Raventós i Blanc boasts one of the longest documented winegrowing traditions in Europe. Vine growers since 1497, they produced Spain’s first traditional-method sparkling wine and have championed the style ever since. The category, made using native varieties, still ‘flies under the radar’ yet yields ‘top expressions that can compete with the best sparkling wines in the world’ (Decanter).
From 40+ year-old vines, their Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2023 blends 50% Xarel·lo, 35% Macabeu, 10% Parellada and 5% Malvasía de Sitges – matured for 18 months on the lees. It’s finessed on the palate with a delicate mousse and aromatics of mandarin peel, pear, lemongrass, rock salt and chopped toasted almond. This is a showstopper at its price point.
The Raventós i Blanc De Nit Extra Brut 2023 adds 5% Monastrell to a blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeu and Parellada for a bright and pale rosé hue. ‘Sapid and fresh, with small bubbles and a dry, chalky finish, showing great balance. It’s more than a rosé. Pleasure per dollar,’ says the Wine Advocate.
Moving up the Raventós i Blanc range, De la Finca 2021 is exquisite. This sparkling wine comes from the estate’s oldest, massal-selected vines on fossil-rich soils. It’s aged for 30 months on the lees and bottled without dosage, producing a lively, finely etched wine with mouthwatering savoury notes. The 2021 shows flinty smoke, hawthorn and a hint of white balsamic, lifted by Persian lime, white peach and lemon rind. The estate is run by the intensely focused and passionate Pepe Raventós, who represents the 21st generation. He manages their 90 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards in Penedès and continues to turn out exceptional expressions of terrior at such affordable prices. With summer approaching and limited quantities, don’t miss these lesser-known gems from high-altitude coastal vineyards.
Tasting Notes:
Raventós i Blanc Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2023
‘The 2023 Blanc de Blancs has a textbook nose of Mediterranean sparkling with notes of aromatic herbs, dry hay and straw, reflecting the third year of extremely dry conditions in the zone that delivered a small crop that was harvested earlier than ever and resulted in more concentrated wines. It’s 50% Xarel.lo, 35% Macabeu, 10% Parellada and 5% Malvasía de Sitges that didn’t go through malolactic and refermented and matured in bottle with lees for 18 months. They have access to great grapes (all organic) to produce this wine. It has a vibrant palate with abundant small bubbles and a spark of freshness and is balanced, clean and easy to drink. 200,000 bottles produced. All the bottles have the disgorgement date as a lot number.’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 92/100
Raventós i Blanc De Nit Extra Brut 2023
‘The 2023 De Nit is a pale rosé produced with 50% Xarel.lo, 34% Macabeo, 9% Parellada and 7% Monastrell from organically farmed vineyards. It refermented in bottle with lees for 18 months. In this third year of heat and a lack of water, many old vines died; Xarel.lo and Sumoll behaved better. By lowering the yields and keeping the poise, the wines have tension and freshness and don’t show any heat. This is an extra brut with 12.5% alcohol and four grams of residual sugar. It has a very similar nose and profile as the Blanc de Blancs, Mediterranean, sapid and fresh, with small bubbles and a dry, chalky finish, showing great balance. It’s more than a rosé. Pleasure per dollar. 215,000 bottles and some smaller and larger formats were produced.’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 92/100
Raventós i Blanc De la Finca Extra Brut 2021
‘The 2021 De la Finca comes from the sloped vineyards on the property, the Vinya dels Fòssils (the fossils vineyard), complemented with grapes from other plots. It’s a blend of 50% Xarel.lo, 40% Macabeu and 10% Parellada that refermented in bottle with the lees for 30 months. 2021 was the first of three warm and dry years, but less so than 2022 or 2023, so closer to a classical year, similar to 2019. It has some toasty notes, a smoky touch from extended time of contact with the lees in bottle: It has the balsamic core of Mediterranean herbs and white flowers and fruit and is aromatic, with good acidity and abundant small bubbles that give it texture. 55,000 bottles and 1,250 magnums produced. It was disgorged in March 2024.’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 93/100
