Marques Gelida Exclusive Cava Reserve, Penendes, Spain, 2007.

This light white blend marked the halfway point of our wine tasting cruise around Manhattan on a warm August Saturday.  We had “toured” two sparkling wines prior to this blend of Macabeo, Xarello, Parellado, and (15%) Chardonnay from Penendes, Spain.  This our hostess paired with a Gallego cheese from Galencia, Spain.  This cheese was produced by a co-op in Pontevedra that has its own cows; a round of creamy pasteurized cow’s milk is surrounded by a doughy natural rind.  Lactic with a marshmallowy paste, it would have been an ideal starter on the cheese plate or a solid third entry in our afternoon.  As with the Szigeti that started our tasting event, this cheese was delicious when consumed with the Cava, which was related to us as the following:

“A 15% Chardonnay in the blend in addition to the three traditional varieties of the Cava region, it spent 42 months on lees.  It exhibits a refined nose of mineral, biscuit, baking spices, and white flowers leading to a wine with excellent acidity, plenty of forward, dry fruit, and a lengthy finish.”

This third wine in our afternoon still showed its individuality and engendered smiles among all tasting it.