CAVA. TIRAGE TIME

CAVA. TIRAGE TIME

The tirage of cava simply consists of bottling the base wine in order to carry out the second fermentation in the bottle. This is where the magic happens: the transformation of a still wine into a sparkling one.

At this stage, in order for the process to develop, sugar, yeast, nutrients and clarifying agents are added to the base wine. The bottle is then sealed again and left to rest so that the transformation can take place slowly but steadily.

What happens inside the bottle, in the silence and darkness of the cellar, is pure alchemy. The yeasts consume the sugar and create the second fermentation, producing CO₂ (carbon dioxide). This gas becomes trapped in the bottle and forms the bubbles.

The traditional method, the most widely used, is characterized by the fact that the second fermentation takes place directly in the bottle. The wine then ages on its lees (dead yeast cells). During this ageing period, the bottles are gradually turned in a precise and methodical movement until they end up neck-down, ready for disgorgement and the final corking.

From this point on, the wine must rest in the bottle for at least 9 months, 18 months for a Reserva, or 30 months for a Gran Reserva.

During this resting period, the wine gains complexity, creaminess and aromas of toasted bread, nuts and pastry.

Part of the importance of tirage lies in the fact that it determines the final pressure of the cava, the size and behaviour of the bubbles, part of the aromatic profile and the ageing potential.