Mirgin Reserva Brut Nature 2022 1500ml Magnum

A Cava bottled without dosage, giving it a direct and unembellished character. Pale gold in the glass, very fresh on the nose with citrus notes and almond, mineral and direct on the palate through to the saline finish. 12.0% Vol.

Alta Alella lies two kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea and fifteen from Barcelona's Ramblas, nestled in the Serralada de Marina Natural Park, where bees, falcons and lizards live among the vine rows. The tone is set by the sandy granite Sauló soil: acidic, almost free of limestone, with good drainage. It gives the wines a lively acidity and low pH values. Josep Maria and Cristina Pujol-Busquets bought the overgrown Can Genís estate in 1991 and rescued 60-year-old vines; today their daughters Mireia and Georgina run the winery, organic since day one.

The main grape variety is the indigenous Pansa Blanca, as Xarel·lo is known in Alella, complemented by Macabeo and Parellada. Yields stay below 6000 kilograms per hectare, and the grapes come from organic farming. 35 months of lees ageing, followed by bottling Zero Dosage: Brut Nature, meaning no sugar is added after disgorgement.

The opening brings a fine perlage and a silky, creamy texture, then juicy yellow apple and white blossom emerge. The doughy and toasty aromas from the long lees ageing remain in the background, adding complexity without masking the fruit. The finish is saline and clean.

In 2006, Alta Alella produced Spain's first sulphite-free Cava; the cellar works with extremely little or no sulphur at all. This bottle holds 1500 millilitres.