2009 Can Mayol Loxarel "Gran Reserva de Familia" Brut Nature Penedes

Staff Reviews

JM

John Majeski

John Majeski

Remember those great old cartoons where Daffy Duck’s head suddenly spins around in delirious disbelief? OK, get this, when I first took a whiff and a sip of this Cava I did a double-take so quickly I almost gyrated my head off its axis just to make sure what I was tasting….That any sparkling wine of this sublimely creamy, magnanimous character could sell for under twenty bucks…..with a melange of flavors from flaky brioche to summer-ripened berries to marzipan to Bosc pears, where does this superb wine end? With any luck, in the glittering flute in front of you, or me, for that matter. Buy it, try it, but be warned, one bottle will never suffice, or my name isn’t Daffy Duck…..

Notes

Can Mayol, which bottles under the trademarked name "Loxarel," is a winery that has been farming organically for more than a decade. The Mitjan family, owners of Can Mayol, also employ some biodynamic treatments. They keep animals, including chickens, a horse and a donkey named Garnatxa. While the focus is on "Brut Nature" (no dosage added) sparkling wine production, they also produce some very interesting still wines as well. In their chalky, high altitude vineyards (above 2,400 feet for their highest vines, among the highest in the Penedès D.O.), Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive and pick up an incredible minerality, which makes these wines wonderfully distinctive and very exciting to drink. Featuring some of the property's oldest, most prized parcels of Xarel-lo grapes, the Gran Reserva sees 51 months on its lees. This is very impressive bubbly that we can honestly say gives a lot of Champagne at twice the price a real run for its money. *Please note that the label reads "Reserva Familiar," but we confirmed that this was the wine that was reviewed.