Corpinnat: Setting a New Standard for Sparkling Wine

A few months ago, Catalans across the region went to their local wine sellers and noticed that there had been a change. They saw that nine wineries that had historically made cava were not there anymore. They were all now under a new name, one that had not been seen before. From the Pyrenees to the Costa Daurada, people could be heard asking their local shopkeepers: "What is Corpinnat?"

To answer that question, we took a trip to one of the most beautiful regions in Catalunya: El Penedès, just west of Barcelona. It’s a region known the world over for outstanding wines. It even claims to be the birthplace of Spanish cava, so we had to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

The Cradle of Spanish Sparkling Wine

Nine wineries split suddenly from the Cava DO earlier this year to form a new brand of fine sparkling wine: Corpinnat. But, why drop a DO with worldwide recognition? Because the DO regulatory board had demanded that they abandon entirely the use of the Corpinnat name, or lose the Cava DO. So they left. 

It may have seemed sudden, but rumblings of discontent within the Cava DO had been heard for some time, with Raventos i Blanc finally leaving in 2012. Much like the producers of Corpinnat, one of the primary reasons that Raventos i Blanc jumped ship was a desire to create a wine with a focus on terroir. Unlike France, Spain does not have a terroir focused classification system, and small producers of quality wines throughout Spain have been clamoring for change for years. Bulk producers who buy up grapes from absolutely anywhere in their often very large geographically defined zone generate large quantities of cheap, headache-inducing, industrial-produced swill and can label it with the same DO, making it nearly impossible for small, terroir-driven estates to differentiate themselves. 

Also, cava does not undergo the same kind of rigorous testing that a wine like Champagne does. As such, bigger producers of cava are able to crank out large quantities of low quality wine with the same classification, tarring smaller producers of good quality wine with the same mediocre brush. This lack of control over quality has meant the once world famous title of cava has lost some of its prestige; while the global market for sparkling wine booms, cava has lost out to other local fizzes like prosecco, whose charmat method makes it inherently less expensive to produce.

While 95% of cava is actually produced in the Penedès, cava can also be produced in Aragó, La Rioja, Álava, Valencia and Badajoz making it almost impossible for small producers to establish a link to the land. In the wake of the departure of the highly respected winemaker Raventos i Blanc, the Cava DO did eventually come out with cavas de paraje calificado (CPC) in 2017 for single-estate sparkling wines, thus creating a premium classification of cava that for the first time linked cava to terroir. But, for some, it wasn’t enough.

Promoting the Region

For the Penedès winemakers who decided to go their own way, the Corpinnat label is about much more than just terroir. They have adopted some of the strictest production and quality standards in the world, forging a new winemaking path that not only assures consistently high quality wines but also seeks to create a sustainable business model for themselves, and the region. 

To achieve these lofty goals, the Corpinnat vintners have crafted groundbreaking regulations that reflect its iconic wineries and its traditional methods. All grapes used in the production of this new sparkling wine must be certified organic, hand harvested and must come from the Corpinnat designated area covering roughly 22,000ha (which is about 80% of the Penedès DO). In keeping with the close connection to the land and the region's winemaking heritage, 90% of the grapes used must be indigenous varieties: xarel·lo, macabeu, parellada and malvasia for white grapes and grenache, monastrell, sumoll and xarel·lo vermell for red. At least 75% of the grapes must be estate grown and—we think this is really important—those grapes purchased from neighboring growers must be purchased at a minimum price of €0.70/kilogram (the current average rate is about about €0.40/kg). The wines must be 100% estate bottled and aged a minimum of 18 months on lees—in contrast Cava DO requires only nine months.

The rigor and discipline required to create Corpinnat are impressive. But, we wondered, would we remain so impressed once we had a taste?

The Visit

Our first visit was to a winery of supreme tradition: Can Feixes de Huguet. Facing the iconic Montserrat Mountain, the views were unbeatable—a rival to the taste of the spectacular wine. A few glasses down and a whole lot merrier, we continued to the museum at Sabaté i Coca, which details the traditional method used in the Penedès region for over a century. 

Next, it was off to the smaller, but equally beautiful Mas Candí. Don’t be fooled by its dimensions, however, this small vineyard makes some serious bubbly. Our final visit was to the charming Llopart winery. This was one of the most successful names in the Cava DO repertoire and has been a driving force in the growth of Corpinnat. In recent months, it has excelled in producing sparkling wines of the highest quality. 

Were we impressed? 

Absolutely.

What’s Next?

According to the Cava DO, Corpinnat’s members produced less than 1% of the total cava production, while the three largest purveyors—Freixenet, Codorníu, and García Carrión—pump out the vast majority of it. Will the big three feel their absence? Maybe not initially. But the breakaway winemakers did account for about half of the CPC designation, which they have, of course, lost with their departure. This leaves the single-vineyard premium category a shadow of its former self and it’s hard to imagine that this won’t affect cava's image in the long run. 

Now that they are free of the “cheap alternative to Champagne” image that cava seems to have embraced, the Corpinnat members have to craft the image of a quality sparkling wine in a world filled with cheap bubbly. These passionate, ambitious winemakers have a long road ahead if they are to build brand recognition.

It has all the makings of a great David-and-Goliath type story, doesn’t it? Derived from the words cor (Catalan for heart) and pinnat (from the Latin pinna meaning rocky or craggy) even the name has heart. 

We visited four of the historic wineries that made the break from the Cava DO. At each one we enjoyed some incredible tastings; each had its own style, and the quality of sparkling wine on show was truly unparalleled. But the Corpinnat producers have gone beyond setting a higher standard for their product: what they are attempting to do socially and economically for the region is equally—if not more—significant.

All the vineyards mentioned in this article are easily accessible from Barcelona, and both Sabaté i Coca and Llopart offer route services to their vineyards.

You can read more about Corpinnat through its website, at corpinnat.com.