2021 Hispano Suizas Tantum Ergo Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Nature

The Cavas of Hispano Suizas are among the most beautiful of Spain. We think so, but also the international wine critics share this opinion. As with a top champagne, they only work with vintage wines, so the Cava comes from a specific year. It is one of the Cavas that is made from exactly the same grapes as a champagne, namely Chardonnay & Pinot (Blanc de Noir) and we rarely see this in the Cava region. The wine is also made according to the Traditional method, so with a double fermentation, so this can rightly be called a 'Spanish Champagne' (interesting detail, but historically it is even the case that monk Dom Pérignon, the "inventor" of champagne, got the idea of ​​using a cork with muselet to close the bottle in Spain when he was visiting there).

We dare to take on the challenge as also Suckling and Decanter agree and drink the Cavas of Hispano Suizas, but once (blind) next to a good champagne and you will experience it yourself. So incredibly good with an impressive perlage. So fine that the bubbles are barely visible, but in the mouth the bubbles are so fantastically refined and release all the fresh fruit.

For this quintessential Spanish 'Champagne', the best grapes from low-yielding vines from their own Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards are selected. The grapes are collected in special boxes of 15 kg each. They only harvest in the very early morning to keep the grapes at an optimum temperature until they reach the winery. Once in the winery, the full boxes are stored in cold stores at a temperature of -10°C for 3 days.

The varieties are vinified separately and at the end of fermentation the coupage is done. The Chardonnay is destemmed and crushed, we place all the paste of grapes that results in stainless steel with cooling system to make the grape undergo a peculiar maceration at cold (8 ° C) for 24 hours.

Pinot Noir colours very cold directly on the pneumatic press, which makes a light pressing of no more than 0.5 bar for the white grape must. We chose grape juice that is statically removed from the press for 36 hours and then only needs to ferment cleanly from the must part. The fermentation takes place in new American oak barrels with a capacity of 400 litres at a temperature of 16°C.

Once the fermentation is complete, it is kept on the lees until the final filtration. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle at a constant temperature of 16°C to obtain a very slow fermentation that gives us the perfect integration of the CO2 that is reflected in a very fine bubble in the glass. The maturation on lie is at least 22 months and the disgorgement is entirely manual.

In the glass, the Tantum Ergo has an intense golden yellow color with aromas of white fruit on the nose that are reminiscent of ripe, with nuances of pastry and dried fruit with a light background of vanilla. In the mouth, the Tantum Ergo Chardonnay & Pinot Noir is powerful, creamy, with a lot of width and complexity in the mouth that gives a balanced acidity and a long finish. All this is supported by a beautiful perlage.

ABOUT CAVA & HISPANO SUIZAS

Cava has been a protected designation of origin since 1972. The name cava first officially appeared in 1959; before that, the Spanish simply called it "champán". The production process is therefore completely identical to that of champagne. Historically, it is even the case that monk Dom Pérignon, the "inventor" of champagne, got the idea of ​​using a cork with a muselet to close the bottle in Catalunya when he was visiting there.

The production of Cava is carried out according to the standards of the "méthode traditionnelle", completely identical to the production of Champagne with two main differences: the region or terroir where the grapes grow and especially the grapes used.

The production of CAVA indeed still takes place mainly in what is today the territory of the DO Penedès, but there are now many other regions where cava can be made and which also legally belong to the Cava appellation and near Valencia there is also a small unique area which belongs to the DOP Cava.

It differs from this region near Penedes (Barcelona) in that it has a continental climate and Mediterranean influences and the soils mainly consist of calcareous clay. Another difference is that the vineyards are a few hundred meters above sea level and still have to work hard to find water and minerals deep in the ground. There is also a big difference between day and night and this gives grapes good acidity. All this is ideal for the production of elegant, fresh sparkling wines such as this top Cava.

FACT: In the tab 'Attachments' you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send you this when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will often also receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.