Cava DO Flashcards
What is Cava?
Where’s it made?
History?
Cava DO is a Geog rgn designation but a wine production style - Trad Meth + Lees ageing
95% made in Cataluña centered on town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia - most main producers still based
5% Rioja, Navarra, Basque Country, Aragon, Valencia
Origin - In Alt Penedes rgn of Cataluña in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
1872 Jose Raventos, Head of Codorníu 1st made Trad Meth within 10yrs popular allover Spain and known as ‘Champaña’
1970 Spain agrees to change name Champaña -> Cava to join EU
Cava = Cellar
1986 Cava area de-limited
1991 Cava DO created
DO size Climate Yields Harvest Grape € Soil Viti and improvements made thru better understanding Sustainability
34,000ha (same as Champs)
Med but heavily influenced by Alt -Plant Sea-level > 800m
Yield - 12,000kg/ha (Champs 10,400~15,500)
Grapes Machine or Hand pick, many by hand due to slopes
Grapes av €0.50kg (Champs av €6)
Limestone Dominant but depend location
Orig Bush vines Replaced by Trellised vines
Better understand Canopy Management + Clonal + Rootstock selection
Reduce Chems, Int Nat Predators, Sex confuse, Cover crops
White Grapes - 3 + 1 Name ‘em % of Plantings Characteristics Where planted Anything else?
MXP + C
36% ^ Macabeo (Viura) - Fruitiness - Bright acid, G. Apple, pear, Melon and Peach
Mid and Lower Slopes and Plains. Late Bud - avoid Spring Frost
25% > Xarel.lo - Structure - Green fruit - can give Earthy, Rubbery A+F
Lower alt > 400m Modern winemaker eliminate Rubber
20% ^ Parellada - Aroma - Crisp acid, Floral - Highest 700~800m
8% > Chardonnay - Body, Finesse, Red Apple, Pineapple, Mango
Site selection ESSENTIAL
Debate ref Chard + PN between Trads and Big corps esp Codorníu
Red Grapes - 2 + 1 Name ‘em % of Plantings Characteristics Where planted Anything else? Conditions for making Rosé?
T G (PN)
Trepat 3% ^ - Acids, R’Currant, S’berry, R,berry
Cool Hills of Conca de Barbera ONLY in Rosado
4% Garnacha Tinta Lo Acid, Mod colour, S’berry Mid + Lower Penedes
Can OXIDISE easily
2% - Pinot N - Acid, Perfume, Red Currant
Clone + R’stock VITAL Ltd appeal only Rosé + Blanc de Negres
Rosé - Sangrado - Saignée ONLY, NO sht maceration, NO Blend
Debate ref Chard + PN between Trads and Big corps esp Codorníu
Vini Press Yld Base wine abv% Finished Min% Max% Pressure Min What, in the winery has led to better Cava? Rosé Vini conditions? What has Cava Industry done for the Spkl wine industry generally?
100ltr / 150kg (Chaps 102ltr/160kg)
Base wine 9.5%~11.5%
Finish Min 10.8% / Max 12.8% Min 3.5 Bar
Earlier Picking, Improved winemaking + Better Hygiene elim Rubber note
Rosé - Sangrado - Saignée ONLY, NO sht maceration, NO Blend
Cava Industry dev’d Floculating Yeasts + Freixenet dev’d Girasol (Gyropalette)
Cava ageing? Inc the new one
Spanish words for sweetness levels?
Wines Placed on their sides - RIMA (sur Latte in Champs)
Std 9mo lees
Reserva Tirage > Release 15mo
Gran Reserva Tirage > Release 30mo
Cava de Paraje Min 36mo on Lees Brut Nat, Extra Brut + Brut ONLY
Sweetness Brut Nature: Up to 3 g/l, no sugar added Extra Brut Up to 6 g/l Brut Up to 12 g/l Extra SECO Between 12 and 17 g/l SECO Between 17 and 32 g/l SEMI SECO Between 32 and 50 g/l DULCE More than 50 g/l
What was intro in 2017?
Conditions?
Arguments?
Result!
Cava de Paraje
Single Estate - Cava’s attempt @ Grand Cru (but no Prem Cru!)
Min 10yr old Vines - Max Yld 8,000/ha (Vs 12,000) - HAND Harvest
Max Pressing 48hl/ha (Vs 67hl/ha)
Min 36mo Lees Brut Nat, Ex Brut and Brut only
MUST Vini on Estate + Full traceability Grape > Bottle
2017 - 12 Paraje Single Vineyards registered
Artisans argue not strict enough Freixenet + Codorníu could so
Raventos i Blanc left DO in 2012
Recaredo + Gramona left 2019 = Corpinnat
Sales 2017 Vs 1987 (30yrs) 2017 - Simple qty split Simple style split Value € 2017 Key Expt Markets Who dominates? Av £ price 3 x High quality producers + Av £ price
1987 Tot 120m / 89m Dom / 41m Expt
2017 Tot 253m / 90m Dom / 163m Expt!
€1.2bn
200m Std White / 20m Std Rosado / 33m Reserva + Gran Reserva
Expt 68% EU: DE, BE, UK 32% Oth: USA + Jpn
Codorníu + Freixenet ~ 70% + Garcia Carrion = 80~90% £6-£10
Hi Quality
Raventos i Blanc, Recaredo, Gramona Biodynamic £10~£100
Freixenet
Freixenet
The largest exporter of Cava in the world; producing 20% of Spanish sparkling wine >150m bottles yr
• Where: San Saduni d’Anoia in Penedes
• What it produces? (names & styles)
1941 Carta Nevada + Intro Cordon Negro in Black bottles
• Where it produces these (Freixinet SA, Segura Viudas SA, Castellblanch SA and Torelavit SA
• Incl internat subsidiaries of Champagne Henri Abele, Gloria Ferrer in Carneros, Dona Dolores in Mexico, Finca Ferrer Uco Val Argent
• How it produces these products: (not a full-blown description of the traditional method, but issues that are relevant to Freixenet)
e.g. Preference for indigenous varieties rather than chardonnay
Development of Gyropalettes
Codorníu
EST 1551 in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
One of World largest producers Trad Meth Sparklers
1872 1st Trad Meth - In 10yrs Pop all over Spain
Claim to have founded Cava Industry
1st Producer use Chard + Pinot N + Indig grapes - Chard common many
1984 intro Anna de Codorníu Hi % Chardonnay
Viti R+D Raimat, Costers del Segre
1991 Codorníu Napa (Carneros) 1999 Septima Winery Mendoza
