Primary Method
Traditional
Region
”- 95% Penedès in Cataluña
- Most important areas in Cataluna: Penedes, Lleida, Tarragona
- Other areas permitted inlcuding Rioja or Valencia”
Penedes Climate
Mostly Mediterranean
Penedes Climate - Description
”- Sunny summers, mild winters, mod rainfall throughout the year
- Range from the coast to higher altitudes inland ( 200 - 300m with minority even higher)
- High Alt = high diurnal which are more intense + higher acidity”
Penedes Soils
”- Lower Alts = alluvial + clay soils
- Higher Alts = stony clay + granite sub-soils
- All soils = poor in nutrients + good drainage + good water retention which is a great combo for viticulture”
Lleida Province
”- Slopes and high plains (100 - 700m)
- Climate ranges from Med toward the coast to Continental at higher altitude
- Natural irrigation system created by Pyrenees made land suitable for viticulture + provide frost protection
- Raimat Estate (largest single-vineyard estate owned by one family in Spain is here, pioneers Chardonnay)”
Tarragona Province
”- Low lying or undulating hills + Med climate
- Macabeo-dominated, early drinking
- Conco de Barbera here is home of Trepat = valued for Cava Rosado”
Grape Varieties
”- Macabero (aka Viura)*
- Xarel-lo*
- Parellada*
- Chardonnay (smaller plantings)
- Garnacha Tinta (decreasing)
- Trepat (only used in Rosado)
- Pinot Noir (Often in Rosado + Blanc de Noirs)
- Monastrell is permitted but rarely used, Tempranillo not permitted”
Grape Varieties - Macabeo
”- 36% of vineyards for Cava
- 100 to 300m in Penedes but some in Rioja and Lleida
- Late budding (less risk for spring frost), picked first, high yeilding
- Susceptible to botrytis and bacterial blight (disease w/ no cure)
- Light intensity, apple/lemon aromas
- Only indiginous white grape planted outside of Caltaluna”
Grape Varieties - Xarel-lo
”- 25% of vineyards registered for Cava
- 0 to 400m in Penedes
- Mid-budding (prone to spring frost)
- Mid-ripening
- Susceptible to powdery + downey midlew but otherwise resistent
- Green + gooseberry notes, herbal fennel, earthy”
Grape Varieties - Parellada
”- 20% of vineyards for Cava
- 500m in Penedes (best vineyards = highest altitidues)
- Lowest yielding
- Early budding (prone to spring frost)
- Latest-ripening (requires long ripening season to reach flavor maturity without excessive potential alcohol so alt is best)
- Susceptible to powdery mildew
- Finesse + floral notes”
Grape Varieties - Chardonnay
”- 9% of vineyards for Cava
- Adds body, richness, finesse
- Specific rootstocks/clones are vital for balanced ripeness (otherwise it would ripen too quickly)”
Vineyard Management
”- Low to moderate denisities (1.5k - 3.5k)
- Moderately high yields
- Bush or single/double cordon
- Irrigation permitted only to relieve hydric stress and protect future viability but NOT to increase yields”
Vineyard Management - Threats
”- Misty, humid mornings = botrytis + downey mildew
- Powdery mildew
- Grapevine moths
- Threats mitigated via Copper/Sulful sprays, canopy management, sexual confusion techniques”
Vineyard Management - Harvest
”- Test sugar levels, acidity, pH to determine picking date (looking for good acidity + low potential alcohol)
- Full phenolic ripeness is not needed
- Choose between hand and machine (90% by hand)
- Whole bunches are best to produce base wines with low phenolic content”
Vineyard Management - Gluconic Acid
”- During harvest, they also test for gluconic acid (indicator of botrytis infection) so they can sort them out.
- Too high levels have a negative effect on yeast in the 2nd fermentation and reduce wine stability”
Winemaking - Press
Pneumatic presses = soft press to avoid extraction of phenolics
Winemaking - Rosado
”- Min 25% black grapes
- Skin contact (no blending)”
Winemaking - 1st Fermentation
”- Cultured yeasts (either that they propogated themselves or bought)
- Large-format stainless steels tanks at 57 - 61 F (preserve fruity aroams)
- MLF = blocked”
Winemaking - 2nd Fermentation
”- Traditional Method
- Automated rotating drum to disgorge (plus yeast strains and smooth glass necks to speed up flocculation) replaced gyropalets for disgorgement
- Brut w/ 8 - 9 g/L as the typical dosage level + Brut Nature on the rise”
Styles - Cava
”- 9 months minimum on lees (tirage to disgorgement)
- Light to med intensity
- Lemon, apple, herbal, light autolytic
- M to M+ acidity
- Mostly Brut (other styles permitted)”
Styles - Cava Reserva
”- 15 months minimum on lees
- Autolytic notes = more evident
- Mostly Brut (other styles permitted)”
Styles - Cava Gran Reserva
”- 30 months minimum on lees
- Pronounced toasty, smoky, autolytic notes
- Only Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature”
Styles - Cava de Paraje Calificado
”- Single estate or vineyard Cava (introduced in 2017)
- Estate grown + produced + bottled
- Vines must be 10+ years w/ low max production
- No acidification permitted
- Finished wine aged at Estate for 36 months minimum
- Only Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature”
