Vilarnau Brut Reserva Cava 2020

Vilarnau is a small, artisan, cutting-edge cava winery, near Barcelona in Penedés, Spain, where sparkling Cava wines reign supreme! Members of Spanish nobility, the Vilarnau family settled in the Penedés region in the 12th century. Vilarnau is a contraction of the Latin, Vila Arnau, the Arnau family’s “country house, or Domus”. Formerly it stood within the estate of the Castillo de Subirats (Subirats Castle) where vines were already being grown in the 12th century. Albert de Vilarnau, whose name has been given to what is currently the brand’s most exclusive cava, was the singular character who was responsible for increasing the family’s power back in the 14th century. He was also a patron of the church of Santa Maria de Vilarnau.

The first cava labeled Vilarnau was created in 1949 when the owners first sold a cava made from grapes that had been grown on the “Can Petit i Les Planes de Vilarnau” estate, for centuries. Since then Vilarnau has been associated with excellent cava wines, made to exacting quality standards with impeccable attention to detail. The vineyards boast old vines at high altitudes.  

In 1982 Vilarnau became part of the González Byass family of wineries. The new winery was situated right at the center of the estate, with a new era of winemaking, which began October 2005. The winery’s modern design is by architect Luis González. Straight lines are a dominant feature of the building which, through the abundant use of glass, blends in to with the beautiful Mediterranean surroundings in a most stunning way. Three main elements help the building integrate into this environment: water, which runs around the outside of the building and is in fact collected rainwater, the glass used for the windows and the oak used on the external walls. The interior has been designed largely by the eminent artist Antonio Miró, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

This Brut Reserva is bottled with a special design showcasing "Trencadís", a kind of mosaic that was used in the modernist artistic movement in Catalonia, created from tiny fragments of broken ceramic tiles, roof tiles or crockery. The technique is also known as “pique assiette”, in French. The Catalan architects Antoni GaudÍ and Josep MarÍa Pujol used “trencadÍs” in many of their designs, the most famous probably being “Parc Güell in Barcelona. Vilarnau’s proximity to Barcelona (not just geographic but also spiritual) means it was natural for this artistic resource used by the winery. As a result some of Vilarnau's Cava wines are dressed with a special wrapping of "Trencadís" design.

Aged for more than 15 months in bottle, this Brut Reserva is a cava that is complex on the nose, offering the primary aromas of the grapes. When you taste the Vilrnau Brut Reserva you taste the essence of the fruit of the local grapes: Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. Citrus, green apple, pear, white flower and salty chalk flavors abound.

From Wine Advocate 2012 edition: 'Vilarnau is a small winery founded in 1949. In 1989 they purchased the piece of land where the winery is presently located and two years later they commenced planting 22-hectares of vine. Therefore most vines are around 21 years old, with the Xarello and Macabeu planted around 250 meters altitude and the Parellada higher, at around 700 meters in order to achieve good levels of acidity and longer lasting wines. Their Cavas are based on the three classic varietals blended with Pinot Noir, though they are also doing trials with Chardonnay. The winery was finished in 2005 and is designed to fit in with the environment.'