Climate and Natural Factors
Catalunya Spain areas with sub-areas of Penedes (close to Barcelona and the most important and essentially the center of Cava production) Tarragona, Lleida and Rioja. Penedes is Mediterranean climate with bright, sunny summers and mild winters with 540 mm of rainfall throughout the year. Vineyards at the coast move inland and the majority are at 200-300 m with some at 700-800 m elevation. High diurnal range at the higher altitudes result in more intense flavors, higher acid, and improved age worthiness. Soils range from alluvial clay to stony clay and granite at elevation. Almost all soils are poor fertility with adequate drainage and water retention balance. Lleida Province – rises into the mountains and includes both slopes and high plains with Mediterranean climate at low levels becoming continental with higher diurnal range at altitude. Irrigation from the Pyrenees created viable vineyards from an otherwise semi-desert. 2200 ha Raimat estate that produces still wines is the singe largest family-owned estate in Spain Tarragona – mostly low hills and Mediterranean climate, macabeo dominated and used for early drinking versions. Trepat is grown here and used in Rosado wines (conca de Barbera) Rioja and Cantabrian Mountains – mountains protect the area from excessive rain from the Atlantic. High altitude (425m for Rioja) gives higher acidity. Here it is just Macabeo and Chardonnay and Macabeo ripens later here. Human Factors and Yield
Viticultural Factors and Harvest
Grape(s)
Pre-Fermentation Quality focused houses hand harvest and whole bunch press. Pneumatic and soft press. Yield is 80 hl/ha and 100 l per 150 kg Rose requires 25% black grapes with skin contact Adjustment is not usually required Fermentation 14-16 degree C fermentation with cultured yeasts in Stainless Steel Malo? Blocked to preserve acidity. Blending? Usually a blend of the available grapes. Rioja is Viura and Chardonnay only and some varietal wines are made. Reserve winesare not common to avoid cost of storage. Usually vintage but not marked Maturation Traditional Method – lees aging dependent on style with 9 months minimum. Bottling Most is brut and 8-9 g/ l. Medium dry is popular with exports to Germany and domestically. New focus on brut nature for quality producers Key point is the investment for large volume processing of Traditional method wines using gyropalletes, new yeast strains that improve flocculation speed, and glass bottles that are smoother and allow for faster accumulation of sediment in the neck. Rotating drums can reduce total disgorgement process to 80 minutes. . Production High volume for traditional method wines. Style(s) Cava – 9 months lees, whites are light to medium intensity lemon, apple and herbal notes with light autolytic character and medium to medium + acidity Cava Riserva – 15 months on lees with more autolytics and good to VG Cava Gran Riserva – 30 months on lees with smoky autolytic notes, good to outstanding Cava de Parejes Calificado – Estate wines with higher standards and lower yields. Single estate, owned by the producer where all wine is made from at least 10-year old vines with yield reduced to 8000 kg/ha and 48 hl/ha. A minimum of 36 months on lees. Cannot be acidified and must be Brut. Corpinnat – outside the DO in 2019 to commit to 100% organic grapes, grownin Penedes and used in quality traditional method wines with three categories of lees aging – 18, 30, 60 months (Gramona and Recaredo) Penedes Classic – the byline is making DO Penedes the first to offer 100% organic, premium sparkling wines. 100% organic in Penedes – certified with 15 months lees aging minimum (Albet I Noya and Loxarel) Espumosa de Rioja – Grapes from the Rioja area under the DOCa and implemented in 2019. Requires hand harvest and traditional method with three levels Crianza – 15 months, Riserva of 24 months and Gran Annada of 36 months on lees. Marketing and Business considerations Consejo Regulador del Cava with four separate registers for Cava production:
Many companies cross the registers and require appropriate tracking, logging of transport and legal parameters to be met. Freixenet and Codorníu make 75% of Cava Cevipe Co-op proceses 55 million kilos of grapes but makes no finished Cava Total shipments of 250 million bottles in 2018 with primary exports to the UK, US, Belgium and Germany. Overall production growth of 50% since 2000 but small since 2010. Basic cava is 87% of all made with riserva at 11% and Gran Riserva and Paraje Calificado at 2% together. Rosado is 8% of sales,
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Wine Up and DownDennis Smith, IWP, AWE, WSET 3, NPWE Archives
October 2021
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