Cava Flashcards
(14 cards)
Cava Location and Climate
most Cava is produced within the area of Cataluña
known as Comtats de Barcelona (95%)
Grapes may also be grown and Cava produced in a number of areas other than Cataluña, for example, in Valle del Ebro, better known for Rioja production or Viñedos de Almendralejo
There are significant differences between the locations in which Cava is made. The more important areas are Penedès, Lleida and Tarragona.
Cataluna
- Mediterranean climate with bright, sunny summers, mild winters and moderate rainfall (540 mm) spread through the year.
- Vineyards located at 200–300 metres with some up to 700–800 metres above sea level. Here, summer nights can be distinctly cool, producing grapes with more intense flavours and higher acidity than grapes grown at more typical, lower altitudes.
- Alluvial soils and clay at lower altitudes - stony clay
and granite subsoils at higher altitudes. - All soils types are relatively poor in nutrients, with adequate drainage and water retention making them suitable for viticulture.
- Macabeo-based wines made from grapes grown in higher altitude vineyards have more flavour and higher acidity than grapes grown closer to sea level, giving them an ability to age well in the
bottle. - There is a myriad of blending opportunities available to producers, making this the prime location for Cava production.
- The principal towns are Sant Sadurní d’Anoia & Vilafranca del Penedès
Pla de Ponent subzone of Comtats de Barcelona
- The land in Lleida/Lérida province rises up into the mountains, including both slopes and a high plain (range is 100–700 metres).
- The climate is Mediterranean nearer the coast with increasing continental influences further inland.
- An irrigation system with water from the Pyrenees has turned this former semi-desert into productive vineyard land. It also can be used to provide frost protection in spring.
- wines have riper fruit flavours from grapes grown lower down and have fresher flavours and higher acidity from grapes grown at higher altitude.
- The province is important for the pioneering 2,200–hectare Raimat estate, producing mainly still wines. This is the largest single-vineyard estate owned by one family in Spain, the Raventós, who also own Codorníu. It pioneered growing Chardonnay that goes into Raimat and Codorníu wines.
- The Conca de Barberà area (between the coast and Lleida) is the home of Trepat, the black variety that is increasingly valued for Cava Rosado (rosé wines).
Other Areas of Northern Spain
- The most important other area is in Valle del Ebro, where the Cantabrian Mountains protect the region from excessive rainfall coming from the Atlantic.
- Grapes grown at higher altitudes (e.g. in Rioja Alta at 425 m above sea level) can have higher acidity than fruit grown at lower altitude, which makes them particularly well suited to quality sparkling wines
- The only varieties used here for Cava are Macabeo (locally known as Viura) and Chardonnay. Macabeo ripens much later here than in Penedès where it typically grows as lower altitude.
Grape Varieties
Macabeo
Xarello
Parellada
Chardonnay
Garnacha Tinta
Trepat
Pinot Noir
Monastrell
Vineyard Management
- Vines are typically planted at low to moderate densities (1,500–3,500 vines/hectare) with either traditional bush vines or single or double cordon. Low-density vineyards with
moderately high yields are suitable because producers are not looking for intense primary flavours in base wines. - Irrigation is permitted, though strictly controlled, to relieve hydric stress and protect the future viability of vineyards. Yields may not be increased by irrigation.
- Rootstocks are chosen for tolerance to lime, where needed, and to control vigour.
- Macabeo in particular tends to grow excessive shoots and leaves and produces little fruit if planted on the wrong rootstock.
- Misty, humid mornings mean that botrytis and downy mildew can be a threat. Powdery mildew can also be an issue during periods of dry weather. Vines are treated with copper and sulfur to counteract them. Canopy management measures, such as removing leaves
from the north side of the row, are used to aid air circulation and reduce shade within the canopy. Grapevine moth is an issue, with some producers treating this using sexual confusion
techniques. - Grapes are typically tested for sugar levels, acidity and pH in order to make a decision on picking dates. Full phenolic ripeness is not needed for most Cava, as the juice will be extracted
quickly to avoid excessive phenolic pick up. Low potential alcohol and appropriate acidity are important criteria in setting a picking date, which is typically earlier than for still wines. - A recent development has been testing for gluconic acid values (indicator of botrytis
infection) in grapes. Too high a level can have a negative effect on yeast in the secondaryfermentation process and will result in a subsequent drop in wine stability. If grapes have values that are too high, they will be rejected, maintaining the quality of the final wine. - Producers can choose whether to pick mechanically or by hand. The vast majority of grapes are harvested by hand (90 per cent) as vineyards are very widely scattered in ownership, fragmented and on very uneven terrain, though gradually more grapes are being
machine-harvested. Grapes for high-quality wines are all picked by hand. Most of Freixenet production is from small contracted growers and is picked by hand, while Codorníu have
their own vineyards in Penedès and at Raimat, which are mostly picked mechanically. Recent improvements in mechanical harvesting have meant that this method can deliver 80 per cent
whole berries. In addition, grapes can be picked at night, raising quality at lower price points. - Basic fruit, if handpicked, can be selected in the vineyard and transported in 25 kg crates. Handpicked premium fruit is transported in smaller crates (e.g. 10 kg) to avoid grapes splitting, which could lead to microbial spoilage.
- Quality focused producers often press whole bunches for base wines with low phenolic content. The big companies press grapes in the region where they are grown to avoid oxidation and to maintain quality. The juice is refrigerated and transported to the main wineries in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia.
Winemaking
- Pneumatic presses are used for a soft press. This is to maintain wine quality by avoiding the extraction of phenolics. Rosado must be made from a minimum of 25 per cent black grapes
and by contact with the skins, rather than by blending red and white base wines. - Yield is restricted to 79 hL/ha with a limit of 100 litres being pressed from 150 kg of grapes.
- Grapes are typically picked early enough to have sufficient natural acidity without adjustment. Large producers use cultured yeasts, either from strains that they propagate
themselves (Freixenet; Cevipe co-operative) or that they buy in (Codorníu, choosing the appropriate strain for the conditions in each vintage). - The first fermentation takes place in large-format stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures, 14–16°C (57–61°F), to preserve fruity aromas. Malolactic conversion is typically prevented to preserve acidity. Thereafter the wines are made by the traditional method.
- The wines are typically from the fruit of one season, whether they are marketed as vintage or non-vintage. The use of reserve wines is not common because vintage variation is limited and storing reserve wines would add cost.
- Historically, wines were disgorged by hand, but Cava producers, in line with the large volumes produced, were the early adopters of the gyropalette on an industrial scale. More recently, the process of disgorgement has been made even faster. This has been achieved by a combination of yeast strain selection and the use of bottles with smooth glass on the inside surface to speed up flocculation. In addition, an automated rotating drum has been developed
to replace the gyropalette. The entire disgorgement process can now take as little 80 minutes. - The large companies plan to match disgorgement and finishing dates to reflect peaks in demand.
- Most Cava is Brut with 8–9 g/L as a typical dosage level. Medium-Dry (Semi-Seco) is popular in certain markets (Spain, Germany). Quality producers have a new focus on the Brut Nature style.
Wine law and business
- While most Cava is Brut in style, young Cava and Cava Reserva may be produced in a range of styles of sweetness. However, Cava
Gran Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado (see below) may only be Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature. - Historically, there were three main categories of Cava with different styles, Cava, Cava Reserva and Cava Grand Reserva, with rising minimum requirements for ageing on the lees.
Cava
Cava de Guarda
Cava de Guarda Superior
Wine law and business Cava
Young Cava must undergo a minimum nine months of lees ageing (tirage to disgorgement).
When made as a white wine, they have light to medium intensity lemon, apple and herbal notes, light brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes and medium to medium (+) acidity. The wines
are typically acceptable to good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.
- Reserva wines had more autolytic notes and were typically good to very good in quality and mid-priced. Gran Reserva wines showed pronounced toasty, smoky autolytic notes and were
typically very good to outstanding in quality and premium in price. - However, in response to discontent with the perceived image of Cava as an inexpensive wine of only good quality, Cava DO has responded in two ways. First, in 2017, the new category of Cava de Paraje Calificado, single estate Cava, was introduced. Then, changes
were made in 2022 merging the three above categories and Cava de Paraje Calificado into two new categories: Cava de Guarda and Cava de Guarda Superior. The requirements for the
new categories are set out below.
Wine law and business Cava de Guarda
This is the new name for young Cava DO category, requiring a minimum of nine months of lees ageing in the bottle
Wine law and business Cava de Guarda Superior
- This new category includes Cava de Guarda Superior and Cava Reserva (minimum ageing of 18 months), Cava Gran Reserva (minimum 30 months) and Cava de Paraje Calificado minimum
36 months). All wines labelled in this way will have to: - be made from vines that are a minimum of 10 years old
be certified grown organically - have a maximum yield of 10 tonnes per hectare (8 tonnes for Cava de Paraje Calificado)
- be traceable from vineyard to bottle
- state the year of harvest.
In addition, Cava de Guarda Superior wines may use the ‘100% Integral Producer’ (Elaborado Integral) stamp if the company carries out the the winemaking process itself.
They may also state their zone of origin. This can be either a large area such as Comtats de Barcelona or a subzone such as Valls d’Anoia-Foix.
Wine law and business Registers
Barcelona or a subzone such as Valls d’Anoia-Foix.
The Consejo Regulador del Cava administers four separate registers regarding the whole
production process of Cava. These are:*
* Growers
* Storekeepers of base wines
* Producers of base wines
* Cava Producers
- Although these are separate registers, it is feasible, and quite common, for a Cava producer to figure on all four registers.
There is a good deal of cross flow between all four entities and across all geographical regions. For example, it is legal, indeed common, for grapes grown in Tarragona to be turned into base wines there, but to be transported up to the Barcelona region to be turned into finished Cava, so long as all movements are appropriately logged and all other legal
parameters are met with.
Wine law and business stats
- As previously mentioned, Cava production is notable for the huge scale of the biggest companies. Freixenet and Codorníu produce around 75 per cent of all finished Cava. The Cevipe co-operative processes 55 million kilos of grapes a year but produces no finished Cava. It sells base wines to other companies (e.g. Freixenet).
Total shipments of Cava were 250 million bottles in 2019, just under one-third of which went to Spain and the rest was exported. The shipments grew rapidly from 1980 to 2010 and has plateaued since then. The high-volume export markets are Germany, Belgium, UK and USA. The basic Cava category makes up 88 per cent of the wine sold with Reserva accounting for 11 per cent and Gran Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado 2 per cent together. Rosado
makes up 9 per cent of sales. Cava sales have increased by just over 50 per cent since 2000, but by only small percentages since 2010. Recent initiatives are intended to raise standards and to increase
sales in the context of increased demand for sparkling wine around the world.
Other spanish Wines
Other producers and areas historically associated with Cava have also responded to the perceived image of Cava. Two Spanish regions have created categories for traditional method
sparkling wines.
In 2014, the Penedès DO introduced a category called
Clàssic Penedès for sparkling wines made from certified
organic grapes grown in the DO. The wine must be made by the
traditional method with a minimum of 15 months ageing on the
lees. The strapline is ‘making DO Penedès the first appellation
in the world to offer a category of premium sparkling wines that are 100% organic’. Producers using this category include Albet I Noya and Loxarel.
Also in Penedès, a number of high quality producers (examples include Gramona and Recaredo) left the Cava DO in 2019 and founded the producer group Corpinnat. This commits
members to making sparkling wines by the traditional method with 100 per cent organic grapes, grown in Penedès, harvested by hand and vinified entirely on the premises of the winery. 90 per cent of the grapes used must be approved local varieties. The wines can be
labelled Corpinnat. There are three categories with minimum ageing on the lees of 18, 30 and 60 months.
In 2017, the Rioja DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) approved the use of the name Rioja for sparkling wines with the new category, Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja (Quality sparkling wine of Rioja) and implemented it in 2019. The grapes must be hand harvested and the wine made by the traditional method. There are three tiers: Crianza, aged on the lees for a minimum of 15 months; Reserva, minimum 24 months; Gran Añada, minimum of 36 months.
