Juvé & Camps, Cava (Catalonia, Spain) 2013

This is a no-dosage rendition of Cava, and an impressive one.  2013 was a hot year, but there’s never any suspense about achieving full ripeness around Penedes anyway, so that’s only a factor of marginal importance.  Edgier and more characteristic of Cava’s general profile than the top-end “Gran Juvé,” which would be difficult for most tasters to “place” when tasting blind, this is full of yeasty notes (aroma and flavor) plus the freshly-mown hay accent for which the region’s wines are adored–or lamented.  There’s a hint of bitterness in the finish that I like very much, and though this is a very serious, zero dosage wine for those already inclined toward Cava, it is a superb example of the breed.