No point in beating around the bush on this one: From a sheer dollar standpoint, Roger Goulart’s Cava Reserva may just be the greatest, most inconceivable sparkling wine value we’ve offered. It’s stiff competition, but today we’re talking about a zero dosage, vintage-dated, stunningly pure Cava “Reserva” that costs less than a sit down lunch. Made entirely from indigenous varieties and aged for at least 18 months in Goulart’s cavernous cellars, it pops with deeply energizing layers of vibrant orchard fruit, sliced green apple, lemon curd, and sea spray. And this is no mass-market bottling of questionable pedigree, either: As a renowned estate slated to celebrate its 150th birthday, Roger Goulart is one of the doyennes of Cava. How so much history, complexity, and head-spinning deliciousness can be crammed into a bottle this affordable is not entirely logical, but we’re not going to question it. We’ll have loads of top notch Champagne available for the rest of the year, but the pro move is to have a delicious yet affordable bottle of bubbles, as a backup, always on hand for the holidays.
Roger Goulart was founded in 1882 in the Alto Penedés region of Catalonia. They were Cava trailblazers, setting up shop less than a decade after Jose Raventós brought the Champagne method to the region. The Cava DO has admittedly been a source of contention in recent years, with some of the biggest names leaving to forge their own appellations. Goulart, though, is a fierce defender of the appellation, its history, and its roots in world-class sparkling wine production.
The Goulart commitment to Champagne-level quality goes beyond technique, though—they lay claim to one of the most impressive cellars in the entire region. Every single bottle of Goulart Cava ages in their two-mile long cellar, 100 feet below ground, where the walls are lined with beneficial bacterial life and the natural temperature never goes above a perfect 55 degrees. On top of all that, they vintage date every bottle of Cava they produce. Most Cava in this price range is non-vintage and remarkably similar from year to year, but Goulart allows every variation of the growing season to shine through.
Utilizing their best fruit, Goulart’s 2018 Brut Nature Reserva combines 40% Xarel•lo with 30% Macabeo and 30% Parellada, each of which was fermented separately at cool temperatures to preserve aromas. After blending and transferring into bottle, the resulting wine aged 18 months sur lie and was disgorged with zero dosage: That’s right, the perfectly ripe fruit required no added sugar whatsoever. Serve well chilled around 45-50 degrees in all-purpose stems and revel in the sheer deliciousness and complexity packed into this bottle. Fresh-cut green apple, pear skin, just-ripe white peach, lemon zest, sea salt, hazelnuts, and pastry dough waft from the glass. On the palate, this is soft and generous, leaning into baked orchard fruit and candied citrus before being whisked away by a zip of refreshing acidity. This is sublime, energizing stuff that will enhance any fall dinner party or holiday celebration. Just make sure you have plenty on hand!
