Balanced base wines are assential to preparing quality sparkling wines. This balance is determined by the care given to vineyards, which is why it is so important for wine growers to own their own land where quality is the principal objective.

Rovellats makes all of its wine exclusively from its own vineyards and the grapes harvested from them, placing heavy emphasis on the quality of the grapes harvested.

GRAPE HARVESTING

The degree or ripeness of the grape is especially important. It is linked to a cultivation and pruning system and to a form of conducting the vine. After the ripeness of each vine has been analysed, the grapes are harvested manually and picked "in situ", separating those which are not in perfect condition.

The sugar-acidity ratio is basic since it determines the final product, eliminating the need for corrections or additions in the winery at a later date.


PRESSING THE GRAPES

The extraction of must is an extremely delicate and complex task. Rationalising the extraction of must is not sufficient. Extreme care must be taken to protect in from the air and it is recommendable that the pressing be gentle and quick gentle to avoid extracting any products from the skin and to avoid breaking the pit and quick to prevent the must from oxidating which would cause a more pronounced colour and less refined aromas.

Our pressing system, which you are familiar with, is such that the weight of the grapes in the reception hopper causes the fruit to split open, thereby triggering the dripping out of the must from which we obtain the tear or flower must which is rapidly transported to special tanks. The grapes are then moved by conveyor belt from the hopper to the band press where they are subjected to a very gentle, rather than exhaustive pressing. It is at this point that the first and second quality must is separated and each type is taken to its respective tank. It is here, under professional supervision, that sludge removal or elimination of impurities takes place.

The pressing process using this system requires only three or four minutes from the time the grapes enter the reception hopper to the time the must is deposited in the special tanks, thereby avoiding oxidation to the greatest extent possible. The type of press used completely eliminates the possibility of any skin or broken pits filtering through.

We only used first quality flower must in our sparkling wines, which represents 45% of the total harvest. Quality is our main objective.

PREPARATION OF BASE WINE

The flower must is chosen through a strict selection process and allowed to ferment at a controlled temperature once all impurities have been eliminated.

In the overall organoleptic character of wines, the formation of so-called heavy esters (caproate, caprylate and caprate ether) has a positive and decisive influence on quality. Their formation is decidedly influenced by the fermentation temperature, with maximum concentrations being produced between 15 and 20 degrees Centigrade. Conditioned by this and by other factors such as the loss of aroma at higher temperatures or the creation of other undesirable aromas, our fermentation is always carried out at approximately 16ºC.

Once fermented, the must is allowed to rest in order to balance the acquired aromas and flavours.

We have as many "base wines" as we do grape varieties, and these base wines are the key to good sparkling wine. The personality which later manifests itself in the uncorking resides in these base wines. Without an excellent base wine it is impossible to obtain a sparkling wine of the highest quality. That is why the control of our own grape harvesting is so important. Temperature control takes on a relevant role throught the entire process in order to maintain the maximum aroma and freshness of the base wine.

These wines, which undergo careful tasting, evaluation and mixing, will reach their fullness as Base Wines before being transformed into our Sparkling Wines.


THE AGEING OF OUR SPARKLING WINE

Ageing takes place in our underground caves at a depth of 12 meters which have a radial architectural structure unique in our country.

Ageing takes place at a constant temperature of 15ºC year round and at a constant relative humidity of 98% with the bottles placed in rows in a horizontal position during the entire ageing process. For Rovellats sparkling wines, this is a minimum of two years.


WHY SUCH LONG AGEING PERIODS

Despite the fact that sparkling wines are considered to be wines which have remained in contact with yeast for nine monts before unplugging, it has been shown that longer contact improves the wine's organoleptic and aromatic qualities.


It has been demonstrated that superior alcohol which may reach the wine through the sugar and the pyruvic acid formed by glucolysis, may also be derived from ceto acids after deactivation of the respective amino acids. In addition to the normal biochemical processes of the initial glutamic acid any pyruvic acid in the base wine which could be integrated into the formation of new quantities of amino acids, the yeast, 7 to 15% of whose dry weight is composed of amino acids and which serves as a reserve for the synthesis of proteins through assimilation, enables to continuos interchange between amino acids on the inside of the cell and those in the middle. Likewise, the yeast undergoes autolysis with hydrolysis of its proteins and breakdown to the condition of an amino acid. A notable increase in amino acids has been observed in the ageing bottles which progresses in function of the ageing time, with the most significant rise occurring after fifteen months, declining progressively thereafter to four years. The volatile components play a determining role in the characterisation of the product and this volatile fraction becomes critical to obtaining the particular aromas which are intimately linked to the enriching products formed as a result of prolonged contact with the leavening and its subsequent development with the rest of the wine's components.

In short, the contribution of amino acids provided by the leavening is important since an increased number of aminio acids over time will produce a greater wealth of aromatic, products through transformation into superior alcohol and esters. Thus, contact with the yeast is fundamental to the ageing process.


CLARIFICATION (Wine Racks)

When the bottles have reached the ideal age, the remains of yeast and other sediment must be removed without filtering. This is done by means of a clarification operation in which the bottles are placed upside down in the rack and all of the sediment which had been deposited in the middle of the bottle due to its horizontal position is now deposited in the neck of the bottle just above the cork.

The importance of the clarification system using racks resides in the fact that the sediment is forced to slide off the walls of the bottle and the heavier particles drag the lighter ones.

In mechanical clarifiction processes, such as decanting based on cages or batches of five hundred or more bottles placed over a rocking octagonal base in which the support position is changed on a daily basis, the clarification is only partial since the sediments in the bottle "fall" toward to cork (rather than sliding along the bottle). The heaviest particles settle just above the cork but do not drag the lighter ones with them, which may result in bottles with a very slight suspension of solid parts which have not been eliminated making the Sparkling Wine appear less crisp and sparkly.

This type of system is much faster and more economical that the rack system but not as effective.


UNPLUGGING

In this operation the sediments which have accumulated above the cork in the racks are removed.

With the bottle in an inverted position, the part of the bottleneck containing the sediment and yeast remains is frozen. The cork is then removed and the internal pressure causes the small clump of frozen wine containing the sediment to be expelled, leaving the rest of the bottle perfectly clean. There is obviously a loss of pressure inside the bottle (aproximately one atmosphere), with the bottle at this point having some five atmospheres left. There is also a slight loss of wine which is later compensated by the so-called "expediting liquor" which will produce the different types of sparkling wine including Brut Nature, Brut, Dry or Semi-Dry depending on its sugar concentration.

The bottle is immediately sealed with the expediting cork. Following a rest period to re-establish the equilibrium which was somewhat altered during the "unplugging" process, the bottle is now ready for encapsulation and labelling.

During the "unplugging" process, the gas chamber composed of carbonic anhydride existing between the sparkling wine in the bottle and the cork is expelled. This chamber, composed of "inert atmosphere" which protected the wine against oxidation, has disappeared and air has entered the bottle instead, facilitating the beginning of a slow but real oxidation of the wine which must now be consumed within the next two years.

All of the issuance corks used for the sparkling wine are marked on the bottom with a four point star and the unplugging date.


STORAGE

The bottles must always be stored in a horizontal position in order to keep the cork wet. They should be kept in a cool location with very little light, which is why it is advisable to keep them inside the same box.
We recommend purchasing bottles of sparkling wine in establishments with high product turnover to ensure that it is as fresh as possible and that it has not aged in the warehouse.