Moscato is an aromatic white grape variety that I previously discussed back in March. It is usually made into a varietal wine with varied levels of sweetness. A few weeks ago while tasting at my local wine shop, a sales rep from a distributor told me about a unique iteration of a sparkling Moscato. This version blends it with a couple grapes commonly used in the production of Cava, a traditional method sparkling wine in Spain. The Xarelᐧlo and Macabeo (aka Viura) add help add additional character to a grape that can lack acidity. Macabeo lends floral and almond notes. Xarelᐧlo is somewhat muted citrus and herbal aromas with high levels of acidity. These blend with the unmistakable grapey aromas of Moscato. The slightly sparkling nature of this wine is achieved by undergoing a secondary fermentation in a stainless steel tank. This helps retain the aromatic character of the Moscato. The tank is chilled once the desired levels of alcohol and sugar are reached. The wine is then filtered and bottled for sale.
The wine I drank this week is a 2023 Avinyó Petillant from Penedés in northeastern Spain, near Barcelona. This wine is a blend of 60% Moscato (aka Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, Muscat Blanc, Muscat de Frontignan, and many more!), 25% Macabeo and 15% Xarelᐧlo. This wine is a pale lemon color with a few persistent tiny bubbles that collect in the middle of my glass. It has aromas of artificial grape, jasmine, honeysuckle, white gummy bears, and lemon pith that jump from the glass. On the palate, the bubbles are minimal and dissipate quickly. There is a slight sweetness to offset the moderate acidity. The alcohol content is low, at only 10.5%. The pronounced aromas translate to a mouthful of floral and citrus character when sipping. They linger for a short bit before trailing off fairly abruptly. This softly sparkling wine is a refreshing bottle to drink on a warm summer afternoon and would also fall into the ‘porch pounder’ classification. The producer makes it easy to drink by also having a can format that sold so well, I was unable to get my hands on any! This would be a great wine to have as an aperitif, with brunch or with a cheese plate.
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 