2019 Bohigas Gran Reserva Extra Brut Cava 750 ml

If Cava is experiencing a quality-focused Renaissance, then Bohigas is its Botticelli—and their 2019 Gran Reserva, grown on their 732-year-old estate, is one of their masterpieces. Impressively detailed and balanced, it shows the delicious heights Cava can reach when blessed with exceptional terroir and meticulous winemaking.

This is a bubbly that our Master of Wine, Vanessa Conlin, reaches for all the time—an impressive endorsement, considering that Vanessa is a staunch Champagne devotee. Shimmering in the glass, it leads with aromas of Asian pear, yellow apple, shortbread, fresh herbs, and brioche. It’s beautifully clean on the palate, with a focused acidic cut balanced by richness earned through extended aging on the lees. If you want to understand the crisp, precise, pour-me-another appeal of old-school Cava, this is the bottle.

The Bohigas family has been growing grapes on their low-yielding estate vineyards in the Anoia River Valley since 1290. Northwest of Barcelona, these organically farmed sites sit further upstream in cooler climates than Penedés-based producers. With a Mediterranean climate, large diurnal temperature swings, and low annual rainfall, it’s the type of terroir that the region’s indigenous varieties absolutely love.

Structured, brightly acidic Xarel-lo (50%) lays the foundation of this Gran Reserva—a perfect partner for the richness of Macabeo (25%), the aromatics of Parellada (15%), and a solid portion of Chardonnay. Bohigas rests the wine in their underground cellars for at least 30 months on the lees before disgorging it and dosing it with a modest 3 g/L of sugar.

It emerges as a fresh, complex, and deftly balanced bottle—a must-have for Cava lovers and anyone looking to explore the wonders of Spanish sparkling wine.