Codorniu Wines - Leading Cava Producers
Codorniu is the biggest producer of Cava in the world and proudly claim to be the 'leading cava on the market'. They are also one of the very oldest Cava producers, with a company history dating back to 1551. Today, the company is at the forefront of technology and runs massive production facilities for wines which are exported the world over. The company produces over 60 million bottles of Cava annually.
The Codorniu name really came to prominence in the late 17th century, when Anna de Codorniu inherited the family business which was highly unusual for a woman in that era. She married Miguel Raventos who was also from an important Spanish wine lineage. The company is still run by their descendants.
1872 was the year that one of their descendants, Josep, travelled to France and discovered the Champagne art of making sparkling wine. He brought his learnings home, and began to focus on making sparkling wine, in a similar method, but using the local grape varieties of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-Lo, the three quintessential Cava grapes of today.
However, the real visionary behind the extraordinary success of Codorniu has to be his son, Manuel Raventos, who in 1885 became convinced of the vast potential that they had uncovered, and decided to focus the business exclusively on the production of sparkling wine by the traditional Champagne method. In 1895, he took the business a stage further and dug vast underground cellars, to ensure the optimum ageing conditions for their sparkling wines, again similar to Champagne.
With the business growing, he bought 3500 hectares of land in 1911, and in 1915 opened a new winery, about 40 minutes from Barcelona, which was hailed as a great example of architecture and designed by one of the foremost Spanish and Catalan architects, of the same school as Gaudi. The cellars have continued to be expanded and developed over the years, and in 1976, were declared a National Monument of historic and artistic interest by King Juan Carlos.
The cellars are still at the heart of the business; Codorniu have arguably the most extensive vineyard plantings in the region, and the largest cellars, with vast tracks underground and huge riddling machines, which automatically twist and tilt the bottles, as the ‘traditional’ method of sparkling wine production demands.
In 1983, still one step ahead of most other producers, Codorniu were the first to introduce the use of the Chardonnay grape into their Cava production, with the launch of Anna de Codorniu, followed in 2004, by the launch of the first ever Pinot Noir Rose Cava. There is an argument to say that adding Chardonnay takes away from what seperates Cava and Champagne, but it has clearly worked for Codorniu who are now the biggest brand alongside Freixenet. If you want to read more about the recent arguments in the Cava controvesy, then follow the link.
Despite this, it goes to show that Codorniu have always been at the vanguard of innovation. With the oldest and most extensive plantings of the classic Champagne varietals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in 2010 they also launched the first ever ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Cava, a style popular in Champagne, with the wine produced only from the Pinot Noir.
What Styles Of Wine Do Codorniu Produce?
Codorniu is most famous for its range of top quality sparkling wines from San Sadurni d’Anoia, in Catalonia, northern Spain, about an hour from Barcelona. The standard Cavas are produced from 3 main grape varieties, all Spanish, Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel-Lo. However you will also find Cavas made exclusively from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With the huge popular rise of Prosecco, Cava producers have also had to find other ways to beat this sparkling giant. Codorniu now also produce a number of Spanish still wines such as Albarino to boost their profile and combat this.
Codorniu's Cava Range
Codorniu Cuvee Original Brut Cava – With a recent redesign, this is the classic house style, made with the same proportional blend of grapes that Josep discovered centuries ago – fresh, citrussy and lively, with a creamy, biscuit edge.
Codorníu Cuvée Original Rosé – The pink version of the classic style, produced from Monastrell Garnacha and Trepat. It's lively and vibrant with ripe berry fruit flavours and great freshness.
Codorniu Vintage Cava Brut – A top quality Cava made in the same tradition as the Original, with similar blends, but produced from wines of only one year, and aged for at least 9 months to provide greater depth and character.
Anna de Codorniu Brut Cava – Named after the original heiress, this is the blend that Codorniu pioneered using the Chardonnay grape – elegant, creamy, with lifted citrus flavours, it is a delicate, fresh style .. and happens to be Spain’s top selling Cava.
Anna de Codorniu Rose Cava – The Rose sister to the Anna is made from a classic Champagne blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – more elegant than most Cavas, ripe, fruity, and stylish, with lovely, delicate summer fruit characteristics.
Codorniu Seleccion Familia Raventos Cava – With its distinctively historic bottle shape, this is a blend and style of Cava which used to be made from specially selected vineyards for the family. This was made commercially available in the late 90s, and is a blend of the traditional Xarel-Lo and Macabeo varieties, with Chardonnay adding some complexity to the blend.
Codorniu Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs – A fusion of innovation and tradition, the Ars Collecta is made by a micro-winery that has inimitable quality. A blend of Chardonnay, Parellada and Xarel-Lo, it's unctuous, fresh and creamy.
Codorniu Non Plus Ultra Reserva Organic Cava – The first Cava Brut created in 1897, it is now organic and undergoes 18 months of ageing giving it an elegant, creamy palate with good depth and flavour.
Codorniu have also recently launched a range of still wines, including their fresh, smooth Codorniu Organic Albarino, a ripe fruited Codorniu Organic Tempranillo and the refreshing, citrussy Codorniu Organic Rose.
It's also worth noting that the Codorniu group owns a number of wine brands, including Legaris, Vina Pomal and Scala Dei.
Matching Codorniu Wines With Food
Sparkling wines are always associated with celebrations, but they are great everyday drinking wines also, as a little treat! Great with canapés and snacks, these wines also work really well with food.
Codorniu brut Cavas - Try these with smoked salmon, little fish bites, and bruschetta. Also great with calamari, and toasted bread rubbed with garlic , olive oil and tomato, a real Catalan speciality.
Cordoniu brut Roses - These would work beautifully with a plate of chargrilled prawns, tuna nicoise, or a sumptuous bowl of strawberries and raspberries.
Anna de Codorniu – this elegant, stylish Cava works with gambas, scallops and delicate seafood, as well as being a classic fizz for canapés.