NV Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava 750 ml

Champagne’s Complexity and Creaminess Without the Pricetag

If you’re like us, and you have a penchant for beginning most evenings with the pop of a cork, you know where quality and value align in a bubbly: Cava. And this NV Brut Reserva Cava is the Bohigas’ family flagship bottling—a favorite among the top critics like Robert M. Parker Jr. Leading with citrus and orchard fruit aromas, a rich creamy texture reveals brioche, dried apricot and honey complexity and it’s quickly becoming a favorite of ours as well. Aged for 24 months in bottle on the lees, gaining richness, this serious, extraordinary value sparkler is ready to drink, offering crisp, scintillating pleasure. $12.99 per bottle—highly recommended by the case.

With roots in Penedes dating back to the 1300s, the Bohigas family knows how to make sparkling wine with the best of them. But unlike in Champagne, where far too many producers simply ride the coattails of their heralded appellation status, here in Penedes, the Bohigas have no such luxury—and don’t need one. Their NV Brut Reserva Cava is one of the most refreshing, brilliantly complex under-$15 sparkling wines we’ve tasted this year. But don’t just take our world for it, Robert Parker called this “an excellent value,” and a “crisp, elegant, refreshing, zesty, dry sparkler.”

Don’t get us wrong, while it may not be Champagne, Penedes has plenty of pedigree. 45 miles west of Barcelona, this region has been producing wine for centuries. Native grapes Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada flourish in the clay and limestone soils here, taking on a distinct mineral element. The Bohigas, who began bottling wine in 1870, have two estate vineyards covering over 200 acres. Planted at higher altitudes than most vineyards in the region, these extraordinary, cool-climate sites yield grapes with racy acidity to match their gorgeous ripeness.

The NV Bohigas Brut Reserva was made by winemaker Maria Casanovas, daughter of proprietor Jordi Casanovas Bohigas. The father-daughter team is carrying forward the legacy of generations Bohigas’ and continue to push quality forward in every way. In 2000, they completely modernized the facilities, ushering in a new era at the winery. The quality and complexity gets better with each passing year.