Appellation: Cava.
Cuvée: SIN.
Colour: Sparkling White.
Grapes: Xarello.
About: A soft and silky, mineral, saline Cava, with some complexity from 18 months on lees. SIN means “without” in Spanish; the wine is made without chemical products and with little intervention in the making.
Vines
Location: near Sant Marti Sarroca just north west of Vilafranca del Penedès.
Size ha: 3.5.
Age: vines planted between 1955 and 1975.
Soils: limestone with traces of fossilised oysters.
Exposition: east-west.
Altitude: 300m.
Training: on wire.
Farming: organic (not certified).
Average yield hl/ha: 30.
Climate: Mediterranean with maritime influence.
Winemaking
The hand-picked harvest is de-stemmed, and gently pressed direct to ferment in 5000L stainless steel (inox) tank. Natural yeasts are used, temperature is controlled to 15ºC, ferment lasts 14 days. It’s bottled when there’s 21g residual sugar left and the ferment continues in bottle. It rests on its lees at around 15ºC for 18 months before being disgorged. There’s no liqueur d’expedition, no stabilisation, clarification, or filtration. Sulfites are not added at any stage of the process. About 2g residual sugar remain.
First Vintage 2017
A very dry, low yielding year.
Yield hl/ha: 20.
Harvested: end August.
Bottles produced: 5,000.
Date bottled: 2017-10.
Alcohol %: 12.34.
SO2 Total mg/L: 13; 0 added.
Tasting: beautifully balanced, with a touch of fruit sweetness, saline mineral spice, notes of honey, orange and peach, and a fine persistent fizz.
Vintage Notes 2018
Date harvested: late August
Yield hl/ha: 35
Date bottled: 2018-09, disgorged 2020-04 to 09
Bottles produced: 30,000
Alcohol %: 11.5
SO2 Total: < 20 naturally occurring