Uutiset
RAVENTÓS I BLANC DID NOT ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO BE A CORPINNAT FOUNDING PARTNER RAVENTÓS I BLANC BELIEVE IN THE FRENCH MODEL OF THE RIGOROUS AOC’S
At the beginning of the year, two winemakers who represent two of the founding wineries of
Corpinnat, and in the name of said association, invited Raventós i Blanc to become a founding member.
(Corpinnat is a collective European Union Brand created for some wineries inside the DO CAVA: Nadal, Castell Roig, Gramona, Recaredo and Llopart.)
Raventós i Blanc is a winery that sets a benchmark in the creation of sparkling wine in Spain and is a point of reference worldwide for its working methods which have reinstated the Wine Producing Farm of the 15th Century, committed to producing sparkling wine exclusively since 2015. The reasons why Raventós i Blanc has decided not to enter this “collective brand” are the following:
• We do not consider that there is a desire nor a clear and explicit vision to fight for and work towards a new Denomination of Origin. Corpinnat is presented as a collective brand; as such, its sole purpose is its brand, as can be seen in the Statutes of the Association and the Regulations regarding the Use of the Brand. In neither of these documents is the desire to create a DO mentioned.
• The association is formed by a group of wineries within the DO Cava. One of many similar
collaborations or groups that have been formed over the last few years – always within the DO itself – , we can recall “caves singulars” (unique caves) the Cava SME; or the very recent rating of “cava de paraje calificado” (cavas from a qualified location). And don’t also forget the UE Collective brand created 25 years ago called “vinya-celler-masia” (vineyard-cellar-house) which central element was and still is to have own vineyards – not required at Corpinnat.
• At Raventós i Blanc we are convinced of the potential of our region, and the importance of
defending it based on certain common requirements of viticulture; strict and firm requirements. Defending it and positioning it in the world: we have had to make sacrifices in order to achieve this.
For this reason, in November 2012, Raventós i Blanc decided to leave the DO CAVA, considering that such a designation of origin did not represent the interests nor the future dream of a denomination based on wine-growing criteria; and not on method. The first thing that Raventós i Blanc did was to abandon the word CAVA. With all the risks and the numerous unknowns that faced us. We had to start afresh. Conca de riu Anoia could not be a subsection within CAVA, because this would mean that it would never fulfil the dream for which it was created.
(Conca del Riu Anoia requires no need of vineyard on property, no need of being 100% organic vineyard during the first 3 years; no required vintage marking, etc.)
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The new 2013 vintage of De la Finca is now being launched after aging 36 months on the lees.
De la Finca comes from one of our most historical vineyards, espalier-trained since 1964: Vinya dels Fòssils, located on the highest terraces of the Anoia River, where we find marine soils with a high concentration of fossils, characterizing our most mineral sparkling wine. Xarel lo comes from Clot de les Comes and del Coll, Macabeu from La Barbera and Parellada from La Vinya del Mingo.
The 2013 vintage was very special, a demanding, very fresh vintage, with a great ageing potential and a long growing cycle, reminiscent of those from 30 years ago, when we harvested the Macabeus after the Sant Sadurní fairs and the Xarel.los in late September. The fall was damp followed by a cool, dry winter with some sporadic rainfall. Spring started out cool and damp, with rain in March and May. A cool, dry end to the spring followed by a meteorologically short summer produced a slow vegetative development. We started the harvest on 19th of August. There were no heat waves during the months of August and September and summer temperatures were moderate, all of which contributed to a slow and good maturation of the different varieties of grape.
Every vintage of De la Finca has won many awards and received excellent tasting notes and recommendations from the most important wine magazines and wine writers. De la Finca has been slowly aged for an average of 36 months in contact with the lees and there are notes of toasted bread and mripe yellow plums with a hint of fennel, unmistakably Mediterranean.
Soils
The soils on the estate are calcareous and date back to the oldest period of the Penedès depression some 16 million years ago. The first layer comprises roots of up to 1 meter that live in the clay along with nutrients, organic matter and water. Second layer, from 1 meter down. This is where the plant meets the compact clays known locally as galera. Calcareous base rock encrusted with marine fossils. Marine fossils characterize the structure and composition of the soils of the Vinya dels Fòssils. It is the abundance of carbonated fossils that gives our sparkling wine its characteristic saline notes.
Viticulture
Biodynamic viticulture. A vineyard with spontaneous vegetation coverage which affords biodiversity, fertility and gives the soil alot of life. We add manure from our animals, composted in the winter. We perform a short goblet pruning. Use of plants and herbal infusions to minimize the use of copper and sulphur. Control of Lobesia Botrana by means of sexual confusion. Testing of fruit and maturation controls before the harvest.
Winemaking
The grapes enter the winery by gravity. At each stage, the atmosphere is controlled by dry ice. Slow pressing at low pressures. Static sedimentation at low temperatures. First fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature, separating varieties and soil types. Assemblage and second fermentation in the bottle with a minimumageing period of three years in a horizontal position. No “liqueur d’expédition” added. Disgorging date stated on the back label.
NEW SPARKLING WINE LAUNCHED BY RAVENTÓS I BLANC
Textures de Pedra Blanc de Negres 2011
With “Textures de Pedra” Raventós i Blanc would like to share with you our dedication to making estate produced, terroir driven, vintage sparkling wines that have been slowly aged and always allow the terroir to take center stage.
The name is inspired by the vineyard where the wine is born: Vinya Més Alta, located at the top of the Serral hill, the highest point of our estate where the soils enjoy a stony texture. The geology of these plots force the roots of the vines to go deeper in search of water – these are warmer soils – and this produces grapes that allow for a more concentrated wine with great structure.
With this new sparkling wine Raventós i Blanc is exploring 3 local red varieties: Xarel·lo Vermell, Sumoll and Bastard Negre. Xarel·lo and Bastard Negre from the Vinya Més Alta; Sumoll and Parellada from a higher altitude, mixed vineyard in the West of Conca del Riu Anoia.
Xarel·lo – the great variety from Penedès allows us to age these wines slowly.
Bastard Negre – this local and old variety has high acidity and is very well suited to the area; it brings strength and dynamism to Textures de Pedra, as well as density and texture on the palate, giving it a slightly golden hue.
Sumoll – a native variety to Penedès, planted on the estate before Phylloxera that adds fantastic acidity to our sparkling wines.
Textures de Pedra is made using the “methode champenoise” and is aged for at least 42 months in our cellars.