7 Spain Cava Flashcards
1
Q
Define Cava
A
- 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.
- Grapes sourced from
- Cataluna (95%)
- Penedes Region 95% plantings
- Lleida Province
- Tarrogona Province - more for Trapat
- Rioja and Valencia
- Cataluna (95%)
- 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
2
Q
Significance of Penedès region for Cava
A
- 95% of Cava grapes grown and 95% Cava produced here
- Climate Mediterranean. Sunny summers, mild winters, moderate rainfall (540mm) throughout year.
-
Soils poor in nutrients, enough drainage/ water retention
- Most vineyards 200-300m, alluvial soils, clay .
- 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 production area.
- Main towns San Sadurni d’Anoia (main producers here) and
- Vilafranca del Penedès (Consejo HQ)
3
Q
Signficance of Lleida region for Cava
A
- Lleida is Catalan (Lérida in Spanish)
- 100m-700m.
- Climate mediterranean at lower levels (ripe/fruity fruit) increasingly continental at altitude (fresher/acidic fruit)
- Irrigation from Pyrenees turns semi-desert to vineyard and provides Spring frost protection
- Raimat estate 2200ha here. Pioneers of CH in Cava. Raventos owns this and Cordiniu
4
Q
Significance of Tarragona province for Cava
A
- 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.
5
Q
Besides Cataluna, where else are grapes for Cava sourced?
A
-
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
6
Q
Describe the white grape varieties allowed for Cava
A
36% Macabeo
- 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
25% Xaral-lo
- Sea level-400m.
- 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
20% Parallada
- Higher sites (eg 500m) - best vineyards
- 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.
9% Chardonnay
- 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
7
Q
List the black varieites that Cava Rosado (rosé) made from?
A
- 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.
8
Q
Viticulture of Cava (yields, irrigation, rootstocks)
A
- Max yield set 12000kg p/ha
- Yield 80hl/ha ~ 100l/150kg
- Vines low-mod densities (1500-3500 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) 41b, 3309c, 420a
9
Q
Risks, pests & diseases for Cava
A
- Misty/humid mornings - BBR and Downy Mildew
- Powdery mildew during dry weather
- treat copper and sulphur
- canopy management (remove leaves N side of row to aid air circulation)
- Grapevine moth (sexual confusion techniques)
10
Q
What is the process/criteria for deciding on the harvest date?
What method may be used to harvest?
A
Setting the Harvest Date
- 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)
Harvest Hand/Machine?
- 90% grapes by hand
- vineyards small, scattered, uneven terrain
- high quality always picked by hand
- Freixnet small contracted growers by hand
- Codorniu vineyards in Penedès/ Raimat mechanical
Adv mechanical - Delivers 80% whole berries. Also at night, raising quality/ lower price points.
Adv hand harvest - Basic fruit hand in 25kg, premium bunches in 10kg to avoid splitting & spoilage
- Quality producers press whole bunches - low phenolic content.
Pressing is in the region where grown - avoids oxidation. (Bigger companies)
- Juice refrigerated/ transported to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (main wineries)
11
Q
How is Cava made in the winery?
A
Winemaking
- Press Whole bunch / whole berry 80% from mach harvet
- Pneumatic, soft press, avoid phenolic pick up
- 80hl/ha
- Acidification, chaptalisation allowed within EU rules, typ not reqd – grapes picked with adeq acid level
Rose – mb skin contact, min 25% black grapes
1st fermentation
- SS, Controlled temp 14-16 C
- Mostly cultured yeast (preserve aromas) - own developed Cevipe
- Malo C prevented – preserve acid
Blending/”Assemblage”
- Mostly grapes from 1 season are used – whether V or NV
- Use of reserve wine at blending uncommon (cost) & vintage variation uncommon thus this cost is easily avoided.
Faster Processing:
- Riddling by industrial gyropalette / rotating drum >
- faster yeast flocculation due to glass smoothness inside ~ total process 80 min
- Large co’s disgorge only on mkt demand
Liqueur d’Expedition / Dosage
- Typical Dosage will be 8/9g per litre – i.e. Brut style
- Quality producers focussing on ZD
- Semi Seco pop in ES/DE
Different periods Lees Ageing per regulation
- Cava – 9m lees ageing (Tirage – Disgorgement)
- Cava Reserva – 15m lees
- Cava Gran Reserva 30m lees
- Corpinnat: 18; 30; 60m lees
- Classic Penedes 15m lees
- Espumoso de Callidad de Rioja
- Crianza: 15m
- Riserva 24m
- Gran Riserva 36m
12
Q
Describe the different styles of Cava Including the recent “prestigious” category introduced
A
Majority
- Traditionally produced, 2nd ferment in bottle.
-
Style: White, Brut style, fully sparkling (6b)
l/m apple, lemon, herbal; smokey/rubber/pencil autolytic (Xarel-lo); m/m+ acid - A/G Q and inexp-mid price
- Blend of several var, but mainly white – Macabeo, Xarel-lo; Parallada; some CH.
- Rose made by skin contact >> PN or Trapat (some Monastrell) (Garn Tinta avoided -oxidises; Tempranillo not perm)
- yield is 80hl/ha less cost
- min 9m matured on lees.
Other Styles
- Cava Reserva: 15m lees ageing; NOTE autolysis more evident
- G/VG mid price
- Cava Gran Reserva 30m lees > autolysis most evident (smokey, toast) VG/OS prem price
- Cava de Paraje Calificado 36m lees; single estate, 48hl/ha; Brut or less RS, no acidification perm, min 10yr old vines.
Other Styles NOT Cava but Trad Method Spw
-
2019 - Corpinnat (consortium of hiQ producers) left CAVA DO
- Trad method, 100% organic grapes (90% local var) from Penedes: hand harvest; vinified on premise of winery.
- 3 categories acc to age on lees. 18, 30, 60m
-
2014 - Penedes DO introduce “Classic Penedes”
- Spw from certified organic grapes grown in the DO, trad method, 15m lees.
- Producers Albet I Noya; Loxarel
-
2017 Rioja Doca approved use of DOC for spw
- “Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja” or Quality spw of Rioja implemented 2019. Hand harvest, 3 tiers & lees ageing
- Crianza 15m, Reserva 24m, Gran Anada 36m
13
Q
What does the Consejo Regulador del Cava do?
A
- Adminsters the whole production process of Cava via four registers
- growers
- base wine producers
- base wine storekeepers
- Cava producers
- A good deal of cross flow between all four entities and across all geographical regions.
- 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.
14
Q
A broad overview of the wine business of Cava
A
- Freixenet & Codorniu) produce 75% all cava
- Total shipments 250m bts 2018 (1/3 Spain, 2/3 export)
- Basic cava 87%, Gran Reserva, 11%
- Export : Germany, UK, USA, France, Japan
- Rapid and significant growth to 2010 has plateaued - hence new dev : new prestige cat; two new sparkling wines (not CAVA); Corpinnat Group.
- The Cevipe Co-op processes 55m kg grape pa into base wine to sell to others
15
Q
What is Corpinnat?
A
- 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
