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WINES OF SPAIN
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Juvé & Camps
| Zhoo-Vey E Kahmps |
DO Cava (Catalonia), Spain
Juvé & Camps is a family-owned Grower Cava located in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, a small town in the
northeastern region of Penedès, near Barcelona. The family’s roots in the Cava business began more than
two hundred years ago when Joan Juve Mir planted his vineyards in the eighteenth century, laying the
groundwork for generations to come. The winery was founded in 1921 by Joan Juvé Baqués and his wife
Teresa Camps Farré. Today, the family is one of the rare Cava and Penedes producers to use only estate
vineyards, and owns 2,700 acres of certified organic vines. Since the winery was founded, its philosophy
has been to use only traditional, high-quality practices when making its Cavas and still wines. For example,
Juvé & Camps is one of the few wineries to hand-harvest all estate-grown fruit, use only free-run juice
and hand-riddle all its Cavas. They are also a proponent of long lees-aging and are the biggest producer
of Gran Reserva (accounting for more than 60 percent of production) and Qualified Single Estate Cava
(QSEC) in Spain. It is thanks to this focus and attention to detail that Juvé & Camps has established itself
as the most highly regarded Cava producer in Spain. Their wines are referred to as “The King’s Cava,”
as they are frequently served at state and Spanish Royal banquets. As more than 80 percent of Juvé &
Camps sales still occur domestically, they represent a truly authentic taste of Cava.
Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature Gran Reserva
This Cava is referred to as “The Family’s Reserva” because the Juvé family originally made it for their
own personal use. It eventually became so popular that they began making it more widely available, and
it is now their flagship wine. The Reserva de la Familia is made from the free-run juice of the “Big Three”
grapes of Cava—Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. All the fruit is estate-grown, which is rare for DO
Cava, where the négociant system reigns. A Gran Reserva, meaning it is aged on lees for at least thirty
months (in this case, thirty-six months), which lends warm, autolytic flavors of toasted bread and a richer
mouthfeel. This wine is also a Brut Nature, meaning no dosage is added, making this selection lower in
calories and among the driest sparkling wines available. With a bright and attractive pale-golden color,
it has small yet plentiful and persistent perlage. Profound and intense on the nose, initially evoking notes
of mature white fruits. Gradually, its complexity grows and it is wonderfully reminiscent of toasted bread
with background hints of citrus. On the palate, it is dry, soft, and round, with a long, exquisite finish.
2011:
92D, 89 WS |
2010:
91 Best Buy W&S, 91 D |
2007:
90 WA |
2005:
90 WE
Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
This Rosé Cava is 100 percent Pinot Noir from the Feixa 1 vineyard at Juvé & Camps’s Espiells estate. This
outstanding Cava is characterized by a gentle but persistent perlage and beautiful pink color. The free-
run juice is macerated for twelve to fourteen hours, followed by one year of aging on the lees, resulting
in a pretty, deep pink color. On the nose, it is both delicate and intense, with clear notes of cherry and
strawberry reinforced by aromas of flowers, honey and toasted bread. The mouthfeel is exuberant,
creamy, and intense with a beautiful balance of fruit and acidity.
NV:
91 WA, 90 WA