Bodegas Bilbaínas, Viña Pomal Blanc de Noirs, Cava, 2014

A Cava made in Rioja, from the red grape Garnacha, is not something you come across every day. The Cava appellation allows wines from Rioja Alta, one of the cooler zones in Rioja, and the grapes for this wine are grown at a height of 550m. It makes sense when the winery is owned by the renowned Raventós family of Cava fame. Red strawberry fruit dominates the nose, and a minimum of 18 months on the lees gives a touch of buttered toast complexity. On the palate it’s a little sweet but balanced out by the high acidity, giving it a mid-length finish. Nice, easy drinking.