Raimat Chardonnay

Details

The Raimat estate was founded in 1914 by Manuel Ravents with his purchase of a large desert tract 100 miles north of Barcelona. The anticipated construction of a canal from the Pyrenees would allow water to reach this arid zone, and over decades Ravents transformed the estate into one of Spains most remarkable wine properties. Innovation was a cornerstone of his philosophy, and in1975, Raimat introduced some of Spains first single-varietal wines. In 1988, the tiny Costers del Segre zone was made a DO, spearheaded primarily by Raimat. The estate vineyards extend over 5,000 acres, planted with both native and international varieties and are cultivated sustainably to maintain optimum vine health.

Alcohol percentage: 14

Tasting Notes

In 1914, needing new land to plant vineyards, Manuel Ravents, son of Josep Ravents (who introduced the Traditional Method for making sparkling wine in Spain) purchased a large, stony desert, 100 miles from Barcelona. A plan to build a canal from the Pyrenees would enable the area to be irrigated. Costers del Segre has one of the lowest average rainfalls in Spain, but with the right irrigation, Ravents knew this could be turned to an advantage. Raimats metamorphosis from a desert into Spains most remarkable wine estate took decades. In fact, over time a village and train station evolved on the estate to support an effort that was subsequently formally acknowledged by the Government as a significant social achievement for the region. Later collaboration with the University of California, Davis further prepared the estate for the production of world-class wines.