Blanc Blancs
Blanc Blancs
Cava Conde de Haro Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 2018 is an exceptional sparkling wine made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Oja Valley.
Cava Conde de Haro Blanc de Blancs 2018
Chardonnay
SOIL
The cava’s vineyards in the Oja Valley rest on clay-limestone soils of tertiary origin. Their balanced drainage and water retention, together with their wealth of carbonates, means that the grape ripens slowly, holding onto its acidity and intense structural complexity. These optimal conditions heighten the potential for ageing in the bottle, allowing for a gradual change in sensorial characteristics.
VINIFICATION
After intense scrutiny of the ripening process, to preserve the high natural acidity and the huge aromatic potential characteristic of the Chardonnay variety, the vintage is picked by hand. The choicest grapes are transported in 200-kg crates to the cellar in a refrigerated lorry, ensuring their best possible preservation and preventing spontaneous fermentation.
Once in the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and gently pressed to extract the flower must, whose varietal purity brings out the crispness and complexity of Chardonnay. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out in small wooden tubs, where the wine remains in contact with its fine lees until springtime, creating volume on the palate without falling short on vibrancy. Before bottling, the liqueur de tirage is added to start the second fermentation in the bottle, a process that occurs slowly over 12-14 weeks at a controlled temperature of 10-11ºC. This temperature control keeps the touch of carbonic gas subtle, integrating an elegant bubble, in harmony with the crisp and mineral expression of the grape variety.
Once bottled and stacked in a horizontal position, the bottles are kept in the dark and at constant temperature and humidity conditions for 70 months. After this time, they are moved slowly to an inverted vertical position on an A-frame rack in a process known as remuage or riddling, or in this case, as it is done by hand, manual remuage. This concentrates the lees in the neck of the bottle. Finally, four weeks of this, they are ready for disgorgement to remove the sediment and seal each bottle with its final cork, ensuring optimal development over time and heightening the natural longevity and elegance of the Chardonnay.
TASTING
The 2018 vintage was marked by a cold and rainy winter, followed by a wet spring ensuring plentiful water reserves. The summer brought moderate temperatures and dryness, which led to gradual and uniform ripening—good for wines with vibrant acidity, great balance and huge potential for ageing, and perfect for elaborating long-ageing cavas from Chardonnay.
This sparkling wine is brilliant gold in colour, with fine and well- integrated bubbles from a prolonged ageing on lees. On the nose, it is highly intense and presents great complexity, with notes of toasted nuts, subtleties of butter and a hint of citrus reminiscent of grapefruit, typical of Chardonnay from cool climates. On the palate it is mouth-filling and structured, with high and perfectly-balanced acidity, topped with delicious notes of cooked apples, and a subtle mineral character. Its creamy texture and long and elegant aftertaste again evokes memories of bread and nuts, made all the more intense by its prolonged ageing.