This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! This week we’re sipping Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava! This popular Spanish sparkling is known the world over for it’s distinct black label bottle – but, is this a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…

Freixenet (pronounced "fresh-eh-net") is a large winery from Catalonia, located just to the north of Barcelona in the Penedès region of Spain. Cordon Negro Brut, introduced in 1974, is Freixenet’s most popular cava and is often referred to as the “Black Bottle Bubbly.”
Aside from it’s distinctive branding and appearance, it’s known for its approachable price point and so it’s not surprising that it is the #1 imported sparkling wine in the world. We sparkling winos have encountered the Cordon Negro Brut in places like a street market in Tulum, Mexico and the historic core of Krakow, Poland. But we digress and want to point out that this wine is a natural choice for easy celebrations and date night.
If you had a chance to read our Cava 101 post you will recall that cava is made in the “traditional method” – that is, the same method used to make Champagne – and it is produced from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo grapes. The Cordon Negro Brut is made from 35% Macabeo, 40% Parellada and 25% Xarel·lo. So, how does this popular, iconic and widely available bubbly stack up to the others? Read on to find out!

Appearance 👀
- Pale straw colour, lively effervescence with very persistent, tiny bubbles (and an indicator of a traditional method bubbly).
Aroma 👃
- Dominated by citrus aromas – lemon zest coming to the forefront. Brimming with hints of white fleshed fruit (like peach), honeysuckle and wet stone. Very fresh on the nose!
Flavour 👅
- Medium bodied, dry, high acidity with a lingering, but refreshing grapefruit finish. Well balanced, with a creamy mouthfeel that is dominated by citrus fruit, tart apple and distinctive minerality.
Food Pairing 🍽
- This wine is very approachable, and hardly can easily be called a “gateway” to #sparklingwinohood. We feel it pairs lovingly with regional cuisine – manchego cheese and olives, seafood paella and grilled seafood – as well as simple date night snacks like salty kettle chips, hummus and pita and popcorn.
The Verdict? 💁
- It’s a POP! We love an unpretentious, approachable, easy drinking cava for celebrations, date night, afternoons on the patio in with friends and every other moment in between.
Because of its recognizability and great value, as well as its pleasant, fruit forward aroma and taste, this one is a surefire crowd pleaser.
