De Nit Rosé 2021 – Raventós i Blanc

Raventós i Blanc’s 50 hectares of vines are located in the Conca del Riu Anoia in Alt Penedès. Biodynamic principles are adhered to, using manure from the farm’s animals as the base for the compost. The climate here is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm, dry summers. The estate is surrounded by three mountain ranges: Sierra Litoral in the east, which acts as a rain shadow from the wetter coastal areas, Montserrat in the north and Sierra d’en Compte in the west, both providing wind breaks and cooling temperatures from the Pyrenees.The vineyards are divided into 44 plots, depending on the different soils and microclimates. The fruit for this wine is sourced from the La Plana vineyard. These are the estate’s youngest vines, which are grown on clay-loam soils with a large amount of fossils. This gently sloping vineyard sits at 120-170 metres above sea level.

Raventós i Blanc is owned by one of Spain’s historic winemaking families with a viticultural tradition dating back to 1497. Josep Raventós Fatjó produced Spain’s first traditional method sparkling wine in 1872 from estate-grown Xarel-lo and his descendant, Josep Maria Raventós i Blanc, became a key figure in Spanish wine. Today, Raventós i Blanc is run by Pepe Raventós, who previously worked with Hubert Lamy in Burgundy, Gaston Chiquet in Champagne and Didier Dagueneau in Pouilly-Fumé, and has inherited his grandfather’s spirit and vision. Believing Raventós i Blanc should “convey our viticultural traditions, the strength of our land and the characteristics of our soils”, Pepe withdrew from the Cava DO in 2012, to focus on their distinctive Conca del Riu Anoia region in Alt Penedès. Raventós i Blanc’s 50 hectares of vines are nestled among picturesque woodland and divided into 44 plots, according to soil and microclimate, within seven larger areas: Clos del Serra, La Vinya Més Alta, Costers del Serral-Vinya dels Fòssils, Les Barberes-Oliveres, El Llac, La Plana and Travesseres-Gran. The climate is Mediterranean. The estate, atop limestone soils replete with marine fossils, is protected by three mountain ranges: Sierra Litoral to the east, Montserrat to the north and Sierra d‘en Compte to the west. Pepe believes in polyculture and biodiversity, and the family’s land is home to many crops and animals. Biodynamic principles are employed alongside traditional Catalan farming practices, such as horse ploughing.