Raventos i Blanc

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Country of Origin: Spain
Location: Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Penedès
People: Raventós Family, Owners | Joana Vinas, Winemaker
Viticulture: Practicing Biodynamic

Items

Raventos i Blanc 2019 'De La Finca' Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login —
Raventos i Blanc 2020 'De Nit' Reserva Rosado, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login WA 92+ In Stock
Raventos i Blanc (1.5 L) 2020 'De Nit' Reserva Rosado, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login — In Stock
Raventos i Blanc 2020 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login WS 91 WA 92 In Stock
Raventos i Blanc 2017 'Textures de Pedra' Blanc de Noirs, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login — In Stock
Raventos i Blanc 2018 'Textures de Pedra' Blanc de Noirs, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login — In Stock
Raventos i Blanc 2015 'Manuel Raventos Negra' Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona Login WS 93 On Order



Media Links
Robb Report: The Head of Raventós i Blanc Is a Rebel in the Wine World [Q&A]
Decanter: Rebel Harvest - In this week's column, Andrew Jefford looks back at the harvest at Raventos i Blanc and meeting 'Cava rebel' Pepe Raventos
Food & Wine: Can Cava Rival Champagne?
Wall Street Journal: Cava Seeks to Make a New Name for Itself
WineAnorak.com: Meeting Pepe Raventos
Wall Street Journal: Selling Cava in the City
Wine Geeks: Raventós i Blanc is Winery of the Month
Brunellos Have More Fun Blog: Raventós i Blanc & The Beginning of Cava

Social Media
Twitter: @RaventosiBlanc
Raventós i Blanc Facebook
Raventós i Blanc YouTube
Blog:"Los Momentos de Pepe Raventos"

Raventós i Blanc was founded in 1986 by Josep-Maria Raventós, a member of the Cordoniu family who wished to create a small, quality-oriented winery that would stand apart from the large co-ops in the area. Today they own about 300 acres of vineyards (with a high percentage of Chalk in the soil, like Champagne) planted mostly to local varieties such as Macabeo (Viura), Xarel-lo and Parellada. 

Josep-Maria Raventós was President of the Sparkling Wine Department of the Wine Trade Union and was instrumental in establishing the Cava DO in 1970. The Codorniu family goes back to the 15th Century, and the Raventós married into this family in the 17th Century. "It was here in the town of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia that Jose Raventós, head of the family firm of Codorniu, made the first bottles of Champagne method sparkling wine after a visit to France in 1872" (Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine). 

Today, Pepe Raventós has taken Raventós i Blanc to the next level with his obsession for natural farming and winemaking that reflects the true terroir of this estate. As of 2012, Raventós i Blanc has left the Cava DO to pursue authentic and honest sparkling wines representative of their terroir Conca del Riu Anoia. Their wines are 100% estate produced, and the vines are farmed in a biodynamic way, allowing biosynergies between man, animals and plants. 

Raventós vineyards have spontaneous plant coverage, which creates soil with biodiversity, fertility and life. Composted manure is added in the winter as well as short pruning on the bush. In the spring, they green prune to balance the vines and prevent any diseases. Plant infusions are used as homeopathic treatments to minimize the use of sulfur salts for oidium and copper salts for mildew, which are permitted in organic farming.

The soil on the estate, in the basin of the River Anoia (Riu Anoia), is calcareous and date back to the oldest period of the Penedès depression some 16 million years ago, when the valley was still submerged beneath the Mediterranean Sea. The River Anoia has carved out its course, this being the only area of the Penedes region where these soils replete with tropical marine fossils have surfaced.

Reviews

  • Raventos 2020 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona
    The Wine Spectator
    Rating: 91 (10/15/2022)
    TOP 100 of 2022! A firm backbone of Meyer lemon peel acidity frames this vivid sparkler, with rich notes of lightly charred toast and smoked almond, backed by ripe white cherry and peach fruit. Hints of thyme and anise play on the finish.
  • Raventos 2020 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 92 (9/30/2022)
    The impressive 2020 Blanc de Blancs comes from a catastrophic vintage when they lost a huge amount of grapes due to mildew, which forced them to purchase more grape from growers. This is very expressive, their youngest wine, from a vintage of concentration and power, a blend of 45% Xarel.lo, 40% Macabeo, 12% Parellada and 3% Malvasía de Sitges, a grape they are using to give the wine more freshness, as the variety keeps the acidity. This ages for a minimum of 18 months sur lie, but it might be more; all bottles carry the disgorgement date on the back label. This is tasty, saline and profound beyond the price point. This is the old l'Hereu, a value cava that is now their flagship wine that showcases the complexity, freshness and depth, very much alive.
  • Raventos 2020 'De Nit' Reserva Rosado, Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 92+ (9/30/2022)
    The very pale salmon/onion-skin colored 2020 De Nit is a blend of 44% Xarel.lo, 39% Macabeo, 12% Parellada and 5% Monastrell, which is closer to a white. It has energy, good ripeness and some natural concentration from the vintage, with weight and clout keeping the balance and freshness, and some very small bubbles after no less than 18 months in bottle with lees. All the wines are very expressive; they have bubbles that provide texture and lift the wine up. This is serious, dry but adjusted to different levels depending on the year, a bit more complex than the Blanc de Blancs.
  • Raventos 2015 'Manuel Raventos Negra' Conca del Riu Anoia Barcelona
    The Wine Spectator
    Rating: 93 (6/15/2023)
    Rich with aromas and flavors of pastry cream, poached apricot, salted almond, lemon curd and anise, this vibrant sparkler is finely meshed and graceful, with a creamy mousse carrying the flavors on the long, lightly spiced finish. Lovely. Sumoll and Xarel-lo. Drink now through 2027.