The Cava that makes your moan – Gramona!
Following on from my February 6th article, about Cava Berdie, I have to recognize another bodega whose seductive Spanish suave swayed me to the Cava side of life last summer.
You, me and the guy next door are all looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and to shout ‘I am unique’, its human nature after all. After visiting various Cava producers I have come across a Bodega who in my eyes, stands out from the rest. Gramona Cavas in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is revolutionizing Cava and the Spanish wine industry as I am writing this.
What sets Gramona apart from other producers is their philosophy of making aged Cavas rather than young and fruity Cavas. The minimum ageing length for any of their Cavas is 4 years in order to allow autolysis to fully kick in. Autolysis is the chemical reaction that takes place with the wine spends enough time in contact with the lees to produce more toasty, nutty and creamy flavours in the final product. See I told you, that it’d make you moan.
But as I found out on my recent visit to the Cava caves of Gramona, the crafting of their products does not stop there. Possibly the most interesting part of the 3-storey cave visit was seeing their solera system for ageing their dosage (a measure of sugar and/or wine added in the final step of production). This alongside using triple disc corks, hand riddling and hand labeling just shows how important quality is. This is probably the reason that a lot of their Cava is sold before the wine is even bottled. Quality, exclusivity and innovation are what Gramona is all about.
If you prefer something with fewer bubbles, Gramona will definitely tempt your taste buds. Their 25 product strong portfolio also includes a 100% Pinot Noir, barrel-aged Sauvignon Blancs and ice-wines using dry ice and freezing techniques. Tours can be arranged in Spanish, Catalan and English. The price ranges from 6 Euro per person for a 45-minute tour and tasting and up to 40 Euros per person for a 3-hour tour including a guided tasting of 8 different Cavas. It is well worth a visit to see how this internationally acclaimed Bodega is able to produce what I like to think is the elite of the Cava world. For more details on how to contact Gramona, please click here.
