Llopart Corpinnat Brut Reserva 2020

The Land

Subirats sits in the mountainous heart of Penedes, and Can Llopart's estate spans 500 hectares of vineyard and forest at 360 meters, where shallow, terraced soils force vines to root deep and yield little. The 102 hectares the family farms organically produce grapes with unusual concentration for the region, the result of low vigor and low yields rather than manipulation in the cellar. This mountain terrain, cooler and steeper than the Penedes valley floor, is what gives Llopart's sparkling wines their structure and aging potential.

The Wine

A blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeu, and Parellada, the three grapes most closely tied to this estate, hand-harvested and whole-pressed, fermented at low temperature, then aged more than 18 months in bottle before disgorgement. The wine shows bright straw yellow color, fine and persistent bubbles, and a clean, primary bouquet dominated by white fruit. On the palate it is fresh and vibrant, with long acidity and a lingering finish, made to be versatile rather than showy.

The People

Llopart has made sparkling wine on this estate since 1887, and the family motto, Ex Vite Vita, "life comes from the vine," still guides how the estate is run six generations later. In 2019, Llopart joined five other family-run Penedes producers, Gramona, Nadal, Recaredo, Sabate i Coca, and Torello, to found Corpinnat, a private certification created specifically because the Cava DO had grown to cover industrial-scale production across Spain, diluting a name that used to mean something in Penedes. Corpinnat requires 100% organic, estate-grown grapes, hand harvesting, and vinification entirely on the property, standards Llopart had already been following for decades before the classification existed.

Food Pairing

This Reserva Brut's freshness and moderate weight make it versatile: try it with fried calamari, a plate of jamon and manchego, grilled white fish, or a simple tortilla espanola.