Back to Borough Market

I had to go to Borough Market again on Friday - to buy shrimp for dinner and some meat for a meal I made this weekend. As usual, to reward myself for braving the crowds, I stopped into Bedales to see what bubbles they had. I chose a Brut Reserva Rose cava from Joan Sarda, thinking that it might complement the orange sauce I made with the shrimp. This wine is a 50/50 mix of grenache and monastrell grapes - an unusual combination for a sparkling wine.

The shrimp were delicious, the cava less so. I was surprised when my husband said he liked it. When I asked why he said it was because it actually had some flavour, unlike so many rose wines and cavas. But to me, the flavour was completely unbalanced. The cava hit the front of the tongue with an overpowering sweetness, and then milliseconds later hit the back of the tongue with an unpleasant sour taste that lingered. I just didn't like it. This was not a 'sip in the garden as an aperitif' sort of cava - it needed food to mask the sweet/sour dichotomy, and even then, the sour finish predominated.

A little disappointing from Bedales...but I have to say that I didn't ask for advice while I was there and, since they know my taste, they perhaps might have pointed me to something different.