GG_N54_FR-web

CATALAN COMPANY CODORNÍU
IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF
THE 17 OLDEST WINERIES IN
THE WORLD
lack of rainfall did not affect every area in the same way. It led to a production
shortfall of 30 to 40% compared with 2022 in some wine regions, like Penedès,
but at Raimat in the province of Lleida, where the bodega also farms its own
vines, production was good mainly due to the lack of spring frosts.
Harvesting of the Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes was slightly early but in
Penedès, where Codorníu grows native grape varieties “which can cope with
high temperatures well”, picking started on August 21, within the usual timeframe.
Also, lack of rain promoted impeccable quality fruit. At Raimat (Costers
del Segre), where the climate is more continental, “we achieved excellent
balance between alcohol content and acidity, allowing us to compensate for
the slight loss in acidity in the fruit from other areas that were more affected
by the lack of water”.
Obviously, owning over 3,000 hectares of vines is an advantage when climate
change has to be factored into the equation, but it is not enough. Good management
is of paramount importance because, as Vives points out, within the
appellation, Cavas cannot be produced from base wines stemming from different
harvests. It is therefore impossible to compensate for lack of production
one year by using inventories from previous years. “Our ‘reserve’ is based on our
prediction ability. Depending on our forecasts for the harvest, we can increase
our purchases of fruit from external producers at an early stage, which gives us
great stability”. The winery’s exports, which account for approximately 45% of
production, are thus not affected by the initial drop in volumes.
The company’s prediction skills are not just applied to short-term issues. It
104 WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE