Raventos i Blanc, De la Finca 2016  £28.95

Raventos i Blanc, De la Finca 2016

Raventós i Blanc is owned by one of Spain’s most historic winemaking families with a viticultural tradition dating back to 1497. They have been at the forefront of Cava production since Josep Raventós Fatjó produced Spain’s first traditional method of sparkling wine in 1872 from Xarel-lo grown on their estate. Today, Raventós I Blanc is run by Pepe Raventós, who aims to “convey our viticultural traditions, the strength of our land and the characteristics of our soils,” Pepe took the decision to leave the Cava DO in 2012, in order to focus on the estate’s 50 hectares of vines in the more distinctive Conca del Riu Anoia region.

Raventós i Blanc’s 50 hectares of vines are located in the Conca del Riu Anoia in Alt Penedès. Biodynamic principles are adhered to, using manure from the farm's animals as the base for the compost. The climate here is the Mediterranean with mild winters and warm, dry summers. The estate is surrounded by three mountain ranges: Sierra Litoral in the east, which acts as a rain shadow from the wetter coastal areas, Montserrat in the north and Sierra d'en Compte in the west, both providing windbreaks and cooling temperatures from the Pyrenees. The vineyards are divided into 44 plots, depending on the different soils and microclimates. The grapes for De la Finca come from old vines in the Vinya dels Fòssils plot. This vineyard sits at 170-190 metres above sea level, where grey clay topsoils sit above sandy subsoils containing small fragments of marine fossils.

Substantial spring rains and favourable weather during the early stages of vine development were followed by a hot, dry summer followed. However, these high temperatures and low rainfall started to cause stress in some vines with still no sign of cooler temperatures by early September. Modest rainfall in the middle of the month provided some relief and fine weather continued throughout the autumn allowing the harvest to progress steadily.

Each variety was vinified separately, starting with the grapes being pressed in a pneumatic press at low pressure. The juice was settled at cool temperatures prior to undergoing fermentation in stainless steel tanks using native yeasts at temperatures kept between 17 to 21ºC. Fermentation lasted 9-15 days. The wine was then aged on the lees for 30 months. No sugar was added at dosage to preserve the wine's purity of fruit and saline expression.

The De la Finca is a complex, saline wine with delicate lemon, aniseed and fennel aromas. The palate is elegant and fresh with mineral notes and fine mousse.