Bella Mistala Cava Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Prestige

Bella Mistala Cava Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Prestige is a 100% white-grape cava from Catalonia's Penedès region, made exclusively from Chardonnay in the traditional method with extended lees aging. The blanc de blancs designation signals a leaner, more mineral-driven profile than the typical Macabeo-Xarel·lo-Parellada blend most cavas rely on, and the Cuvee Prestige bottling reflects longer bottle age before release. This is a cava built for the Champagne drinker looking for the same autolytic complexity at a fraction of the price, available now in Lincoln Park. The Bella Mistala estate sits in the heart of Penedès, where the Mediterranean climate and chalky soils favor the slow ripening that sparkling wine production demands. Chardonnay grown here retains high acidity and delicate fruit character, ideal for the secondary fermentation in bottle that defines cava. After primary fermentation, the wine undergoes a minimum of fifteen months aging on its lees in bottle, developing the fine persistent mousse and pastry notes that distinguish quality traditional-method sparklers. Disgorging releases the wine with its pale gold color and persistent bead intact. The wine shows aromas of white peach, green apple, and citrus zest, layered with bready, brioche-like notes from the extended yeast contact. On the palate the mousse is creamy and enveloping, with a round mid-palate that carries the ripe fruit through to a long finish marked by subtle almond and more of that pastry character. The effervescence is fine and persistent, lifting rather than scrubbing the palate. Pour it with oysters, fried chicken, or aged Manchego, or drink it as an aperitif before dinner when you want something more structured than Prosecco but less austere than grower Champagne. Available for pickup at Off Premise, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.