CORPINNAT upholds its commitment to rigour in a harvest of extreme difficulty

October 6, 2024

Harvest

The third edition of the CORPINNAT Nit de Verema was held at the Sabaté i Coca winery, highlighting the legal framework of the European Union Collective Mark, its regulations, and the guarantee and excellence of CORPINNAT.

Subirats, 26 September 2024.- The president of the CORPINNAT collective brand of sparkling wines, Ton Mata, gave a speech highlighting the group's track record: 10 years since they began to organise, 7 years since they were constituted as a European Union Collective Mark, 6 years since their public launch and 5 years since the first bottles of CORPINNAT reached the market. There is no doubt that CORPINNAT is a consolidated reality.

CORPINNAT's top representative highlighted the legal framework under which AVEC is organised (European Union Collective Mark): a rigorous and agile model that helps and drives the wine sector towards excellence. It also makes it possible to regulate key aspects that a Designation of Origin cannot, and which are fundamental to adding value to singular wine-growing areas, such as 100% estate vinification and the guaranteed minimum price for grapes paid to the winegrower.

He also pointed out that if CORPINNAT were a D.O., it would be the fourth largest in Catalonia by turnover, the eighth by number of bottles, the first by average value per bottle and the last – and the only one with €0 – in terms of grants and subsidies received.

Ton Mata made it clear that it feels as though CORPINNAT does not exist for the administration, alluding to the absence of grants and subsidies received by the Association, the failure to invite it to take part in sector round tables and the lack of action on its proposal to segment all wineries in Catalonia according to their production model, based on the vertical integration of the sector. He stressed that CORPINNAT expects much more from the administration, given its significant contribution to the value of the territory.

As for the 2024 harvest, the president of CORPINNAT referred to the extreme drought affecting the Penedès, which has led to a general rise in prices. CORPINNAT – as laid down in its regulations – is no exception: since 2018 the regulated minimum price has risen by 47%, and for this campaign it has been set at €0.88/kg. The average price paid by CORPINNAT in 2024 stands at €1.15/kg.

Ton went on to highlight CORPINNAT's regulations, the most demanding in Catalonia, in Spain and even in the whole of Europe. Regulations that emphasise the rigour of being a winegrower, of pressing and vinifying organic, hand-harvested grapes on the estate, with a minimum of 18 months' ageing. All with the non-negotiable goal of excellence: the CORPINNAT guarantee.

Over the years, new companies will be audited, commit to the requirements and become part of this project, so important for our territory, which is CORPINNAT and which is open to everyone.

Only if the label says CORPINNAT is it CORPINNAT.

2024 harvest review

by Marcel Sabaté i Coca

The harvest has been scarce, mainly due to the water deficit we have been dragging along for the last 3 years.

CORPINNAT wineries have gone from harvesting 5.9 million kilos of grapes to 4.6 million, despite increasing the number of hectares harvested. Yields have been unprecedented, with an average of 3,666 kg/ha, 40% less than what we would consider a desirable harvest, which we put at around 6,000 kg/ha without irrigation.

Last year's pruning had already clearly signalled this trend of low production but, on the positive side, we can say that the next pruning in 2024/2025 will be more promising, as the vines have been able to recover foliage and wood.

Harvester tipping white grapes into the trailer

The July heatwave explains the slightly lower acidity, especially in the early-ripening varieties, which made the harvest flow more smoothly in order to obtain optimal musts for long ageing.

The coolest and wettest August and September of recent years slowed the ripening of the later varieties, leading to uneven ripening depending on the plot and/or variety. This resulted in moderate alcohol levels, which favour CORPINNAT base wines for making sparkling wines with an alcohol content in line with market trends.

The current harvest year began very dry from October to February; fortunately, we had a good period of rain from March to September, with the exception of May and above all July, when, as well as there being no rain, temperatures rose, as is now usual, putting the vines under stress.

All in all, we can speak of accumulated rainfall similar to what we have had throughout our history, with between 400 and 480 litres a year. The problem is its irregular distribution, both in intensity and across the CORPINNAT territory.

Overall, the grapes harvested were in good health, despite some low-lying areas being affected by mildew and, at the last minute, the unexpected arrival of the green leafhopper.

In short, a harvest that was short in kilos and long in duration, with interesting aromatic concentration, reasonably good acidity and above all good health; we foresee good ageing for Corpinnat.

We hope this year's rainfall trend continues into 2024 and beyond, so that the soil keeps enough moisture and temperatures do not rise too much, allowing a good ripening cycle and, above all, so that quality is accompanied by a little more quantity

We can say that we are suffering the consequences of 3 extremely dry vintages, 2021, 2022 and 2023, with the lowest average rainfall since records began. The 2024 harvest is marked by a change, a glimmer of hope with the arrival of rains we had not seen since 2020, and the moment to unite to create a large irrigation community that guarantees a future for the coming generations.

CORPINNAT upholds its commitment to rigour in a harvest of extreme difficulty

by Marcel Sabaté i Coca

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