Ch.7 – Cava

Question 1

Define Cava

Answer 1

• A sparkling wine (white or rosé) made in Spain by the traditional method
• Traditionally from Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Increasingly chardonnay and local varieties.
• 1989 EU gave it PDO status - unusually the wine, rather than a place, as grapes can be sourced from diff, unconnected areas
• Wine production regulated by Consejo Regulador del Cava

Question 2

The differences between Cava Reserva and Gran Reserva?

Answer 2

• Cava Reserva - min 15 mths lees ageing (more autolysis than standard Cava at 9 mths)
• Cava Gran Reserva - min 30 mths ageing
  
  • can only be Brut or drier
  • pronounced autolytic toasty, smoky
  • sold for prem/ super prem price

Question 3

What does the Consejo Regulador del Cava do?

Answer 3

• Adminsters the whole production process of Cava via four registers
  
  • growers
  • base wine producers
  • base wine storekeepers
  • Cava producers
• It is common for Cava producer to feature on all four (eg grapes grown in Tarragona, made into base wine, then transported to Barcelona region to be made into cava, as long as all logged.

Question 4

Key facts about Lleida region for sparkling

Answer 4

• Lleida is Catalan (Lérida in Spanish)
• 100m-700m. Climate mediterranean at lower levels increasingly continental as rises into mountains
• Irrigation from Pyrenees turns semi-desert to vineyard and provides Spring frost protection
• Low levels ripe, fruity; high fresher, more acidic
• Raimat 2200 ha, biggest single-vineyard estate (mainly still wine) owned by Raventós (own Codorníu). Pioneered Chardonnay here.

Question 5

Do Cava producers harvest by hand or machine?

Answer 5

• 90% grapes by hand
  
  • vineyards small, scattered, uneven terrain
  • high quality always picked by hand
• Most of Freixnet small contracted growers by hand
• Codorniu vineyards in Penedès/ Raimat mechanical
• Mechanical harvesting can now deliver 80% whole berries. Also at night, raising quality/ lower price points.
• Basic fruit hand in 25kg, premium bunches in 10kg to avoid splitting
• Big cos press grapes in region where grown to avoid oxidation. Juice refrigerated/ transported to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (main wineries)

Question 6

What is Cava Rosado (rosé) made from?

Answer 6

• Garnacha Tinta - red fruits/ spice, but used less as tends to oxidise
• Trepat - local to Conca del Barberà (Tarragona province), strawberry flavours, high acid. Only legal in Rosada, but increasingly used
• Pinot Noir - used in Rosada blends/ as a single variety. Often made into Blanc de Noirs
• Monastrell permitted but little used.
• NO to Tempranillo.

Question 7

Key facts about Penedès region for sparkling

Answer 7

• Biggest & best area for Cava production.
• Climate Mediterranean. Sunny summers, mild winters, moderate rainfall (540mm) throughout year.
• Soils poor in nutrients, enough drainage/ water retention
• Most vineyards 200-300m, alluvial, clay soils.
• A few vineyards 700-800 - chilly summer nights, high diurnal, stony clay and granite soils: more intense flavours, higher acidity Macabeo-based wines with ability to age well in bottle.
• Lots of blending opps, so it’s prime Cava area.
• Main towns San Sadurni d’Anoia (main producers here) and Vilafranca del Penedès (Consejo HQ)

Question 8

Profile of Macabeo

Answer 8

• Most planted grape 36% vineyards registered for Cava
• 100-300m (some higher in Rioja/ Lleida).
• Late budding, high yielding, picked first.
• Diseases: Botrytis bunch rot and bacterial blight (incurable disease from warm, moist condition reduces yields).
• Flavour profile: Light apple and lemon
• Need to control vigour (rootstock/clone) or vegetation
• Outside of Cataluña, Macabeo (Viura in Rioja) only indigenous white grape and may produce single varietal Cava. (though us. blend with chardonnay).

Question 9

Describe standard Cava

Answer 9

• Cava
• min 9mths ageing (tirage to disgorgement).
• Primary fruit, fully sparkling, mod intensity lemon, red apple, herbal notes, light biscuit autolytic notes (sometimes hint of rubber, pencil case, so can be confused with Riesling Sekt)
• med/med+ acidity
• good to v good
• mid to prem price, a few super prem.

Question 10

What are the four categories/styles of Cava

Answer 10

Most Cava is Brut with 8-9g/l doage. Med-dry (semi-seco) popular in Spain/Germany. Quality trends towards Brut Nature.

1. Cava
2. Cava Reserva
3. Cava Gran Reserva
4. Cava de Paraje Calificado

Question 11

Name two other traditional method sparkling wines which are not Cava

Answer 11

1. Classic Penedés - created by Penedes DO in 2014 “making DO Penedes the first appellation in the world to offer a category of premium sparkling wines that are 100% organic” (nb Corpinnat 2019 also organic)
   
   1. certified organic grapes from DO
   2. trad method min 15 mths on lees
   3. Producers incl Albet I Noya and Loxarel
2. Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja (quality sparkling wine of Rioja) - approved by the Rioja DOCa in 2017, implemented 2019
   
   1. Hand harvested
   2. Trad method
   3. Three tiers
      
      1. Crianza (min 15 mths on lees)
      2. Reserva (min 24 mths)
      3. Gran Añada (min 36 mths)

Question 12

Aside from the three provinces in Cataluña (Penedès, Lleida & Tarragona) where else are grapes for Cava grown?

Answer 12

• Rioja (Cantabrian Mountains protect from excessive Atlantic rainfall)
  
  • Higher altitude (eg Rioja Alta 425m) high acid - good for sparkling.
  • Only varieties are Macabeo (aka Viura) and Chardonnay.
  • Macabeo ripens much later than in Penedès as cooler.
• Requena in Valencia

Question 13

What is the highest quality of Cava?

Answer 13

• Cava de Paraje Calificado new category in 2017
• Grapes from one estate, owned by producer
• Vines > 10ys old
• Max yield 8000kg/ha, 48hL/ha after pressing
• Cannot acidify (as other Cava can, tho’ most don’t need)
• Lees aged at estate >36 mths
• Brut sweetness or drier (Brut Nature, Extra Brut)

Question 14

A broad overview of the wine business of Cava

Answer 14

• Total shipments 245m bts 2016 (1/3 Spain, 2/3 export)
• Basic cava 88%, rest most Gran Reserva, 9% Rosada.
• Rapid growth 1980-2010 (+50% since 2000), but since plateaued
• Export top 5: Germany, UK, USA, France, Japan
• Two cos (Freixenet & Codorniu) produce 75% all cava
• The Cevipe Co-op processes 55m kg grape pa, (1hL/150 kg so nearly 50m bts) produces no cava, just selling base wine to others

Question 15

How is Cava made in the winery?

Answer 15

• Pneumatic press for softness, avoid phenolic extraction
• Rosado min 25% black grapes, skin contact not blending
• Yield max 80hL/ha, one hL (100l) must from 150 kg grapes
• Grapes us picked suff early for no need to adjust acid
• Large producers use cultured yeasts (propagated - Freixnet. Cevipe coop) or bought for conditions -Codorniu
• First ferment tank 14-16C to preserve fruit
• Malo prevented to preserve acidity
• Lots of blending options of base wines (diff parcels)
• Then made in trad method.
• Wines typically from one vintage whether marketed vintage or NV. Use of reserve wines uncommon - little vintage variation/ storing wines adds to cost.

Question 16

Viticulture of Cava (yields, irrigation, rootstocks)

Answer 16

• Max yield set 12,000 kg/ha
• Vines low-mod densities (1,500-3,500 vines/ha) but mod high yields, cos not looking for intense primary fruit
• Trad bush vines or single/double cordon
• Irrigation permitted only to relieve hydric stress / protect viability of vineyard. NO increase yield by irrigation.
• Rootstocks tolerant to lime and to control vigour (esp Macabeo - grows lots of vegetation/ little fruit on wrong rootstock)

Question 17

Profile of Chardonnay for Cava

Answer 17

• 4th most planted grape for Cava - 9%
• Adds body, richness, finesse, though clone/rootstock vital to avoid ripening too fast/ too much alcohol
• Often blended with Macabeo to produce quality esp in unirrigated vineyards around Requena in Valencia

Question 18

Cava has a mass-market, cheap image. Two initiatives to improve the quality and price of Cava

Answer 18

• Cava de Paraje Calificado (single estate, high quality)
• 2019 Corpinnat Producer Group

Question 19

Where is Cava made?

Answer 19

• 95% of grapes for cava and production of cava is in/ close to Barcelona, in Penedès, Cataluna, N-E Spain.
• Cataluna cava regions are three:
  
  • Penedes region
  • Lleida (Catalan) province
  • Tarragona province
• Some in Rioja (500km away) or Valencia (350km south)

Question 20

Risks, pests & diseases for Cava

Answer 20

• Spring frosts for early ripening (Xarel-lo, Parellada)
• Downy & Powdery Mildew (Cataluña mists) Solution:
  
  • treat copper and sulphur
  • canopy management (remove leaves N side of row to aid air circulation)
• Botrytis (spray/ canopy management)
  
  • NB botrytis infection can neg affect yeast in 2nd ferment, risk instability, so producers test gluconic acid values. If too high, grapes rejected.
• Grapevine moth (sexual confusion techniques)

Question 21

Key facts about Tarragona province for sparkling

Answer 21

• Mediterranean climate, low-lying, undulating hills.
• Quite simple wines, Macabeo dominated, for early drinking.
• Conca de Barberà area is home of Trepat, black variety valued for Cava Rosado.

Question 22

When do they harvest for Cava?

Answer 22

• Earlier than still wines.
• Grapes are tested for sugar levels, acidity and PH to make decision
• Full phenolic ripeness not needed - juice extracted quickly. Low alcohol and high acidity important.
• (Note rejection of grapes with high gluconic acid values predicting botrytis infection)

Question 23

Why are there many blending options for Cava?

Answer 23

• The grape varieties are picked at different times
• From diff altitudes
• From diff soils
• Each variety may be picked over 1-2 weeks to gain diff characteristics
• to provide diff base wines for blending

Question 24

Profile of Parellada

Answer 24

• 3rd biggest variety for Cava - 21%
• Higher sites (eg 500m) - best vineyards
• Indigenous to Cataluña
• Early bud, lowest yield, lowest alcohol, latest ripening
• Needs altitude to give long ripening season to reach phenolic maturity w/o high alcohol.
• Adds finesse and floral notes.
• Early budding (spring frost). Powdery mildew.

Question 25

What is Corpinnat?

Answer 25

* A legally recognised Cava producer group founded by no. of high quality producers (eg **Gramona** and **Recaredo**) who left Cava DOC in 2019. Committed to * trad method * 100% **organic** grown grapes, **90% approved local varieties** * grown in **Penedès** * **hand harvest** * vinified on **winery premises** * three categories of min lees: 18, 30, 60 mths

Question 26

Give a brief history of Cava

Answer 26

* Late 19thC trad method sparkling wines made near Barcelona in Cataluna. * Early pioneers Ferrer (own Freixenet co) and Raventos (own Codorniu co) the 2 biggest cos * 1960s "cava" used generically * 1972 "cava" protected denomination in Spanish law for trad made sparkling * 1986 Spain joined EU cava recognised as sparkling wine from spec regions * 1989 became PDO (wine not place) sourced from diff unconnected areas

Question 27

The four main white grapes of Cava | (though can be made from any grape)

Answer 27

1. **Macabeo** - 36% vineyards registered 2. **Xarel-lo** - 25% vineyards 3. **Parellada** - 20% vineyards 4. **Chardonnay** - 9% vineyards

Question 28

How is Cava disgorged?

Answer 28

* Historically by hand, but large vol so early adopters of **gyropalettes** * Now even faster: * **yeast strain selection** and use of **bottle with smooth** insides aids **flocculation** * **Automated rotating drum** replaces gyropalette, so can cut gyropalatte 3 days to **80 mins** * Large cos plan ahead to **match peaks in demand**, so wines disgorged just after 9mth min for basic Cava

Question 29

Profile of Xarel-lo

Answer 29

* Second most used grape in Cava: 26% vineyards. * Sea level-400m. * Indigenous to Cataluña. * Mid-budding (spring frosts) & ripening. * Diseases: Powdery and downy mildew, otherwise good. * Flavour profile: greengage, goosberry, herbal (fennel) notes that set it apart - can become earthy if over-ripe. * Reasonable with oak