Yesterday was World Sommelier Day.

A day dedicated to celebrating the professionals who dedicate their lives to helping us understand what is in our glass. The people who transform wine from a beverage into a story, a memory, a cultural experience and, sometimes, a lifelong passion.

As I reflected on the sommeliers and wine professionals who have shaped my own journey, one name came immediately to mind.

Isabel Mijares.

More than a year after her passing, the wine world still feels a little quieter without her.

Not because we lack talented sommeliers.

Not because we lack wine critics.

Not because we lack technical expertise.

But because we lost one of those rare personalities whose presence elevated every conversation.

Whether at a tasting, a professional gathering, a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs event or simply around a table with friends, Isabel had a remarkable gift. She encouraged us to look beyond the obvious. To think deeper. To taste more carefully. To never confuse fashion with quality.

For many of us, she was not only Spain’s first female oenologist. She was a mentor, an inspiration and one of the most respected palates of her generation.

And every now and then, a bottle reminds me of her.

Not because I wonder what she would have thought.

But because I already know.

A Memory That Never Left Me

Many years ago, Isabel tasted a cava that was unlike anything else on the market.

A Pinot Noir.

Not made to follow trends.

Not made to imitate anyone.

Not made to win awards.

Simply made with patience, conviction and respect for time.

After tasting it, she looked up and delivered a verdict I have never forgotten.

“This is the best and only Pinot Noir Cava.”

Those words were never published.

There is no score to quote.

No article to reference.

No marketing campaign built around them.

It was simply Isabel speaking.

Those who knew her understand exactly what that means.

She was generous, but never careless with praise.

Compliments from Isabel had to be earned.

The Wine

The wine was Grandalla de Luxe Pinot Noir Magnum from Cava Jaume Giró i Giró.

A cava built around a philosophy that is becoming increasingly rare in today’s world.

Patience.

Long lees ageing.

Traditional bottle fermentation.

Artisanal production.

And above all, the belief that time is not a cost, but an ingredient.

The Pinot Noir slowly develops from youthful fruit into layers of brioche, toasted nuts, dried flowers and fine spices while preserving freshness, elegance and precision.

This is not a cava created for immediate gratification.

It is a cava created for reflection.

Perhaps that is exactly what Isabel recognised the moment she tasted it.

Character Above Everything Else

One lesson Isabel taught us was that truly great wines possess character.

Not power.

Not fashion.

Not marketing.

Character.

The courage to express their own identity.

Grandalla de Luxe Pinot Noir Magnum has always followed its own path.

It does not try to be Champagne.

It does not try to imitate anyone.

It simply strives to be the finest expression of what it is.

And perhaps that is why Isabel’s words remain so vivid in my memory.

She recognised authenticity when she encountered it.

A Toast to the Sommeliers Who Shape Our World

World Sommelier Day is not only about celebrating those who currently work in restaurants, cellars and tasting rooms around the world.

It is also about remembering those whose knowledge, generosity and passion continue to inspire us long after they are gone.

The wine community lost a remarkable professional when Isabel Mijares passed away.

Many of us lost a mentor.

Some lost a dear friend.

Yesterday, on World Sommelier Day, I raised a glass in gratitude for everything she contributed to the world of wine.

And as I tasted a glass of Grandalla de Luxe Pinot Noir Magnum, I could almost hear her voice once again:

“This is the best and only Pinot Noir Cava.”

Some wines age beautifully.

Some memories do too.

When discussing great sparkling wines, we often focus on vineyard origin, grape varieties, vintage conditions or ageing time on lees.

Yet one of the most influential decisions in the life of a traditional method sparkling wine receives surprisingly little attention:

When should the bottle actually be disgorged?

For most producers, the answer is straightforward. Bottles are disgorged according to production schedules, inventory requirements and market demand. Thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of bottles, leave the lees and enter the commercial chain at a predetermined date.

From that moment, the wine begins a new phase of evolution.

But what if the bottle simply stayed on its lees until the customer actually needed it?

At Cava Jaume Giró i Giró, this has been our philosophy for generations.

Rather than disgorging wines according to a fixed commercial calendar, we keep them resting sur lattes for as long as possible and disgorge them on request. It is a practice that has become increasingly rare in the world of sparkling wine, not because it is technically difficult, but because it requires patience, cellar space and a completely different way of thinking about stock management.

The technical implications are significant.

While the bottle remains on its lees, the wine is protected in a naturally reductive environment. The slow process of yeast autolysis continues to contribute texture, aromatic complexity and structural integration. Mannoproteins and other compounds released from the lees enhance mouthfeel, improve stability and create the creamy, gastronomic character that defines long-aged traditional method wines.

Simply put, the wine continues to grow.

This is why a cava that spends eight, ten or even fourteen years on its lees can display a depth and harmony impossible to achieve through shortcuts.

Yet the real advantage of disgorgement on request is not only extended ageing.

It is flexibility.

Every market evolves differently. Every sommelier has different preferences. Every collector follows a different philosophy.

Some clients want a wine that has been recently disgorged, preserving maximum tension, freshness and precision. Others prefer additional bottle ageing after disgorgement, allowing tertiary aromas to emerge and evolve.

By disgorging to order, we can work together with our customers to define exactly where on that journey they would like the wine to be.

This transforms the relationship between producer and client.

Instead of merely selling bottles, we become custodians of their evolution.

The customer is no longer limited to the decisions we made years earlier. They become part of the final chapter of the wine's development.

In an era increasingly driven by speed and efficiency, this approach may seem almost old-fashioned.

Perhaps it is.

But wine has always taught us that some things cannot be rushed.

The vineyard follows its own rhythm.

The lees follow theirs.

And sometimes the greatest luxury we can offer is not technology, innovation or marketing.

Sometimes it is simply time.

And the willingness to wait until the customer is ready.

In the world of traditional method sparkling wines, time is often presented as a virtue. But time, on its own, does nothing.

What truly defines greatness is how that time is managed.

A recent study led by Fernando Zamora sheds new light on one of the most critical processes in sparkling wine: yeast autolysis during lees ageing. The conclusions are as fascinating as they are challenging, especially for those of us working with long ageing wines.

The peak of autolysis: where magic happens

Between the second and third year of ageing, lees are at their most active stage.

They release polysaccharides and proteins that fundamentally transform the wine:

• Finer, more integrated bubbles

• Increased foam stability

• Greater texture and creaminess on the palate

• Enhanced aromatic complexity

At the same time, lees play a crucial protective role by consuming oxygen, acting as a natural antioxidant system that preserves freshness and precision.

This is the moment where great sparkling wines begin to define their identity.

The critical turning point: after 3 years

However, the study also highlights something that many prefer to ignore.

After approximately three and a half years, the ability of lees to consume oxygen drops significantly. From this point onwards, oxygen ingress through the closure can exceed the protective capacity of the lees.

This changes everything.

The wine enters a far more delicate phase where oxidation risk increases and where precision in winemaking becomes essential. Sensory degradation can start to appear from around the fifth year if the wine has not been built for longevity from the very beginning.

So the real question is not how long you age your sparkling wine.

The real question is: are you truly in control of that ageing?

Beyond the limits: a philosophy, not a technique

At Cava Jaume Giró i Giró, we have always believed that long lees ageing is not about pushing time to the extreme, but about understanding it.

Working beyond three years on lees is not a standard decision. It requires:

• Exceptional vineyard quality

• Perfect balance in the base wine

• Precision during tirage and second fermentation

• Absolute control of oxygen throughout the entire process

Only under these conditions can time become an ally instead of a risk.

10+ years on lees… without oxidation

This is where our work truly differentiates itself.

We produce cavas aged over ten years on lees, maintaining:

• Remarkable freshness

• Ultra-fine, elegant mousse

• Complex yet precise aromatic profiles

• No oxidative deviation, only noble evolution

Notes of fine pastry, dried fruits and subtle tertiary nuances appear, but always supported by tension, salinity and balance.

Because long ageing should never mean heaviness.

It should mean depth with precision.

Final reflection

Science tells us that autolysis has its peak and its limits.

But great wines are born when knowledge meets intuition.

Lees ageing is not just a stage of production. It is a dialogue between wine and time. And only those who truly understand both can go beyond the expected without losing purity.

Because in the end, the finest sparkling wines are not defined by how long they age.

They are defined by how well they resist time.