Vilarnau Cava Brut Reserva NV

Vilarnau Cava Brut Reserva is bright, polished Spanish fizz with considerably more going on than its easy-going price suggests. Green apple, pear and fresh citrus are joined by white flowers, brioche and a gentle toasted-nut character, with fine bubbles and crisp acidity carrying everything into a clean, dry finish. Vilarnau has produced Cava in Penedès since 1949 and now works from a striking modern winery just outside Barcelona. Fresh enough for casual pouring but with enough lees-aged detail for the proper glassware, this is excellent with seafood, fried snacks, tapas or any occasion improved by the sound of a cork leaving the bottle.

What the winery says:

Made from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo, the wine undergoes its second fermentation in bottle before ageing for more than 15 months on lees. The blend is designed to bring together fresh fruit and floral aromas with the bread and pastry notes developed during fermentation, followed by subtle toast, nut and honey characters from ageing. The palate remains fresh and fruit-driven, with a fine mousse, lively acidity and enough body to carry comfortably from aperitif through to seafood, fish, poultry and other lighter dishes.