Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava

The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava blend 40% Parellada, 35% Macabeo, and 25%  Xarel-lo sourced from Freixenet estate vineyards in the Penedes region of northeast Spain. Freixenet says this is the #1 imported Sparkling wine in the world.

Freixenet started producing Cava in 1914, and this is their “Black Bottle Bubbly.” Cordon Negro in the name translates to black cord or lanyard, and Freixenet means “a grove of trees.”

This Sparkling wine is produced with the same method used to make Champagne wines. In Spain, they typically blend three indigenous White grapes for the Bubbly, while Champagne mainly uses Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo have different growing cycles and prefer different climates. The Macabeo is picked in August, while the Parellada is not harvested until October. The first fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks, and Freixenet exclusive yeasts are used.

This is a non-vintage Bubbly, so wines from different years are blended to produce a consistent house style. The wine is then bottled, and a measured amount of yeast and sugar is added to every bottle. The 2nd fermentation lasts between twelve and eighteen months.

Champagne’s minimum length of second fermentation is 18 months; expensive Champagne has a much lengthier 2nd fermentation. Up to 18 months for a value-priced Cava is excellent. I do not know why they give a range of dates for the 2nd fermentation for the Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava.

The Sparkling wine is stored and aged in a temperature and humidity-controlled cave. The bottles should be uniform; there should not be a six-month swing in time. Different categories of Cava have rules concerning the minimum fermentations lengths. All things being equal, I would prefer the bottles aged 18 months.

I think the aging time difference gives the winemaker flexibility and complies with Cava DO rules and regulations. Cava and Prosecco are often priced similarly but are made with two very different techniques. Prosecco uses the Charmat Method that gets its bubbles in huge pressurized vats, while Cava does it Champagne-style.

The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava is produced by a winery making Bubbly for a century. The Cordon Negro line has several Cavas with different sweetness levels and a Rosé. This is a Brut wine indicating it is dry and not sweet; the alcohol content is 12%.

The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava Tasting Notes

The color is a mix of platinum and gold, with a flurry of energetic bubbles. The nose is a bright blend of melon, lemon, apple, a hint of vanilla creme, soft spice, and spring flowers. The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava crisp Sparkling wine with a well-controlled acidity.

It tastes like green apple, lemon/lime (not sweet), nectarine, and lime. The mid-palate shows that nutty/salty “on lees” sensation with guava and grapefruit (not tart). I found this Bubbly selling for $8.99, and in the past, I have discovered value-price Cava to be a little too acidic, but not here.

The Summary

• The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava is an excellent Sparkling wine made even more attractive by the fact that it sells for about 25% of the price of entry level Champagne.
• This is a sleek and balanced Bubbly with pleasing flavor.
• I have not tried Freixenet Cava in a number of years and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality.