7 Cava Flashcards
Where is the Cava region located?
- Comtats de Barcelona (the are of Cataluna)
- Valle del Ebro (Rioja production area)
- Vinedos de Almendralejo
Since when is the word Cava used?
- 1960s
- 1972 Cava became a Protected Denomination in the Spanish law
Since when is Cava an EU PDO (protected designation of origin)?
1989
Which are the allowed grape varieties used for Cava?
- Macabeo (white)
- Xarel-Io (white)
- Parellada (white)
- Chardonnay (white)
- Garnache Tinta (black)
- Trepat (black)
- Point Noir (black)
- Monastrell (black)
Which is the main region of Cava production and how much is produced there?
-comtats de Barcelona zone in Cataluna
- 95% of the production
How are the climate conditions in Penedes?
- mainly Mediterranean climate
- bright sunny summers
- mild winters
- moderate rainfall (540mm) spread trough the year
How are the vineyards located in the main area around Sant Sadurni d’Anoia in Comtats de Barcelona zone?
From the coast to the inland (200-300m). Minority is at 700-800m above sea level
How are the soils in comtats de Barcelona?
- alluvial soils and clay at lower altitude
- stony clay and granite sub-soils at higher altitude
all soils are relatively poor in nutrients and have adequate drainage and water retention
How is the style of a Macabeo-based wine from higher altitude?
the wine has more flavour and higher acidity and the ability to age well in the bottle
Which are the main towns in comtats de Barcelona?
- Sant Sadurni d’Anoia (location of the main Cava producers & headquarter of Consejo)
- pla de Ponent subzones
How are the climate conditions in Lleida (Lérida in Spanish)?
- Mediterranean climate near coast
- increasing continental influence further inland
How are the vineyards located in Lleida?
slopes and high plain (100-700m) risen up into the mountains
What made the land into a productive vineyard land?
irrigation systems with water from the Pyrenees
How is the style of Lleida grapes?
- riper fruit flavours from grapes grown at lower altitude
- fresher flavours and higher acidity from grapes grown at higher altitude
How are the climate conditions in Tarragona?
Mediterranean climate
How are the vineyards located in Tarragona?
- mainly on low level
- undulating hills
How is the style of Terragona grapes?
- Macabeo dominated
- simple
- early drinking style
Which grape variety is located in conca de Barbera?
Trepat (used for Cava Rosado)
How are the vineyards located in Valle del Ebro?
high altitude (e.g. Rioja Alta at 425m)
How are the vineyards protected in valle del Ebro?
the Cantabrian Mountains protect the vineyards from excessive rainfall coming from the Atlantic
Which are the only grape varieties used for Cava in Valle del Ebro?
- Macabeo (locally known as Viura)
- Chardonnay
How are the grape varieties spread by percentage?
- Macabeo (37%)
- Xarel-Io (25%)
- Parellada (19%)
- Chardonnay (9%)
How are the aromas of Macabeo?
light intensity apple and lemon
Which other grape variety is often used together with Macabeo for blends?
Chardonnay
How are the aromas of Xarel-Io?
- green and gooseberry notes
- herbal (fennel) notes (set it apart from the other varieties)
- earthy when over-ripe
How are the aromas of Parallada?
floral notes and finesse
Which character is added from Chardonnay?
body, richness and finesse
Why is the choice of clones and rootstock so important?
Otherwise the vines grow in excessive shoots and leave but little fruits
How are the black varieties used in Cava?
Garnacha Tinta:
- less used due to its tendency to oxidise
- adds ripe red fruit and spicy notes
Trepat:
- only be used for Rosado
- adds strawberry flavours and high acidity
Pinot Noir:
- used for Rosado blends or single variety
- often used for Blanc de Noirs wines
Monastrell:
- allowed for the production but is little used
Name the maximum yield allowed for Cava
79hL/ha with a limit of 100litres/150kg
How is the planting density in the vineyard?
low to moderate density (1.500-3.500 vines/hectare)
how is the vine training for Cava?
- bush vines
- single or double cordon
Which diseases are common?
- botrytis and downy mildew due to misty and humid mornings
- powdery mildew in dry periods
How are the grapes be tested for deciding the picking time?
- sugar, acidity and pH levels
- recent development to test gluconic acid value (indicator of botrytis infection)
How is the spread between hand and machine harvesting in per cent?
90% hand harvest
10% machine harvest
Which kind of press is typically used for the Cava production?
pneumatic press to maintain wine quality by avoiding the extraction of phenolics
What is the minimum percentage of black grapes for Rosado?
- must minimum 25% black grapes
- skin contact ( not blending)
What is the maximum yield for Cava?
- 79hl/ha
- limit of 100l must from 150kg grapes
Which kind of yeast is used for Cava production?
- cultured yeast
- own yeast (Freixenet)
- Codorniu choose each vintage
Why is MLC typically prevented during Cava winemaking?
to preserve acidity
Why is no reserve wine added in Cava production?
- vintage variation is limited
- storing reserve wines would add costs
How was the disgorgement process speed up?
- special yeast strains and smooth glass on the inside surface speed up flocculation
- gyropalette was replaced by a rotating drum
How fast is the entire disgorgement process now?
80 minutes
How is the sweetness level of Cava typically?
- most Cava is Brut
- some are semi-dry (semi-seco)
- Brut Nature is growing at quality producers
- Cava Grand Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado may only be Brut, Extra Brut and Brut Nature
Name the categories of Cava
- Cava de Guarada
(Cava DO) - Cava de Guarada Superior including below
- Cava Reserva
- Cava Grand Reserva
- Cava de Paraje Calificado
Describe the style of Cava
- minimum 9 month lees ageing in bottle (triage to disgorgement)
- medium intensity
- aromas of lemon, apple, herbal and light biscuit autolytic notes
- medium to medium (+) acidity
- acceptable to good quality
- inexpensive to mid-priced
Describe the style of Cava Reserva
- minimum of 18 month on the lees
- more autolytic notes
- good to very good quality
- mid-priced
Describe the style of Cava Grand Reserva
minimum of 30 month on the lees
- pronounced toasty, smoky autolytic notes
- very good to outstanding quality
- premium-priced
Which are the 4 registers of the Cava production process legislation?
- growers
- producers of base wines
- storekeepers of base wines
- Cava producers
How much Cava is produced from two biggest companies Freixenet and Codorníu?
75% of all finished Cava
How big is the total shipment of Cava in bottles per year?
250 million bottles (2018)
How much Cava was consumed in Spain and how much was exported?
- 1/3 was consumed in Spain
- 2/3 was exported
Which are the high volume export markets?
- Germany
- Belgium
- UK
- USA
How are the Cava styles split in sales?
- basic Cava: 88%
- Cava Reserva: 11%
- Cava Grand Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado: 2%
- Rosado: 9%
Why was the new category Cava de Parade Calificado created?
to improve the image of the inexpensive and only good quality Cava
Which are the production factors for Cava de Paraje Calificado?
- single estate or vineyard Cava
- certified grown organically
- vines must be a minimum age of 10 years
- maximum production yield of 8 tonnes/ha
- minimum ageing time of 36 month at the estate
- traceable from vineyard to bottle
- state the year of harvest
- sweetness level of Brut or eb or bn
What is the producer group Corpinnat?
a group of new sparkling wine producers which have left the Cava DO in 2019
Which are the production factors for Corpinnat?
- traditional method
- 100% organic grapes
- grapes grown in Penedes
- harvested by hand
-vinified entirely on the premises of the winery - 90% of the grapes must be approved local varieties
- three categories of lees aging (18, 30 and 60 month)
Which other Spanish regions have created categories for sparkling wines?
- Penedes DO -> Classic Penedes
- Rioja DOCa (Denominación de Origin Calificada) -> Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja (Quality sparkling wine of Rioja)
Which are the production factors for Classic Penedes?
- 100% organic grapes grown in the Penedes DO
- traditional method
- minimum of 15 month on the lees
strapline: “making DO Penedes the first appellation in the world to offer a category of premium sparkling wines that are 100% organic”
Which are the production factors for Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja?
- harvesting by hand
- traditional method
- three lees aging tiers: Crianza (minimum 15 month), Reserva (minimum 24 month) and Gran Anada (minimum 36 month)
