Cavas Hill

"Ennoble" is the term used by experts to describe the traditional action of adding different varieties of grape to a vineyard’s stock. It was this that, in the nineteenth centuries, saved our vines from the phylloxera plague and gave rise to the current richness of the vineyards of the Penedès. The term acquires special meaning at Cavas Hill. Its beginnings date back to the seventeenth century when an English immigrant named Joseph Hill began growing vines at the "El Maset" estate. Over the course of many generations, his descendents continued with the family business until over one hundred twenty-five years ago, in 1887, when Cavas Hill was incorporated as a company dedicated to the cultivation of vines and the production of wine.

In 1918, our first underground cellars were built, and production of our "méthode champenoise", wine –now known as “cava”– commenced. Thus it is that, today, our wines enjoy the great prestige conferred only upon top-quality products. The area is blessed with an exceptionally favourable climate. A perfect balance between the amount of sun and rain, and its proximity to the Mediterranean, at a height of 200m above sea level, means that these lands enjoy a truly privileged situation. Added to this, tradition and technology –that is, centuries of know-how– careful production in the hands of expert winemakers, ageing in the silence and shadows of our cellars, combined with the most advanced winemaking techniques, continue with the natural process of these excellent products.

From the vine’s first shoots to bottling, the entire process is strictly controlled. Modern, well-equipped facilities and a range of cellars running under the vineyards, provide a guarantee of quality for the ageing of Cavas Hill’s wines and cavas.

The Cava production area covers 160 towns and villages located in a number of Spain’s Autonomous Communities. The majority of these towns and villages are to be found in Catalonia’s wine-growing area. More specifically, the Penedès district, some 40 km to the south of Barcelona, is home to 95% of the total production of cava.

The white grape varieties traditionally employed in the production of cava are Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada, together with a range of other types from a variety of sources, such as Chardonnay. The red Garnacha, Monastrell, Pinor Noir and Trepat grapes are only authorised for use in the production of rosé cavas. Only authorised grape varieties from vineyards recorded Cava Council’s registers may be used in the production of cava.

The Penedès region has a wide range of soil types due to is geological diversity. The climate is typically Mediterranean in character: bright and sunny, with mild winters and summers that are not excessively hot.

The wine-growing area which gives its name to the Penedès Denomination of Origin straddles the provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona and can be divided into three parts: the Penedès Superior (High Penedès), the Penedès Central (Central Penedès) and the Baix Penedès (Low Penedès).

The influence of sun and sea give the Penedès its warm, gentle climate, so suited to the growing of the vine. On a more or less experimental basis, other grape types of acknowledged quality, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are grown. In the Penedès Superior, the most inland, sheltered area, at altitudes that reach 800 metros above sea level, the white Parellada varietal is grown.

As is often the case in quality wine-growing areas, the soil is poor in organic material and relatively unfertile. The earth is deep, permeable and retains rainwater.

Wines are grown at all altitudes, from sea level and in the Anoia, Foix and Gaià river valleys to the high slopes of the Penedès Superior.

Harvesting begins at the end of August and continues until the middle of October. In chronological order, the grape varieties are received as follows: Chardonnay, Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada. The grapes are rapidly transported to our facilities where their acidity, pH, sugar content and state of health are analysed.

After the grapes have passed though a range of quality controls, they move on to the pressing process. The first pressing gives the so-called "Mosto Flor" (flower must), that will be used to product cava. Cavas Hill boasts technically-advanced facilities that allow it to control the process of producing cava from the vine to the end product.

1st FERMENTATION
Once the must has been filtered, the first fermentation is carried out in stainless steel vats with thermal sleeves to keep the temperature between 16-18 ºC over several days. During this process, the must turns into the base vine. Each grape variety is kept separate at this stage.

COUPAGE AND TIRAGE
“Coupage” is the process by means of which the different base wines obtained are blended for each cava type. Next the “tirage” take place. This consists in filling the bottle with the selected “coupage” and adding yeast and sugars to permit the second fermentation in the bottle. The bottles, complete with provisional stopper and cap, are transported to the cellars for ageing, lying down in horizontal position.

At Cavas Hill, we possess a lab equipped with some of the latest technological advances in analytical, testing and research devices, for both the product (at all production stages) and the raw material used for presenting our wines and cavas.

Monitoring of quality and the traceability of end products is carried out at all times by a the company’s team of oenologists and cellar masters to ensure that our wines and cavas continue to enjoy their renowned quality and prestigious image.