The Mestres family have owned vineyards in the area for 700 years over twenty-nine generations, so you can`t fault them for taking their time to get things right. Like many, they began making sparkling wines in the wake of the phylloxera epidemic which devastated French winemaking. Their Cavas blend the traditional grape varieties of the area. Xarel.lo (for body and volume), Macabeo (for fruit), and Parellada (for finesse and perfume). They were also the first to realise that more lees aging means more flavour depth, and less need for added sweetness. In 1948, they dispensed with any dosage, and launched their Brut Nature Cava Visol (`only wine`). They never looked back. The newly-released 2013 Visol comes from a fine vintage for the region, and is enormously attractive. Floral notes on the bouquet compete with citrus and stonefruit, pastries and toffee. The bone-dry finish sweeps the palate clean. If you ever thought Cava was a one-dimensional drink - think again. (NT 28/09/21)