The old Cava in an artisanal way, is produced by the noble Vilarnau family. It was established in the 12th century in this privileged land of Penedes.
The name of the VILARNAU cava, is the etymological result of Vila Arnau.
The old Cava in an artisanal way
That is to say, the “country house or Domus” of the Arnau, that was in the stately demarcation of the term of the Castle of Subirats and where already in century XII vineyards were cultivated.
History of Cava Vilarnau
Albert de Vilarnau, name that currently receives the most exclusive cava of the brand, was a very unique character.
He made the power of the family grow, and even in the 14th century he was one of the patrons of the church of Santa María de Vilarnau.
The first cellar with Vilarnau label was born in 1949, when the owner family started to market the cava that had once been produced by the vineyards planted on the farm “Can Petit i Les Planes de Vilarnau”.
Since then, this historic sparkling wine has been associated with a cava of noble personality, elaborated under demanding quality standards and that takes maximum care of the detail.
In 1982, he became part of the González Byass family of wineries.
The new winery, was located right in the center of the farm and its inauguration took place in October 2005.
The design of the modern winery is by the architect Luis González.
In it, straight lines predominate and highlights the perfect adaptation to the beautiful Mediterranean environment through abundant windows.
Three are the main integrating elements of the landscape: the water, which borders the entire building and comes from rainwater, the glass of the windows and the oak wood of the exterior walls.
The interior has been largely designed by the renowned artist Antonio Miró, who has created a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
PRIORITY IS CALLED QUALITY
Every year, the winemaking team of this winery strives to improve, more and more, the quality of the cavas.
Them modern facilities of the same, the constant introduction of methods of improvement in processing and aging and the supply of grapes with their own vineyards and vineyards of the area with a long relationship, ensure the quality of the cava that keep their bottles.
The design of its packaging, like the glass, is a true reflection of what we want to convey to the consumer, which is the spirit that has always maintained the “Vilarnau” based on elegance, innovation, but without renouncing tradition and its origin.
THE VINEYARD
“Can Petit i les Planes de Vilarnau”, the 20-hectare farm, is located in a privileged enclave in the heart of the cava region.
From the farm you can enjoy magnificent views of the Montserrat mountains, which protect the vineyard from the cold winds of the Pyrenees.
To the south the vineyard is flanked by the Serralada Litoral, and to the east it is open to the Mediterranean Sea, only 30 kilometers away.
In this beautiful place, located 250 meters above sea level, vine is cultivated in an excellent way.
These 20 hectares of vineyards are cared for with much care. Along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, bases for the elaboration of their cellars, they have plantations of Macabeo and Xarel.lo.
All these varieties are planted in the best orientation to receive the necessary hours of insolation and the best ventilation thanks to the soft breezes of the Mediterranean, which guarantee an optimum maturation of the fruit in each vintage.
Them soils of the farm “Can Petit i les Planes de Vilarnau” are of alluvial origin, formed by strata of silt and clays.
The harvest, entirely nocturnal, begins in mid-August and ends in the last days of September.
VILARNAU SPIRIT
Until very recently, the consumption of this cava has been restricted to a few privileged people who knew it.
Today, Vilarnau crosses borders with the intention of making known its noble history and its excellent cavas.
A privileged situation, an exceptional environment, a careful preparation, a rigorous respect for the environment and a human team excited every day with their work, this is Vilarnau, this is our spirit and is what we want to convey in each bottle.
SUSTAINABILITY
In Vilarnau we want to produce the best cava with the least possible ecological impact for our planet.
We live off the earth and that is why it is in our DNA to take care of it and pamper it to the fullest.
The better we treat the earth and our environment, the better we will get fruits from our vineyards and the better we can dig.
We are a pioneer winery in the calculation of the carbon footprint. Both in the organizational scope and in the scope of the product, in order to reduce CO2 emissions.
For this we carry out several actions:
MONITORING OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Monitoring each phase of the process we can know the real ecological impact month by month, and we can take the necessary measures to reduce emissions as much as possible and identify which points we can improve.
For example, with the start-up of the biomass boiler, we have managed to reduce the use of fossil fuels by taking advantage of the remains of pruning and organic matter from the forests of the area.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Vilarnau is surrounded by a lake of water accumulation. It serves us to water the gardens of the winery.
The water comes from the rain, which is collected in the 3,500 m2 of the winery’s roof, and from the treatment plant.
So we reuse all the water we use during the process of making the cavas.
WASTE REDUCTION
In addition to separating, reusing and recycling the waste that we generate, we carry out a selection of suppliers according to the containers and packaging they use.
On the other hand, we are creating a composting area to recycle the organic waste that is generated in the cellar on a daily basis.
SUSTAINABLE VITICULTURE
Vilarnau enjoys the Certificate of Ecological Viticulture of the Consell Català de Producció Agraria Ecológica.
This means that we have reduced chemical and phytosanitary treatments by 50%.
On the other hand, we do not use herbicides, we apply sexual confusion by pheromones to avoid pests.
This tradition of quality means that the Vilarnau cellars maintain the homogeneity vintage after vintage.
Each variety has been used to obtain the best cava according to its type of preparation.
Giving it a touch of softness and sophistication.
In addition, in the varieties that add expedition liquor, we work to make the liquor as neutral as possible.
This makes the cavas this brand have a cheerful complexity that gives them elegance, freshness, fruitiness and genuineness.
Being long aging cavas, the bubble is much thinner and rises slowly, getting a crown that persists.
Cavas with this philosophical get a perfect balance between:
primary aromas-own of the grape-
secondary-derived from the fermentation of the fruit-
and tertiary-of parenting.
SUBIRAT PARENT RESERVE BRUT
Prepared with a hundred percent Subirat Parent grape, aged more than 15 months in the bottle.
On the nose it gives off aromas of rose petals and passion fruit. In the mouth, it gives the sensation of freshness
It is advisable to take it between 6 – 8º C, because it is very aromatic.
It is ideal to accompany all kinds of dishes that carry fruit such as:
salads,
fresh fruit (pineapple, strawberries, kiwi)
or sour fruit sorbet (tangerine, mango …)
BRUT RESERVA. Cava in an artisanal way
This cava is made with 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel·lo, it is an aging of more than 15 months in the bottle. It has a great aromatic potential on the nose and offers the primary aromas of the grape.
When we try the Vilarnau Brut Reserva, it brings back memories that come from the grape, in this case of the varieties Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada.
BRUT RESERVA ROSÉ DELICAT ECOLÓGICO
It is a very special sparkling wine fermented with 85% Garnacha 15% and Pinot Noir.
It is a pale pink cava, very intense and with a great aromatic complexity. On the nose, it offers the primary aromas characteristic of a delicate pink cava.
It shows the subtlety of violets and roses in combination with ripe red fruits: strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. The palate is soft, very creamy, fresh and elegant.
BRUT NATURE VINTAGE RESERVA
This cava contains 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Chardonnay. It has more than 24 months in the bottle.
This cava offers a balance between the three types of aromas that we can find in a sparkling wine.
In the first place, the primary aromas that come from the grape and that remind us of the fruit and floral notes.
Secondly, the secondary aromas: they come from the second fermentation inside the bottle, which evoke us to baking.
And, finally, the tertiary aromas that come from the aging of the cava, remind us of toasted, dried fruits and honeys. Cava in an artisanal way
GRAN RESERVA VINTAGE
It is the flagship of this winery, made with 35% Macabeo, 30% Parellada 30% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir
With more than 36 months in the bottle, it offers us tertiary aromas that are obtained with a prolonged aging.
Thanks to autolysis, the yeast disintegrates and provides all its characteristics:
aromas and properties during the 36 months of aging.
But it also maintains its identity based on the primary aromas of the grapes from which it comes.
This GRAND RESERVE with only tertiary aromas would lack the vividness and joy that it offers in the glass. The old Cava in an artisanal way
Written by Angel Marques de Ávila, gastronomic journalist.