
I guess I should tell you what this stuff tastes like. A blend of 40% Xarel-lo, 32% Macabeu, and 28% Parellada from certified organic vineyards, this wine rests in the bottle sur lie for at least 18 months and is bottled with no dosage (zero sugar). The resulting wine is concentrated, very dry and lively with lovely notes of tense citrus, apple, pear, almond, and saline minerality.
It’s the wine I love sipping before a big meal, during a big meal, and after a big meal. Like Thanksgiving, yeah! Try sparkling wines like this one with a meal. They are some of the most versatile food wines on the planet.
To place your order, stop by or click here to access this item in our store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville