Avinyó Rosé Reserva Brut Cava 2018

Avinyó was one of the very first wineries in Spain to plant pinot noir, on an experimental basis when Avinyó founder Joan Esteve returned from France with vine cuttings in 1980. The resulting rosé comes from this original single vineyard called La Fassina in Avinyonet del Penedès. La Fassina receives the most rain of the estate’s vineyards while being protected from the easterly winds by mountains. The fertile soil is deep and well-drained with a silty-clay-loam texture and accumulations of calcium carbonate ideal for pinot noir to flourish and express the unique terruño of the site. The surrounding mountains provide a perfect channel for the cool air to enter the vineyard at night, preserving pinot noir’s trademark acidity. 

Vintage – The winter and spring of 2018 were exceptionally dry, with some rain at the end of August and beginning of September, which brought freshness to the wines. Yields were down significantly due to frost. 2018 was a smaller but healthy harvest, with excellent quality grapes. These conditions resulted in wines with harmonious structure. 

Vinification – The grapes are harvested at night to avoid oxidation and for optimal temperature. The free run juice then macerates for eight hours with the skins. The base wine ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel between 16°C and 18°C. After cold stabilization, the wine begins its secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of yeasts and sugar early the following year. It then ages for a minimum of 18 months on the lees before being disgorged on demand.