Recaredo

In 1924 Josep Mata Capellades made his start in the world of cava as a disgorger and professional winemaker. He took up his pick and spade and began building cellars right under his home in the historic centre of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (Barcelona).

This was the start an exciting story of enterprise rooted in the craft of disgorgement.

Josep Mata Capellades named his family-owned winery after his father, Recaredo Mata Figueres, who had been born into a family of craft potters in 1878. Over time the respected family business would forge a path to its own distinctive style, pioneering the production of brut nature sparkling wines, the use of oak barrels, and the crafting of long-aged cavas with the Xarel·lo grape variety as the main protagonist.

Nineteen sixty-two brought the first harvest of a new idea, another step – one of many taken since 1924 – in the process of defining Recaredo. Working closely with his sons, Josep and Antoni Mata, Josep Mata Capellades made the first batch of Reserva Particular de Recaredo cava, a sparkling wine with a distinctive, captivating character: Xarel·lo and Macabeu, fermentation in oak casks and long ageing – a perfect expression of the authentic identity of the Recaredo winery.

Reserva Particular de Recaredo captures the Mediterranean in its purest state, interprets the calcareous soil of Alt Penedès, and conveys the profound character of the oldest Xarel·lo and Macabeu vineyards.

Over the years, Josep and Antoni Mata Casanovas, the sons of Josep Mata Capellades, continued to strengthen Recaredo’s reputation as a byword for rigour, quality, and passion for excellence, defining a truly unique style.

Thanks to their drive and dedication, the Recaredo winery (known familiarly as Can Credo) came to specialise in terroir cavas, with the vineyards as a vital element and a resolve to produce sparkling wines that truly connect with the landscapes of the Alt Penedès region.

In the 1990s members of the third generation of the family began to work in the cellars, setting in motion an enriching process in which the experience and know-how of the older generation was complemented by the younger team members’ new ideas and drive to move forward and learn.

At Recaredo we farm just 65 hectares of family-owned vineyards in the Bitlles Valley Highlands, in the county of Alt Penedès (Barcelona). The Bitlles winds its way through a varied landscape of forests, hills and ravines, including sites of great natural beauty, all dominated by the imposing presence of the mountain of Montserrat.

As grape growers and winemakers, we’ve specialised in long-aged Brut Nature cavas, entering into a tacit agreement with the land and tradition, a pact under which we seek to articulate truly honest stories, to express the distinctive features of the landscape through wines, vintage after vintage.

The hillsides around the Bitlles River are home to our family’s mosaic of vineyards, in the Alt Penedès region (Barcelona province).The Bitlles runs through a terrain broken by ravines, forests and hills.

The mainly calcareous terrain is characterised by disjointed landscapes, dominated by the imposing presence of the mountain of Montserrat.

Biodynamic, a step beyond organic farming. A step that brings us closer to life, to the constant pursuit of balance in the ecosystem, and to respect for biodiversity. A step that irrevocably makes man an artisan of the land. Since 2006 Recaredo has worked with biodynamic viticulture.

To move forward, we take a few steps back, observing and listening to nature to find answers. Without chemical fertilisers, without herbicides, without fungicides – only elements of natural origin. Because there can be no wines that capture the essence of the landscape unless we care for and respect the land itself.

Xarel·lo is a classic white grape variety that has its natural habitat in the Mediterranean, particularly the Penedès region. Xarel·lo provides a fresh, vivid acidity, and gives long-aged sparkling wines a good structure.

To be as respectful as possible towards the natural environment and ensure the outstanding quality of our grapes, we always harvest our crop by hand.

	39 ha	Xarel·lo
	18.5 ha	Macabeu
	3 ha	Parellada
	3.5 ha	Monastrell
	1 ha	Garnatxa

As of 2014, all Recaredo’s vineyards are planted with indigenous varieties of the Mediterranean zone.

100% Organic, biodynamic agriculture since 2006

A great wine is one that reflects its land of origin. This is the reason why we practise dry farming, apply the principles of biodynamic agriculture, and cultivate our vineyards without herbicides or insecticides, using only elements of natural origin.

Biodynamic agriculture is a cultivation system aimed at achieving a balanced ecosystem and fostering biodiversity in the vineyard.

Biodynamic agriculture, which focuses on the biological dimension of farming, is an approach that enables us to produce highly expressive sparkling wines with great ageing potential. And, most importantly, it lets us do this in a way that respects the landscape where our wines originate.

Recaredo is the first producer of cava with protected designation of origin to obtain Demeter's international certification for biodynamic viticulture.

Medicinal plants among the vines

In line with our unique commitment to work in a way that respects the land so we can harvest fruit that’s natural, expressive and rich in nuances, we use plant extracts – made mainly from horsetail, nettles and chamomile – to treat our grapevines.

Infusions, decoctions and macerations of these medicinal plants are applied to control the presence of mould and strengthen the vine’s natural defences.

Cover crops in the vineyard

In our vineyards we let vegetation cover grow spontaneously between the vines. This plant cover plays a crucial role, loosening the soil, regulating water retention and drainage (very important in the dry farming system we practise), and fostering biodiversity the vineyard ecosystem. The cover is also a perfect ally in our efforts to prevent soil erosion.

The importance of legumes

In fallow vineyards we plant sainfoin for livestock fodder and a local chickpea variety known as Cigronet de l’Anoia, two legume species that contribute a great deal to restoring soil fertility.

The legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and transform it into nutrients that are available to the vines. By respecting the natural nitrogen cycle we’re able to avoid using chemical fertilisers. As we strive to work with nature’s cycles, we feel we’re getting back to the essence of traditional farming.

Committed to continuous research

Our commitment to research complements the way we learn over time and reflects Recaredo’s history. In recent years we’ve started using a technique known as sensitive crystallisation to assess the vital quality of our wines and predict how they’re likely to evolve.

Tests carried out using this technique produce pure crystals that are structured in a very precise way and

indicate balances or imbalances in the wine samples examined.

Given the value of this kind of information to our ongoing efforts to improve our wines, we started to make regular use of the technique in 2011. Sensitive crystallisation is a way to check whether Recaredo’s cultural practices are achieving the goal that defines our true vocation: to reflect the landscape in the wines we make.

For almost a century, Recaredo has maintained a firm commitment: to produce terroir wines that reflect the landscapes of the Alt Penedès (Barcelona) as honestly and transparently as possible.

We make only vintage brut nature cavas with a distinctive character marked by long ageing.

Our sparkling wines have forged a truly unique style defined by elegance and subtlety. From the vineyards to the winery, to our cellars, at Recaredo every step is audited and certified by the independent verification body Bureau Veritas, a process that attests to our unique vocation as grape growers and winemakers.

At Recaredo, disgorgement is still done by true artisans, who expel the lees manually at the naturally cool temperature of the cellars. This traditional technique – performed only by experienced, expert hands – underscores our commitment to long-aged wines.

Our sparkling wines become deep and luminous, subtle and rich in nuances, essentialy ideal for pairing with fine foods.

Like sentinels waiting patiently in silence, Recaredo’s bottles remain in the darkness of our cellars for at least 30 months (two and a half years), until they achieve a truly unique character.

In the case of Recaredo’s most exclusive family wine cellars, some of our sparkling wines are aged for nearly 30 years, preserving the delicacy of time and a wealth of elegant and complex nuances.

Cork, ideally suited for long ageing

Recaredo’s aged cavas find a perfect ally in the natural cork stopper. Cork is a sustainable, recyclable material that’s part of our Mediterranean identity and craft tradition. Most importantly, though, cork is ideally suited to preserving the original character and excellence of long-aged cavas.

Recaredo was the first producer of sparkling wines in the world to receive the Aged with Cork certification granted by the European Cork Federation.