The great cava ritual: Assemblage
Before the tirage or bottling, one of the most important rituals takes
place: the creation of mixtures or blends. The time has come to
prepare the base wine. Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada wines
are combined in different proportions, and the results are tasted
individually in order to achieve the desired balance. Each type of
cava now begins to be defined.
The purity and personality of the assemblages determine the precise
crianza (ageing) or añada (long ageing) period for each type of cava.
Activity in the bottle
The prelude to the ‘Méthode Champegnoise’, determined by the type of
base wine used.
When the spring comes, the tirage or bottling of these base wines – to
which sugar and yeast have been added – takes place.
During the tirage, the bottles are filled and laid on racks in the
depths of the cellars. The yeast breaks down the sugar and turns it
into natural carbon dioxide gas and other components. The crianza, or
ageing in the bottle, calmly, deep down in the dark silence of the
cellar, gives the cava properties and values that are in direct
proportion to the quality of the base wine used.
Disgorging, a cry of joy
The bottle is opened, making a big bang.
The yeast sediments are removed. After the sediments have been
removed, the final touch is added: the liqueur de triage (bottling
liqueur). Each winery jealously guards the secret of the quantity and
the composition of the liqueur that it adds. These two factors are
what finally give each type of cava its own, unique personality.
The cork is the element to preserve the quality of the product and,
therefore it plays a key role up to the moment of opening the bottle
and enyoy the Cava.
Labelling: the business card
At last, the time has come… After a long process during which the
weather and nature have played their part, the cava will undergo its
first test and will be presented to the public so that everyone can
enjoy its exceptional qualities. This is when you can discover and
appreciate the difference of a cava made with the utmost care, a
Nadal cava.
