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Raventós i Blanc, a universe in balance
Wine makers for five centuries, the Raventós family represents the longest dynasty of documented winemaking tradition in Europe which, since 1497 and over almost 21 generations has known how to work, understand, recover and esteem the land which has seen them being born. An endeavour full of love and emotion which they transfer to their vineyards, which they care for as one of the family. Their winemaking system itself is an entire universe in balance.
We visited the Raventós i Blanc estate to discover the background of the great sparkling wines they make at the vineyard.
The vineyard is sustained by many years of tradition and expertise. In 1872, Josep Raventós i Fatjó created the first sparkling wine in Spain made using the traditional method and just a few days ago the 2007 Mas del Serral sparkling wine by Pepe Raventós won Best Wine in the 2020 edition of the Catalonia Guide to Wine, also recognized as the Best Wine in the sparkling wine category.
A journey of at least two centuries between one sparkling wine and another, but which reveals the Raventós i Blanc philosophy: the universality which comes from roots, from the homegrown, the possibility of making a journey to the origins of a wine through the wine itself, the meeting point between past and future, working from austerity to achieve the maximum potential of the plots and thus, from the knowledge of the terroir and by reclaiming the ways of yore, achieve durability and elegance without sacrificing personality.
Taking up the concept of terroir, at Raventós i Blanc they’re sure of and committed to vindicating the place that gives them their unique character: the Conca del Riu Anoia.
Manuel Raventós Domènech has travelled through many wine regions, especially Champagne, and this experience has allowed him to confirm the immense potential of his homeland for the production of high-quality sparkling wines.
The land where the farm is based has a history which begins 40 million years ago, when the Pyrenees, Pre-Pyrenees, Coastal and Pre-Coastal mountain ranges were formed. The Penedès Valley was created 20 million years ago, and remained covered by the Mediterranean Sea for 4 million years. The drying up of the Anoia estuary revealed an infinity of marine fossils which can still be identified in the calcareous base rock found in the Raventós i Blanc plots of land and which provides a minerality which gives its wines their own personality. They’re the only ones who work under the name “Conca del Riu Anoia” as a protection and vindication of this sign of identity which is so important for their sparkling wines.
They say that the French term terroir is made up of three parts: land, climate and man.
We’ve talked about how the characteristic land where Raventós i Blanc sits has an influence on the personality and elegance of its wines but its character also comes largely from the farm’s microclimate: mild winters and hot and dry summers which, due to its proximity to the sea, reduces variations in temperature, while the Coastal mountain range protects it from moisture and the Compte and Montserrat mountain range isolates it from the cold of the Pyrenees.
This microclimate is also determined by the Turó del Serral and its slopes, by the lake on the farm and the woodland which surrounds it.
The orographic and climatic situation of the farm alone would be nothing without the work of man. Five centuries of teaching for Raventós i Blanc, who throughout this time have established four important commitments:
Ancestral Personality
The farm only works with native varieties which are best adapted to the climate and faithfully represent the land where they are grown.
Constant Balance
At Raventós i Blanc they work 100% biodynamically. It’s a self-sufficient farm where the importance of working within a life cycle is understood, which relates to looking after the land in a natural way, by the use of organic formulas, and the close relationship with the animals which inhabit the farm and also contribute to the maintenance of the plots, all with the aim of creating a balanced universe which returns to the environment all the wealth which is obtained from it through the fruit and which is then passed on thanks to its wines.
Nature and mankind
All the above leads us to a close relationship between mankind and nature where interaction results in a balanced ecosystem. Working with animals, which is less invasive to the vineyard and the soils, was revived and contributes to mankind, animals and plants living together in synchrony.
The silence of time
All the work which is done from the field, and due to the close relationship in this cycle of man-animal-plant co-existence cannot be neglected in the winery, where composure and care are the best tools to finish shaping what nature offers them, because the unique character their soils contribute is finally reflected in each of the sparkling wines made with care and which rest for a minimum of 18 months before going on the market. Wines that are raised with their native yeasts and patiently refine their bubbles, some even spending years aging to embody their full varietal potential, accompanied by that subtle mineral note characteristic of the land where they come into being.
The result is indisputable and, if you’re not sure, just uncork a bottle of one of their sparkling wines to see for yourself as we’ve done, when we had the opportunity to go down to one of the most beautiful and impressive rooms of the winery, where in the stillness and silence rest great Raventós i Blanc vintages, and which has been the ideal place to taste three sparkling wines from the winery:
“Raventós i Blanc Gran Reserva de la Finca 2015”, prepared with the three representative varieties of Penedès: macabeo, parellada and xarel·lo. Mineral freshness ideal to go deeper into the cellar’s sparkling wines.
“Raventós i Blanc Textures de Pedra 2015”, an interesting “blanc de negres” of limited production made with xarel·lo, sumoll and with a recovered native red variety called bastard negre. Authenticity and a pure expression of the terroir!
And finally, we tried “Raventós i Blanc de Nit 2017”, a subtle and elegant light pink sparkling wine, fruit of the coupage of the white varieties xarel·lo, macabeu and parellada, and the monastrell red grape, which gives it colour and complexity.
All this ability to understand where what we have in our wine glass comes from would not be possible without opportunities like this. Profound gratitude to the Raventós i Blanc estate for having opened their doors and letting us into their synchronized universe. Special thanks to Pepe Tarrida, our patient guide who has given us a complete experience that we invite you to try.
These days, when we celebrate wine tourism at a national, European and international level, we want to encourage you to know what is inside and behind each bottle. There is no better way to do this than by visiting its makers, we assure you that it’s a custom you’ll fall in love with and will surely want to repeat.
