Juvé & Camps tasting at Decanter: Discovering long-aged premium Spanish sparkling wines

A busy summer at Decanter’s London headquarters saw us renovate our tasting suite, the beating heart of our operations.

The suite is where we hold all our panel tastings, receive and process samples and have, in the past, hosted tutorial-like sessions for subscribers – led by leading contributors – focused on tasting methodology, specific styles and regions.

The redesigned space now allows us to accommodate a different type of tasting for our readers, in masterclass format, during which selected producers will delve into the technical, historical and environmental factors that contribute to the character and development of their wines.

Freshness, focus and depth

For the inaugural masterclass at Decanter’s revamped Tasting Suite, we’ll be hosting Spanish sparkling wine producer Juvé & Camps for an in-depth look at principles, goals and effects of long lees ageing.

Since its foundation in 1921, the Catalonian producer has built its core range around a number of premium cuvées that spend significant time in the bottle prior to disgorgement.

Having been among the pioneers of long-aged cavas – Gran Reserva was first released in 1972, followed by Reserva de la Familia and La Capella – Juvé & Camps has allowed time to become one of the fundamental tools of its winemaking approach.

This focus on quality and character starts in the vineyard; Juvé & Camps works exclusively from estate-owned vineyards, all of which are certified organic. But are terroir and fruit quality highlighted, or in fact veiled, by more time on the lees?

Long-aged quality sparkling relies primarily on high quality grapes and well-defined base wines, with transparent flavour and good acid. But what does this entail and how are terroir and grape expressiveness leveraged? How are the crucial decisions – blending, ageing times, disgorgement schedule, dosage – made at each stage?

Technique, knowledge and instinct

José Hidalgo Camacho, technical director at Juvé & Camps, will talk us through these fascinating, almost alchemical processes and explain how they lie at the intersection of technique, knowledge and instinct. He will do so through the lens of Juvé & Camps’ particular style, defined by minimal dosage, long lees ageing and vintage specificity.

This exploration will happen while tasting eight cuvées from Juvé & Camps’ flagship range, including older vintages going back to 2010, further allowing for an appreciation of the wines’ development before and after disgorgement.

A special evening

Beyond the technical considerations and expert insight provided by Hidalgo, this tasting will be a special experience in itself. A hedonistic, comprehensive exploration of Juvé & Camps’ collection, with hard-to-find vintages brought in especially for the event.

The tasting line up will include the following cuvées:

Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2010
Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2014
Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2019
Juvé & Camps Milesimé Blanc de Noirs Gran Reserva 2014
Juvé & Camps Milesimé Blanc de Noirs Gran Reserva 2019
Gran Juvé & Camps 2018
Juvé & Camps La Siberia 2015
Juvé & Camps La Capella 2010

This is a unique opportunity to discover labels that have played a central role in the international positioning of quality, traditional method Spanish sparkling and in the consolidation of DO Cava. And a perfect way to anticipate the festive season ahead.

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