The panel try out a sparkling wine that's easier to drink than it is to pronounce



Company: Grupo Codorníu
Rsp: £17.99
Market size: £294m
The competition: Arniston Bay Sparkling Rosé, Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Blanc de Blancs NV


The consumer
The bottle looked quite classy and the shape was different to other wines. However, there was no label with explanation of flavours or the region, which was disappointing. The wine had a nice flavour which was easy on the palate, but ultimately it’s an expensive sparkling wine. If I was spending that kind of money in the future I’d probably go the whole hog and get a decent-label Champagne – although I’d buy this again for a special occasion. Three stars (out of five)
Lizz Fort, dance teacher, London


The expert
The packaging is unusual and quite striking, and the eye-catching bottle shape will give it good stand-out on shelf. The wine has some alluring biscuit and brioche notes on the palate and the finish is long, dry and refreshing. However, the £17.99 rsp is quite ambitious for a Cava, although given the recent price increases in Champagne there is certainly a gap in the market at this price. Four stars
Ben Cahill, wine buyer, The Co-operative Group


The Grocer
It was a lot easier to drink this bubbly than it was to pronounce its name. Demand for sparkling wine is rising, so it was understandable that Grupo Codorníu would launch a premium variant above the £10 mark. The packaging was sparse but the odd bottle shape was appealing. It was dry and refreshing and, although the price was a bit steep, the quality was higher than many other sparkling wines I have sampled. A worthy arrival. Four stars
Alex Beckett, food & drink editor

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