Vintage: 2021

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2021RB201B216 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
Practising Biodynamic
Certified Organic
Producer

Raventós i Blanc is owned by one of Spain’s most historic winemaking families, whose viticultural tradition dates back to 1497. Josep Raventós Fatjó produced Spain’s first traditional method sparkling wine in 1872 from estate-grown Xarel·lo and his descendant, Josep Maria Raventós i Blanc, went on to become a key figure in Spanish wine.

Following the civil war and years of dictatorship, Josep Maria worked tirelessly to promote his family's estate, Codorníu, alongside Penedès sparkling wines, eventually helping to establish Cava as a ‘Denominación de Origen’. In 1986, the energetic Josep Maria sold his share of Codorníu and founded Raventós i Blanc, making high-quality wines from the family’s original vineyards around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia.

Today, Raventós i Blanc is run by Pepe Raventós, who previously worked with Hubert Lamy in Burgundy, Gaston Chiquet in Champagne and Didier Dagueneau in Pouilly-Fumé. Pepe has inherited his grandfather’s spirit and vision, believing Raventós i Blanc should “convey our viticultural traditions, the strength of our land and the characteristics of our soils”. As a result, Pepe withdrew from the Cava DO in 2012, to focus on their distinctive Conca del Riu Anoia region in Alt Penedès.

Raventós i Blanc’s 50 hectares of vines, nestled among picturesque woodland, are divided into 44 plots, according to soil and microclimate, within seven larger areas, Clos del Serra, La Vinya Més Alta, Costers del Serral-Vinya dels Fòssils, Les Barberes-Oliveres, El Llac, La Plana and Travesseres-Gran. The climate here is Mediterranean and the estate's vines are planted on limestone soils replete with marine fossils, protected by three mountain ranges: Sierra Litoral to the east, Montserrat to the north and Sierra d’en Compte to the west. Pepe believes in polyculture and biodiversity and the family’s land is home to many crops and animals. Biodynamic principles are employed alongside traditional Catalan farming practices, such as horse ploughing. “I believe that to express origin, you really need to bring a lot of life into your farm,” says Pepe.

Raventós i Blanc’s wines are vintage-dated and made from 100% indigenous, estate-grown varieties. Their wines undergo at least 18 months of ageing on their lees in stainless steel tanks. The Blanc de Blancs is a traditional blend of Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada and Malvasia de Sitges. It is a gentle, citrus and mineral-inflected wine with soft Mediterranean herbs, superb freshness and a persistent finish. The ‘De Nit’ blends local white grapes with Monastrell, producing a lovely pale sparkling rosé. Both wines are extra brut and produced from younger vines. ‘De la Finca’ is limited production and is produced from the Vinya dels Fòssils site. This zero-dosage wine benefits from 30 months on lees to add complexity, resulting in a saline expression with delicate lemon and fennel accents. ‘Textures de Pedra’ is a Blanc de Noirs from Vinya Més Alta, the estate’s highest plot. It blends pale-skinned Xarel·lo Vermell with Sumoll and Bastard Negre and spends 48 months ageing on its lees. With zero dosage, the resulting wine is intense with a layered palate of fig, walnut and acacia honey.

Vineyards

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 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 wind breaks and cooling temperatures from the Pyrenees. The vineyards are divided into 44 plots, depending on the different soils and microclimates. The fruit for this wine is sourced mainly from the La Plana vineyard. These are the estate’s youngest vines, grown on clay-loam soils with a large amount of fossils. This gently sloping vineyard sits at 120-170 metres above sea level.

Vintage

A very wet year, although there was little rain during autumn. The winter was dry and warm, followed by a cool spring without any frost or disease pressure. There was a heat wave at the start of summer which brought the harvest forward slightly, with rain falling during harvest. The harvest started with the Macabeu grapes on the 18th of August, with the Parellada harvest starting on the 8th of September.

Vinification

Each variety was handpicked and then 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. The wine was aged on the lees for 18 months with no malolactic fermentation allowed.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

Fresh, citrus nose with a hint of delicate Mediterranean herbs. The palate is elegant and well-balanced, with a full mouthfeel and a delicious, persistent finish.

Alcohol (ABV)

12%

Other wines from this producer

Producer
Wine
Product Code
Features
Style
Raventós i Blanc`De Nit` RoséRB202
Vegetarian
Vegan
Certified Organic
Certified Biodynamic
SpRo
Sparkling Rosé
Factsheet
`De la Finca`RB203
Vegetarian
Vegan
Practising Biodynamic
Certified Organic
SpW
Sparkling White
Factsheet
`Textures de Pedra` Blanc de NoirsRB204
Vegetarian
Vegan
Practising Biodynamic
Certified Organic
SpW
Sparkling White
Factsheet