A classic Corpinnat sparkling wine from Gramona in the Penedès. A cuvée of Xarello, Macabeu, Parellada and a portion of Chardonnay with at least 50 months on the lees, it showcases Spanish sparkling winemaking at the highest level.
Bottler: Gramona S.A., Industria, 36, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, 08770 Barcelona / Spain
In the glass
Colour
Straw yellow with a very fine bead.
Nose
A multi-layered bouquet of ripe apples and citrus fruits, accompanied by roasted notes, pastry and smoky hints from the long ageing on the lees – fresh, intense and harmonious.
Palate
Velvety and creamy with a lively attack, notes of apple tart and ripe fruit; full-bodied yet juicy and taut, with a complex, long finish.
Character
An elegant, distinctive sparkling wine with depth and structure.
Notes
The grapes come from biodynamic, Demeter-certified viticulture; the dosage is drawn from a solera of oxidative vintage blends maintained since 1910 – a technique otherwise familiar from the Sherry region. With only 6 g/l of residual sugar, the wine sits in the lower Brut range.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Straw yellow with a very fine mousse.
Nose
A multi-layered bouquet of ripe apples and ripe citrus fruits, overlaid with roasted notes, delicate smoky hints and the scent of pastry. Versatile, intense and yet fresh and harmonious.
Palate
Velvety and creamy, carried by a very fine mousse. The attack is vibrantly fresh, shaped by ripe fruit and apple tart. Full-bodied and mouth-filling, yet never opulent – a juicy, taut line draws the wine across the palate.
Finish
Long, complex and with a distinctly individual character.
Terroir & origin
The Gramona Batlle family cultivates its vines around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia in Penedès, where limestone and fossil deposits shape the soils. They farm their 150 hectares organically – and have done so since 2000, at a time when this was still revolutionary in the region. In 2018, the house co-founded the collective seal Corpinnat and left the DO Cava: Imperial is therefore not a Cava, but a sparkling wine with European quality ambitions.
Grape variety & vinification
A cuvée from various vineyards and the indigenous varieties Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada with a small proportion of Chardonnay, from biodynamic, Demeter-certified viticulture. Fermented in the bottle according to the traditional method, with at least 50 months on the lees, though usually longer.
Special features
The dosage is the secret heart of the wine: since 1910, the family has been ageing oxidative wines in a solera-like system – a technique otherwise known from the Sherry region. These complex vintage blends, incorporating remnants of very old wines, serve as the dosage for the Imperial, which, with 6 g/l residual sugar, sits in the lower Brut range.
