2021 Avinyó Cava Rosé Reserva, Brut, Penedès, Spain

ABOUT THIS WINE

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. 

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Up until the late 19th century, the Esteve family of Avinyó subsisted on the growing and selling of cereal crops, legumes, and a little bit of wine, all grown around their traditional horseshoe shaped farm-house, Can Fontanal. But when phylloxera crossed the border from France into Spain, the family vine- yards and their savings were destroyed when concerns over the louse caused a run on the region’s largest banks. Faced with starting over, Joan Esteve Marcè saw opportunity in hardship and traveled to France in search of phylloxera resistant vines. He returned with new rootstocks immune to the pest. His son, Joan Esteve Nadal, expanded the family’s holdings to four parcels totaling about 40 hectares and re- planted many of the vineyards with the indigenous varieties of grapes. As a result, Avinyó farms only estate-owned vineyards, a rarity among cava and wine producers. Today, another generation is at the helm. Four siblings blend tradition, technology, and a relentless pursuit of quality.