The La Granja 360 Cava Brut is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, 70% Xarel-lo and 30% Parellada (these, along with Macabeo, are the grapes traditionally used in Cava) sourced from vineyards in the Penedes district of Catalonia (near Barcelona) in northeast Spain. The La Granja 360 Cava is made by Parxet, who have produced Sparkling wine in the region since 1920. With Sparkling wine, Brut means dry (not sweet) and Dry means sweet. Cava is made with the same production method as Champagne, which is where the 2nd fermentation (that is where the bubbles occur) happen inside each and every bottle. This Cava is aged “on lees” (with the dead yeast in contact with the wine) for at least 1 year. The alcohol content is 11.5%.
The color is golden-yellow with tiny, energetic, bubbles. The nose is apples, lemon, bakery bread and lime. This is a crisp, clean, sleek, dry Bubbly. It tastes of lemon/lime, Golden Delicious apple, exotic spice and Bosc pear. There is a solid line of acidity running thru the body of the wine. The finish is crisp, sharp and lengthy.
In a blind tasting, you would never pick the La Granja 360 Cava Brut as a 7 buck Sparkling wine. I think, that you will like this Cava as much if not more than Sparkling wines selling for 2 or 3 times the price. There is a light, delicate edge to the La Granja that gives it a touch of elegance. There is nothing about the La Granja 360 Cava, from the Bubbly in the bottle to the duck on the label, that says very inexpensive wine. This is a Bubbly that is priced like a Tuesday night wine, but would do very well for a wedding toast or a family celebration. If you head on over to Trader Joe’s looking for wine bargains, skip the 2 Buck Chuck and grab the La Granja 360 wines, good wines that are worthy to be served with your best recipes, selling for $6.99 or less.
