Codorniu is a Spanish family-owned winery and one of the largest cava producers in the world. The grapes used to produce Anna de Codorníu come from two very different growing regions. The Chardonnay variety comes from vineyards in Lleida, the most continental climate region of the DO Cava, which gives the grapes optimal concentration, lower acidity, and fuller body and intensity. Harvest takes place in mid-August and is always carried out at night to keep the grapes as cool as possible, preserve aroma, and prevent oxidation or spontaneous fermentation.
The grapes are pressed, and the must is obtained. Selected yeast is then added, and the must ferments at a temperature between fifteen and seventeen degrees Celsius. Once the fermentation process is complete and the wines have stabilized, blending takes place, and the resulting wine is bottled along with the liqueur de tirage (a mixture of sugar and yeast). The bottles are stored in an underground cellar (at a constant temperature of seventeen degrees Celsius), where a second fermentation takes place, followed by a period of aging in contact with yeast lees. In total, the wine spends at least fifteen months on the lees.
The mousse (bubbles) are very refined, thanks in part to the long aging of fifteen months in the Codorniu cellars. This aging is crucial for the beautiful result; the aroma reveals green apple, ripe pear, and citrus peel. The taste is perfectly balanced, with ripe fruit notes of apple and gooseberry and a nice dose of minerals. In the undertone, this Anna de Codorniu Brut also has hints of mown grass, toast, and lime. A truly superb Cava!
