Last night’s wine was a sample (yes, I get them from time to time despite my warnings, and sometimes they’re worth reviewing).

Elyssia Gran Cuvee Brut, Cava, 11.5%

A very decent sparkling wine, which happens to hail from Cava-land and one of the big boys in that game, Freixenet.

This particular cuvee brings together the world of cava (Macabeo & Parellada grapes) and Champagne (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir).

I’m not sure I could have pinned this down as Cava in a blind tasting – which is a good and bad thing. A lot of Cava available in the UK is not that exciting, but good Cava can be LOVELY, and hard to find.

This one has a good lemon and tropical fruit core and a nicely delicate mousse (a way of saying that you feel the smooth texture of bubbles but they’re not so aggressive that you feel each individual explosion in your mouth, like popping candy, as you might experience with some carbonated waters and cheaper sparkling wines).

What I liked more was the hint of fruit sweetness to balance the wine, some light nuttiness and maybe also a hint of ginger (I got a whiff of ginger ale on the finish), which together make it a lot more interesting than many alternatives, though still quite youthful.

It was good on it’s own but also managed well with a pork and green pepper sauce dish.

Available from Waitrose at £14.99 it isn’t your everyday wine price, but compared to alternatives, a very decent wine to consider for Christmas celebrations – or any other celebrations you can manage to arrange before and after.

(I can’t believe I’ve started Xmas recommendations already)