Free Flashcards DipWSET D4: Sparkling – 5/Cava

[qdeck]

[h] DipWSET D4 SET 5 Cava

[i] DipWSET D4 – Sparkling WInes Flashcards

SET 5 Cava

I RECOMMEND YOU LEAVE THE CARDS IN THE INITIAL ORDER AND USE THE “SHUFFLE” OPTION ONLY WHEN YOU MASTER THE WHOLE DECK (= 0 MISTAKE)

– Read the Term on the Card and give your answer
– Click on “Check the Answer” button to check your knowledge
– Click on “Got It!” if your answer was correct
– Click on “Need more practice” to review the card at the end of the deck and try answering another time
– Click on “Shuffle” button to change cards order

[start]

[q] Why is the Lleida province important?

[a] It is where the Raimat estate is – which is the largest single vineyard estate owned by one family (2200 hectares), owned by the Raventos (who also own Codorniu). Pioneered growing Chardonnay

[q] What are the wines like from Tarragona?

 

What speciality is grown here and where specifically?

[a] Simple, Macabao based for early drinking.

 

Trepat – the black grape increasingly valued for Rosado, grown in the Conca de Barbera region

[q] Where in Spain is Cava traditionally made? And where is most of it now produced?

[a] In Cataluna, in the area around Barcelona (north east Spain).

Now made mostly in Penedes

[q] What is the climate like in Tarragona?

[a] Mediterranean, low lying undulating hills

[q] How has the Lleida province been made viable for grape growing?

[a] Formerly a semi-desert and made viable by irrigation systems from the Pyrenees, providing feritlity but also frost protection

[q] How does altitude effect the final wine style?

[a] Higher altitude grown grapes will have more flavour and higher acidity and will produce more age-worthy wines

[q] What are the principal varieties used?

[a] Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Chardonnay less so but still significantly

[q] What are two varying environmental factors in Penedes?

[a] The altitude – ranging from the coast up to 700-800 metres, with the majority grown at 200-300 metres.

The soil – alluvial soil and clay and low altitude, and stony clay and granite at higher altitudes

[q] What is the climate like in Lleida?

[a]

Coastal mountains, including a high plane. Mediterranean at the coast and increasingly continental at altitude

[q] Describe Chardonnay. (3)

[a] 9% of plantings

Adds body, richness and finesse

Needs to be the right clone and rootstock as to to ripen too quickly in this climate

[q] What is the climate like in Penedes?

[a] Mediterranean (sunny summers, mild winters, moderate rainfall year-round)

[q] Describe Parellada. (8)

[a] 20% of plantings

Planted on higher sites (500m)

Early-budding

Late ripening

Low yielding

Susceptible to powdery

Needs altitude to give a long ripening period without gaining excessive alcohol

Adds finesse and floral character 

[q] What rootstocks are used?

[a] Unspecified, but chosen to control vigour and be lime resistant when necessary

[q] What threats are present in the vineyards growing Cava?

 

How are they combatted?

[a] Downy mildew form misty mornings.

Powdery mildew in dry weather.

Grapevine moth.

Combatted by copper and sulphur, as well as leaf plucking to aid air circulation 

[q] Describe Macabeo. (8)

[a] 36% of plantings

Typically planted at 100-300 metres

Late budding

Picked first (early ripening?)

High yielding

Susceptible to Botrytis and bacterial blight

Light intensity apple and lemon

Can be a single variety Cava where it is the only planting, but increasingly blended with Chardonnay

[q] What is different/interesting about the Cava PDO?

[a] It is for a production style rather than a place – grapes can be sourced from a number of different, unconnected areas

[q] What are the maximum yields for Cava?

[a] 12,000kg/hectare

 

80hL/ha

[q] Is irrigation allowed?

[a] Very strictly controlled. Permitted only for relieving hydric stress, not permitted for increasing yields

[q] Describe Xarel-lo. (8)

[a] 25% percent of plantings

Planted at 0-400 metres

Mid-budding

Mid-ripening

Susceptible to powdery and downy

Aromas of gooseberry and herbal notes, can become earthy when overripe.

Indigenous to Cataluna

Has a reasonable affinity with oak

[q] When did the term Cava become legally recognised as a PDO?

[a] 1972 – When Spain entered the EU

[q] Apart from Penedes, Lleida and Tarragona, what is the other important growing area?

[a] Rioja – sheltered by the Cantabrian mountains, particularly the Rioja ALta regions with high altitude. They grow Macabeo (Viura) and Chardonnay

[q] How are the wines disgorged?

 

What are the recent developments that has increased disgorgment speed?

[a] Traditionally by hand, but then mostly by Gyropalette.

 

Selected yeast that flocculates easily.

Smooth glass on the inside

Automated rotating drum

– total time can be 80 minutes

[q] Yeast/MLF?

[a] Cultured yeast (either self-cultured or purchased).

No MLF

[q] What is the harvest like?

[a] 90% by hand – because of fragmented ownership and uneven terrain. For example:

Freixenet buys from lots of small growers, so is all by hand.

Codorniu own a lot of their own, and so machine harvest

[q] How is rose Cava made?

[a] With at least 25% red grapes, and by skin maceration (not blending)

[q] Are reserve wines used?

[a] Typically not, even if the wine is marketed as NV or not. Vintage variation is not frequent

[q] What are the requirements for the Cava Reserva category?

 

What is it’s typical style?

[a] 15 months minimum on lees

Similar flavours profile as Cava, but with more prevalent autolytic notes. Good-very good quality and mid-priced 

[q] What kind of press is used for Cava?

[a] Pneumatic, so it can be gentle and extract as little phenolic content as possible

[q] When is picking date?

[a] When pH/sugar/acidity levels are tested and accurate. Low phenolic ripeness and low potential alcohol are desired

[q] Who are the four seperate registrars kept by the Consejo Regulador del Cava?

 

What is typical about these registers?

[a] growers

producers of base wines

storekeepers of base wines

Cava producers

It is common for producers to be registered on all four 

[q] What are the three main categories of Cava?

[a] Cava

Cava Reserva

Cava Gran Reserva

[q] What are the requirements for Cava Gran Reserva?

 

What is it’s typical style?

[a] 30 months minimum on lees

May only by Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature

Pronounced toasty, smoky, autolytic notes. Very good-outstanding, premium price

[q] What are the four black grape varieties planted?

[a] Garnacha Tinta – oxidises easily, adds ripe red fruit character

Trepat – only legally for Rosado, adds acidity and strawberry flavour

Pinot Noir – Rosado, blends and BdN

Monastrell – allowed but rarely used

NOTE – Tempranillo not allowed

[q] What is the domestic/exported split of production?

[a] 1/3 consumed in Spain, 2/3 exported

[q] What is the recent development grape testing at harvest?

[a] Testing for gluconic acid values which is an indicator of botrytis levels. Too high can lead to secondary fermentation problems, grapes will be rejected 

[q] How are vines typically planted/trained/trellised?

[a] Low-moderate density, traditional bush vines or single/double cordon 

[q] What are the requirements for for the Cava category?

 

What is it’s typical style?

 [a] Minimum 9 months lees post tirage

Light-med intensity lemon, apple and herbal notes. Light biscuit notes, med-med+ acid. Acceptable to good

[q] What is the typical sweetness level?

[a] Brut – 8-9g/L dosage.

Medium-dry is popular in some markets.

Quality producers are expanding into Brut Nature

[q] What is the percentage split of each category of Cava?

[a] Regular Cava – 87%

Reserva – 11%

Gran Reserva/Paraje Calificado – 2%

Rosado – 8%

[q] What is the percentage of production that the two biggest companies are responsible for, and what are there names?

[a] Freixenet and Codorniu.

 

75% of total production

[q] What is the climate like in Tarragona?

[a] Mediterranean, low lying undulating hills

[q] How has the Lleida province been made viable for grape growing?

[a] Formerly a semi-desert and made viable by irrigation systems from the Pyrenees, providing feritlity but also frost protection

[q] Who are the governing board?

[a] Consejo Regulador del Cava

[q] What is the name of the new quality category?

 

What are it’s requirements? (7)

[a] Cava de Paraje Calificado.

Single estate/single vineyard

Produced on the premise by the owner.

Minimum 10-year vine age

Maximum yields of 48hL/ha

Cannot be acidified

36 months on lees

Must be Brut level or lower

[q] What is the name of the producer group that some quality producers formed in 2019?

 

What are it’s regulations?

[a] Corpinnat.

100% organic grapes.

Grown in Penedes

Hand harvested

Estate grown and vinified.

18, 30 or 60 months lees ageing

[q] How have sales tracked in the last 40 years?

[a] Steady growth from 1980 to 2010 but plateaued since then

[q] Why is the Lleida province important?

[a] It is where the Raimat estate is – which is the largest single vineyard estate owned by one family (2200 hectares), owned by the Raventos (who also own Codorniu). Pioneered growing Chardonnay

[q] How does altitude effect the final wine style?

[a] Higher altitude grown grapes will have more flavour and higher acidity and will produce more age-worthy wines

[q] What are two varying environmental factors in Penedes?

[a] The altitude – ranging from the coast up to 700-800 metres, with the majority grown at 200-300 metres.

The soil – alluvial soil and clay and low altitude, and stony clay and granite at higher altitudes

[q] Describe Parellada. (8)

[a] 20% of plantings

Planted on higher sites (500m)

Early-budding

Late ripening

Low yielding

Susceptible to powdery

Needs altitude to give a long ripening period without gaining excessive alcohol

Adds finesse and floral character

[q] What threats are present in the vineyards growing Cava?

 

How are they combatted?

[a] Downy mildew form misty mornings.

Powdery mildew in dry weather.

Grapevine moth.

Combatted by copper and sulphur, as well as leaf plucking to aid air circulation

[q] Describe Chardonnay. (3)

[a] 9% of plantings

Adds body, richness and finesse

Needs to be the right clone and rootstock as to to ripen too quickly in this climate

[x] GOOD JOB!! [restart] Return to page view

[/qdeck]