The grape varieties in Cava
Cava is a premium sparkling wine made in Spain. It utilises the traditional method which involves a second fermentation in the bottle which imparts yeasty flavours, but also creates the bubbles we know and love. But Cava is distinct from other sparkling wines such as Champagne, in large part due to the variety of grapes which can be used to make it, as well as the characteristics imparted into the wines from the terroir.
Cava can be made as either a white sparkling wine or a rosé sparkling wine. As such, the permitted varieites include 5 white skinned varieties and 4 red skinned varieties. Of course, not all red skinned grapes necessarily make red wines, and just like in Champagne, Cava can be made in a blanc de noir form utilising the juice from red grapes to make a white sparkling wine. However, there are three main varieties which are dominant when it comes to making white cava.
The three key varieties
One of the distinctive things about Cava is that all three of the key varieties are varieties which are native to the parts of Spain in which Cava is made. These varieties are: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Collectively, these grape varieties account for a massive 82% of all the varieties registered in the Cava D.O. for the production of Cava. The remaining varieties make up only 18% of the plantations. It is therefore, highly likely, that most Cava which readers may have tried had some combination of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada in them.
The Macabeo Grape
This is the most planted variety in the Cava D.O. accounting for just under 37% of all plantations. The grape, which is native to the Penedès, is late to bud and ripens roughly mid season. It is an exceptionally vigorous vine which left unchecked produces high yeilds of fruit. Bunches are formed of large clusters which are densely populated with berries of white, thin skinned, rounded and medium sized grapes. The skins are yellow in colour, and turn golden with ripening.
The Macabeo grape brings relatively high acidity, some floral notes and elegance to the wine. It has a medium sugar content and so if fermented to dryness will produce a wine of around 9-10% abv. This is perfect for making a base wine which will undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The flavour profile of this grape will be largely of white fruit – green / yellow apple, and potentially some white peach in riper berries. It also has great potential to age which makes it ideal for wines which are kept on their lees prior to release.
The Xarel-lo Grape
This is the second most planted variety in the Cava D.O. accounting for just over 26% of all plantations. The grape, which is native to the Penedès, is late to bud and ripens mid to late season. It is less vigorous than the Macabeo variety, but still produces a decent yeild. Bunches are formed of medium clusters which are not that densely populated with berries of golden, thick skinned, rounded and medium sized grapes. The thick skins make the grape more resistant to disease, and they also carry high levels of the antioxidant resveratrol.
The Xarel-lo grape brings relatively high acidity, body and structure to the wines. It has a medium high sugar content and so if fermented to dryness will produce a wine of around 10-12% abv. The flavour profile of this grape will be largely of white fruit and citrus – green apple, lemon and grapefruit. the grape is also aromatic in profile. It also has great potential to age which makes it ideal for wines which are kept on their lees prior to release.
The Parellada Grape
This is the third most planted variety in the Cava D.O. accounting for just over 19% of all plantations. The grape, has been grown in Spain since the fourteenth century, is early to bud and ripens late in the season. It is vigorous and produces high yeilds if left unchecked, and grows well at altitude. Bunches are formed of large long clusters populated with medium sized berries of golden/pink, thick skinned grapes.
The Parellada grape brings relatively low acidity, and sugar levels, but contributes a lot of aromatic and floral compounds to the wines. If fermented to dryness will produce a wine of around 9 to 10.5% abv. The flavour profile of this grape will be largely of white fruit and citrus – lemon and pair, but it is more subtle than the other two varieties. It adds smoothness and finess to the final wines, as well as some pleasant aromatic notes.
Other White Varieties
Of the other white varieties permitted by the Cava D.O., the most prominent is Chardonnay. Chardonnay accounts for around 7% of plantations and is well known for its ability to make high quality sparkling wines. Chardonnay adds persistence, structure and body to the wine, along with some desirable aromatic qualities. In addition, Subirat Parent is grown in smaller quantities and accounts for less than 1% of total plantations. This variety brings floral and herbaceous notes to the wines, as well as structure, freshness and the ability to age.
Red varieties
The most prominently planeted red variety is Red Garnacha. This accounts for around 5% of plantations. When fully ripened it has high alcohol potential and so in the Cava D.O. is usually harvested early when it has lower sugar levels. Garnacha Tinta contributes high levels of fruit compounds giving nice notes of red fruits. In addition to Garnacha Tinta, Trepat accounts for around 3% of plantations and contributes notes of strawberry, raspberry and cherry to wines. The remaining two red varities, Pinot Noir and Monastrell which account for around 2% and less than 1% of total plantations respectively, add to the consistency of the foam, red fruit flavours and alcohol content.
Blends and single varietals
As in other sparkling with producing areas, Cavas can be found as blends of the varieties above or (usually less commonly) as single varieties. Given the prolific nature of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada, most wines, especially as entry level, are likely to be blends. However, there are bottles which focus exclusively on single varieties, including the international varieties such as Chardonnay. In making a rosé wine, the D.O. regulations state that a minimum of 25% of the blend must be red varieties.
Whichever varieties are used, Cava is influenced by the terroir and quality is tightly controlled by the D.O. This means that every bottle has been made using techniques established over many decades. As a result of this every bottle has the D.O. seal on it which acts as a guarantee of both the origin and quality of production techniques used.
In the rest of this series we will uncover the distinctive features of Cava, exploring the terroirs and styles which make Cava unique. Hopefully you will discover why Cava is so beloved in Spain. And in the meantime, keep on exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time.