Valldolina Cava Reserva Brut Nature | August 2023

A cava that breaks the molds. Ideal for appetizers, cold meats, fish, shellfish, cheeses and white meats. Dry and elegant. Harmonic, fresh, well-balanced with well integrated carbonic. Long and persistent finish.

Raimon Badell is making biodynamic and organic vintage Cava from his estate in Alt Penedès, which which is located entirely with the national protected area of the Massís del Garraf. The grapes (Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Parellada, & Chardonnay) are hand harvested, fermented in stainless steel, and the resulting wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, where it then ages on its lees for more than 24 months. Raimon elaborates Valldolina Cavas with 0 dosage, thus qualifying it as Brut Nature, with less than 1 gr/L of residual sugar.

The name Valldolina [vai-doh-LEE-nah] is a description of the landscape. Dolines are depressions formed in areas that rich in limestone soils (karst), while 'vall' is Catalan for valley. Thus, Valldolina = valley of dolines.

The passion of winemakers and farmers is infused into the soul of every wine. According to importer Núria Garrote-i-Esteve, their touch lends the most important and distinguishing factors to the final product. The important decisions of when to pick, how to treat the plans, how to prune, where to grow which varietals, how to blend them together - or decide not to. All of these choices bring humanity to wine production. In building her portfolio, Núria looks for wines that tell a story of place and of a vision. It's important that the producers she works with love what they do, and don't hesitate to pour their soul into the wines.

In Spain, wine is food. It belongs on the table next to every meal. Tasting it is an experience of the place and people that make it. We hope to share that same ethos with our club members through these stories, education, maps and more.

• We are legally able to ship wine within North Carolina, and to the following states: Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wyoming.