Manuel Raventós Negra 2016

Manuel Raventós' personal selection of the best wines of the vintage.

2016  HARVEST

A surprising vintage: the lowest rainfall since we have data (1950) and magnificent balances

The cycle began with an autumn with very low rainfall. From October to March it was 115 L/m2, and the average of recent years is 276 L/m2. The average temperature of autumn and winter was warm. The sprouting of Xarel·los began on 22 March and despite the low rainfall budding was good with a large number of grapes. The cycle remained extremely dry, 126 L/m2 of rain until the start of the harvest (average over the last 20 years is 182 L / m2). The self-regulation of the strain meant that the brima was high and the grapes were of a low weight, causing a large drop in production, but an appropriate balance for the plant. The period until harvest was warm to fresh (average 19.7 ºC versus the average over the past 20 years of 20.1 °C). The rain on 22 July was 38 L/m2 changed the aspect of the vineyard, allowing the grapes to ripen more. The harvest was developed over a long, warm period a with a zero rainfall until 13 September, when we had a refreshing rain of 13 L/m2, with 90% of the estate already harvested. The varieties that are better adapted to drought were those with large grapes, such as Xarel·lo and Sumoll.

During the agricultural year we had an extreme drought with a rainfall of 283.5 L/m2 (average of the past 20 years is 521/m2) and the average temperature was 15.4 ºC (average of the past 20 years was 15.2 ºC).

A surprising harvest in terms of quality; very good balance of sugars, acidity and structure due to the concentration of the grape caused by the lack of water. Yields were very low, the lowest in the history of the estate.

PERSONAL COUPAGE
Manuel Raventós Negra, descendent de Josep Maria Raventós i Blanc is the personal selection Manuel Raventós makes of the best wines of the vintage. It is his personal coupage. A signature sparkling wine. For lovers of fresh wines with acidity, structure and volume, tense on the palate, with fine bubbles and aromas of toast and butter. A golden colour.

A sparkling wine that, due to its exceptional character, is only bottled in the most exceptional vintages.

Blend: 70% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeu

Biodynamic viticulture. Vineyards with spontaneous plant cover, which fosters biodiversity, fertility and life in the soil. We apply manure that comes from our animals and is composted during the winter. We adopt the gobelet short pruning system. Plant infusions are used as phytotherapy to minimise the use of copper and sulphur. The European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) is controlled by sexual confusion. Control of berries and ripening before the harvest. Manual harvest.

The six years of ageing in stacks give it a bright gold colour and a marvellous structure on the palate, as well as an enveloping silky texture with a long, bitter finish typical of wines from the Conca del Riu Anoia.

The wines that Manuel Raventós selected for this vintage was Macabeu and Xarel·lo from diferents parcels; the varieties that allows the long ageing of our sparkling wines, due to its good agricultural performance and its aromatic and taste potential.

Do you want to know more about our wines and sparkling wines, their origins and the protagonists of these three projects?

© Raventós i Blanc SA, 2024