Recaredo from Penedes has been at the frontier of high quality Spanish sparkling wines since the 1920s. It started with Josep Mata Capellades, a disgorger and winemaker by trade, digging a cellar out from under his home in San Sadurní d’Anoia. From humble beginnings they’ve made quite a name for themselves.

Their reputation for traditional winemaking was established over time. Starting out, their practices were mostly the same as everyone else’s but when others started to mechanize and take advantage of new equipment they kept their process the same. Natural cork stoppers are still used instead of crown caps, bottles are hand riddled on racks, and disgorging and tirage is done by hand without freezing.

Another thing that sets them apart from the crowd is their focus on terroir driven, vintage wine. They want their wines to reflect their vineyards as well as the soul of Penedes. These wines that are meant to be aged are very different from the quick and easy Cavas that are distributed after only the nine month minimum of aging, there is much more attention given to the wine and the blend so that the wine will age gracefully instead of making it only drinkable for a short period of time. In a way, Recaredo functions more like a grower champagne producer rather than a champagne house.

Recently they’ve allied themselves with a few other quality driven producers to form the new category Corpinnat. The goal of the group is to set a high standard and distinguish themselves from large volume producers. The new classification was ratified by the EU in 2017 and all Corpinnat members formally left the Cava DO in 2019. Every wine that these wineries produce must be 100% organic, handpicked, entirely vinified on their estate, made from at least 90% native grape varieties and aged at least 18 months.

The cuvee we’re featuring today is made from native varieties Xarel-lo and Macabeo. It’s brut nature and has zero dosage. This wine has spent five years on the lees allowing the wine to develop more nuance. It’s an insight into what cava once was and what Corpinnat will be.

Recaredo Terrers Corpinnat Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2017 $44.99
Light and zesty with a bright acidity. Meyer lemon and crisp apples integrated seamlessly with almonds and brioche. Perfectly small bubbles.