Juvé & Camps Gran Reserva 2018 is an organic, long-aged sparkling wine from Penedès. This Gran Reserva Brut is made from Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Chardonnay, and Parellada from their own vineyards and ages for a minimum of 60 months in the bottle. This gives it depth, creaminess, toasted almond, and a long, refined finish, in addition to fresh citrus and stone fruit notes.
Gran Juvé & Camps 2018 comes from selected estate vineyards in Penedès.
Location / Origin: The grapes come from Espiells, Can Massana, La Cuscona, and Can Rius. These parcels each contribute a unique element to the blend, from structure and freshness to ripe fruit and aromatic refinement.
Altitude: The vineyards are situated between 160 and 700 m in altitude. This significant difference in elevation helps combine ripeness, tension, and fresh acidity.
Soil: The soils consist of loam, clay-limestone, and clay-loam. This variation contributes to the layered structure and long aging potential.
Vineyard Management: The grapes come from organically certified estate vineyards. Juvé & Camps practices biodiversity, regenerative and precise viticulture, respectful pruning, and low yields.
Vintage 2018: 2018 was a wet year in Penedès, but ultimately yielded a fresh, generous harvest with good acidity for long aging.
This Gran Reserva is made according to the traditional method, with long bottle aging as the most important quality factor.
Harvest & Pressing: The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and gently pressed. Only the free-run juice is used, ensuring the base wine remains pure and elegant.
Fermentation: The first fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Chardonnay and Xarel·lo then age for 2 months on fine lees, adding extra texture and breadth.
Malolactic Fermentation: The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation with lactic acid bacteria naturally present on the grapes. This helps soften the acidity and contributes to a creamier mousse later on.
Secondary Fermentation: After blending, the second fermentation occurs in the bottle with concentrated grape must and selected yeasts. This creates the fine bubbles and classic structure of long-aged sparkling wine.
Aging: The wine ages for a minimum of 60 months in the bottle. This long aging imparts aromas of toast, almond, and ripe fruit, with a very fine, integrated mousse.
Alcohol Content: At 12% alcohol, the wine remains elegant and fresh, despite its long aging and full mouthfeel.
The blend combines classic Penedès grapes with Chardonnay for extra breadth and aging complexity.
Xarel·lo – Penedès: Xarel·lo provides structure, tension, spiciness, and length.
Macabeu – Penedès: Macabeu contributes white fruit, soft citrus, and an elegant base.
Chardonnay – Penedès: Chardonnay adds ripe stone fruit, volume, and creaminess.
Parellada – Penedès: Parellada provides refinement, floral notes, and extra freshness.
94 points, James Suckling: A strong international score for the 2018 vintage, consistent with the long aging, fine mousse, and fresh structure of this Gran Reserva.
93 points, Tim Atkin: A nice confirmation of the quality of this long-aged Spanish sparkling wine from Penedès.
