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Mascaró Reserva and Gran Reserva cava, 100% of our vineyards

Mascaró Reserva and Gran Reserva cavas are examples of our mission to unite tradition and modernity. Gathering up the legacy of our ancestors, we believe that the essence of a product is in its origin and this is the reason why our cavas are made with grapes from our own vineyards at “Mas Miquel” estate.

In cavas production, the process of second fermentation and aging in bottle provides the structure and complexity characteristics of our Reserva and Gran Reserva cavas.

We understand that good work is the one that takes care of all the details, so a winemaker from the Mascaró family controls the entire process, from the vineyard to the table of the consumer, thus ensuring the quality and personality of our cavas that have at least 60% Parellada and aged at least two years.

The production process of Reserva and Gran Reserva Cava

The estate “Mas Miquel”, registered at D.O. Cava, is the origin of the Mascaró Reserva and Grand Reserva cava. There, one of the highest areas of the Penedès region we have different grape varieties which we use to produce our cavas: Parellada, Macabeo, Chardonnay, Grenache and Xarel.lo.

Harvesting is manual at Mascaró and the transport to the cellar is made in small boxes to preserve the maximum quality of the fruit, that we collect in their optimum ripeness.

To prepare our cavas we press the grapes without destemming, champanya style, that means that we squeeze but not break the grain, and we reserve the grape-juice of the highest quality, which is fermented at controlled temperatures to preserve its rich aroma.

We process each of our cavas varieties separately, thus obtaining, after fermentation, the wine base of Parellada, Macabeo, Chardonnay, Grenache and Xarel.lo.

Once the base wine is already stabilized and clean, the winemaker of the family realizes the Mascaró blend, a process that defines the personality of the author and complexity of our Reserva and Gran Reserva cavas. Thus, the Cuvée Antonio Mascaro is a blend of Parellada (50%), Macabeo (35%) and Chardonnay (15%); Pure is a blend of Parellada (80%) and Macabeo (20%; Nigrum and Ambrosia are a blend of Parellada (60%), Macabeo (30%) and xarel.lo (10%); and Rubor Aurorae is Grenache 100 %.

The aging of Mascaró cavas

In the darkness of our cellars, located in the center of Vilafranca del Penedès (Spain), it is forged the reputation of Mascaró Reserva and Gran Reserva cavas. This is where, after the process of circulation, our bottles lay for a minimum period of 2 years until they reach our consumers.

Our underground cellars, which are preserved as they were built in the 40s are constructed in Catalan vaults and are connected with rails to help move the bottles. At Mascaró we put the bottles in rows manually.

When the cava is optimum for consumption, we start the “remuage” the riddling process that involves gradual turning and inversion of the bottle to bring the lees into the neck prior to their removal of removing. Mascaró Reserva and Gran Reserva cava comes in two bottles of different sizes (standard and magnum) and this leads us to use two different mechanisms for the “remuage”: in some cases we use cages and in other we do it manually.

In our cellars still remain some “casal”, which is the name of our Street and that was used to make the “remouge” in a space filled with sand that allows different positions of the bottle to bring the lees into the neck, preparing it for disgorgement.

The process of cava production ends with disgorgement, freezing the neck of the bottle, and the addition of the expedition liquor only for Brut and Semi-dry cavas. For visitors who want to get to know better how cava was made long time ago, at Mascaró we have a museum where you can see the old manual disgorgement zone.

The care and attention to detail throughout all the process, and the long aging, give complexity to Mascaró Reserva and Gran Reserva cavas, quality products with a long tradition and recognition.