The name Roger Goulart should be familiar to many of you, as this estate has been the SommSelect “best-in-show” Cava producer for several years. Goulart stands head and shoulders above a sea of mass-produced, shelf-stacker cava, which is why we’re thrilled to introduce you to their latest cuvée: “The Roger.” Made entirely from the pre-eminent grapes of Champagne, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this very limited cuvée is meant to pay homage to their founders’ French roots, and in doing so, it so happens that team Goulart has produced a wine that can easily rival the best of what inspired it. Electrifying, luxurious, graceful, and brimming with a very fine, tickly mousse, this is world-class sparkling wine. If their flagship “Reserva” is comparable to classic Moët, then “The Roger” is side-by-side with Dom Pérignon. And it is less than 1/5th of the cost!
Roger Goulart was founded in 1882 in the Alto Penedés region of Catalonia. Roger was a Cava trailblazer, setting up shop less than a decade after Jose Raventós brought the Champagne method to the region. Roger brought with him the history and traditions of his French homeland. Now, 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. This makes even their entry level bottles exceptionally classy, and they offer excellent value. But for the inaugural release of their new Gran Reserva nonpareil, the Goulart team decided to go far beyond even their own exacting standards.
First they sourced their best parcels of 30- to 40-year-old vines of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, growing at high altitudes, and hand-harvested them. After fermentation, the wine is aged in tanks for several months before bottling to undergo the secondary bottle fermentation. Here’s where “The Roger” really takes off: The wine is aged on the lees, stacked in Goulart’s deep, cool cellars, for an incredible eight years. At year three, each bottle is hand turned in order to encourage more lees contact, and therefore more elegance and textural sizzle. All of this attention to detail and patience is special for even Goulart, and for 99% of the other Cava you encounter it is completely unheard of.
After a near record breaking amount of time spent aging on the lees, “The Roger” was disgorged and corked without any dosage, or addition of sugar. With perfectly ripe fruit and patient aging, this true Brut Nature has no need for any “makeup,” in the form of added sweetness. Serve it cool but please, not too cold, in an all-purpose stem or even a Burgundy bowl if you want to really accentuate the vinous, aromatic qualities. The wine pours a glistening straw gold with the slightest hint of rose, and tiny, vigorous bubbles are gorgeous. White cherries, red currants, spiced apples, lemon curd, hazelnut, jasmine, and hints of brioche all surround a core of invigorating acidity, and culminate in a super long, mineral laden finish. Serve as an exquisite apéritif with light hors devours, or place on the table next to your favorite shellfish or crudo. Whatever you do we are pleading with you this holiday season: Don’t spend more money on average, mass produced Champagne. Get this fantastic, tiny production (4,300 bottles total!) Cava champion instead!
