Although this is a Champagne-style wine, it is nevertheless a hand- crafted ‘farmer wine’ from a family- run, Certified Organic property.

The Penedès region is in northeast Spain, just southwest of Barcelona. It is considered the traditional heartland of Spanish sparkling wine production, although, technically, the “Cava” DO (Denominación de Origen) can be applied to Champagne-method sparkling wines made in 160 municipalities across seven different growing zones. The designation “Corpinnat” refers to wines from a specific sub-zone within Penedès. Soils are a mix of limestone, sand, and clay.

This is an impressive, family-run wine estate founded in 1943 by Ramón Nadal Giró, who reclaimed historic family vineyards after the Spanish Civil War. Since the start, these vineyards have been farmed organically, and the family finally made it official in 2018 by achieving certification. The family continues to focus on the native grapes of the region, most notably Parellada, Macabeu, and Xarel-lo, with some vineyard plantings exceeding 80 years of age.

Corpinnat wines are produced in the “Champagne method”—meaning the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle—and they are subject to rigorous production standards set by the 11-member Corpinnat growers’ association. This wine is a blend of Parellada (55%), Macabeu (38%), and Xarel-lo (7%) fermented on wild yeasts; after the secondary bottle fermentation is complete, the wine spends 36 months (about twice the minimum) aging on its lees. It does not receive any dosage (sugar addition).

An appealing mix of depth, complexity, and mineral-etched precision. It displays a yellow-gold core moving to silver at the rim, with a delicate mousse and ripe aromas of green apple, pear, salted lemon, raw pastry dough, chopped nuts, anise, white flowers, and wet stones. There is lots of ripe fruit and a pleasing palate-coating texture, then it buttons up nicely on the mineral-laced finish.