Recaredo

Recaredo was founded in 1924 in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia by Josep Mata Capellades, who had begun his career as a professional disgorger and winemaker in the Penedès sparkling wine industry. The estate name honors his father Recaredo Mata Figueras, born in 1878 into a family of craft potters. Three generations have led the operation continuously. Josep Mata Capellades worked with his two sons Josep Mata Casanovas and Antoni Mata Casanovas (known as 'Ton', born 28 April 1942) from the 1950s onward; the second-generation brothers were the architects of Recaredo's mature identity, pioneering long-aged Brut Nature cavas with natural cork stoppers and producing the first vintage of Turó d'en Mota in 1999, often credited as the first single-vineyard Cava ever bottled. The third-generation Ton Mata, grandson of the founder Josep Mata Capellades, heads the family winery today; he led the conversion to biodynamic agriculture and the co-founding role in Corpinnat. He works alongside his cousin Jordi Mata, who shares third-generation operational responsibility in the cellars.

• Founded 1924 in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia by Josep Mata Capellades; estate named for Josep's father Recaredo Mata Figueras (born 1878).
• Second generation: brothers Josep Mata Casanovas and Antoni 'Ton' Mata Casanovas (born 28 April 1942) worked with their father from the 1950s; pioneered long-aged Brut Nature cavas with natural cork stoppers.
• Second-generation work produced the first vintage of Turó d'en Mota in 1999, often credited as the first single-vineyard Cava ever bottled.
• Third generation: Ton Mata, grandson of founder Josep Mata Capellades, heads the winery alongside cousin Jordi Mata; Ton Mata is the son of (and named after) the second-generation Antoni 'Ton' Mata Casanovas.

Recaredo farms approximately 50 hectares of estate vineyard in the Alt Penedès across the Sant Sadurní d'Anoia home property and additional family parcels. The estate began converting to biodynamic agriculture in 2006 and in 2010 became the first Penedès producer to earn Demeter biodynamic certification, a milestone for the broader region and one of the earliest biodynamic certifications across Spanish wine. The vineyards center on the native Penedès trio of Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada (Xarel·lo locally known as Pansa Blanca) with smaller plantings of Chardonnay and red varieties for limited rosé production. Vineyard work is dry-farmed; cover crops grow between rows; biodynamic preparations are applied per the lunar calendar; and the family eliminates synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers entirely. The 2010 biodynamic certification placed Recaredo alongside Gramona as the two earliest biodynamic-certified Penedès sparkling wine producers and as the catalyst for broader biodynamic adoption among Corpinnat estates.

• Approximately 50 hectares of estate vineyard in the Alt Penedès across the Sant Sadurní d'Anoia home property and additional family parcels.
• Conversion to biodynamic agriculture began 2006; full Demeter biodynamic certification achieved in 2010; first Penedès producer to earn the certification.
• Native Penedès trio of Xarel·lo (locally Pansa Blanca), Macabeu, and Parellada anchors plantings; smaller Chardonnay and red parcels for limited rosé production.
• Dry-farmed viticulture with cover crops, biodynamic preparations on the lunar calendar, and complete elimination of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.

Recaredo's two distinctive technical signatures define the estate's reputation. The first is 100% Brut Nature production across the entire range, with zero dosage on every bottle. The decision requires exceptional fruit quality and extended lees aging to develop autolytic complexity that compensates for the absence of dosage softening; most global traditional-method sparkling producers use at least minimal dosage to balance acidity, and Recaredo's commitment to zero across every cuvée is unusual at any commercial scale. The second signature is bottle aging under natural cork rather than crown cap. Most traditional-method sparkling wines age on the lees with a metal crown-cap closure during second fermentation, and the cap is removed at disgorgement before the final cork is inserted. Recaredo seals every bottle with natural cork from the start, requiring hand disgorgement to remove sediment without damaging the cork. The practice preserves freshness through extended aging at the cost of significantly higher labor and breakage risk; only a handful of global traditional-method producers maintain it at any commercial scale.

• 100% Brut Nature production across the entire range: zero dosage on every bottle; requires exceptional fruit quality and extended lees aging to compensate for the absence of dosage softening.
• Bottle aging under natural cork rather than crown cap: every bottle is sealed with natural cork from the start of second fermentation through extended lees aging.
• Hand disgorgement of every bottle to remove sediment without damaging the cork; significantly higher labor and breakage cost than industry-standard crown-cap disgorgement.
• Only a handful of global traditional-method sparkling wine producers maintain bottle aging under natural cork at any commercial scale; the combined Brut Nature plus cork signature distinguishes Recaredo internationally.

Recaredo's prestige range centers on two cuvées. Turó d'en Mota is the estate's apex single-vineyard expression, sourced from a Xarel·lo parcel of approximately 1 hectare planted in 1940 on the home estate; the wine ages over 100 months on the lees and is bottled only in qualifying vintages. The 1999 vintage of Turó d'en Mota was the first single-vineyard Cava bottled by any producer. Reserva Particular is the second prestige cuvée, built primarily on Xarel·lo and Macabeu from older estate parcels with extended lees aging of nearly a decade. Below the prestige tier the estate produces Terrers Brut Nature (the entry-tier Corpinnat sparkling), Subtil Brut Nature (mid-tier), Serral del Vell (single-vineyard expression below the Turó d'en Mota apex), and Intens Rosat (the rosé bottling). All wines share the estate's 100% Brut Nature plus cork-aging plus hand-disgorgement signature; the prestige cuvées develop profound autolytic complexity (truffle, dried mushroom, honeyed oxidative fruit) over the Penedès saline-mineral foundation. Recaredo has received critical recognition including 100-point scores from Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

• Turó d'en Mota: apex single-vineyard cuvée from a Xarel·lo parcel of approximately 1 hectare planted in 1940; aged over 100 months on the lees; bottled only in qualifying vintages.
• 1999 vintage of Turó d'en Mota was the first single-vineyard Cava bottled by any producer; the project is the legacy of second-generation Antoni 'Ton' Mata Casanovas.
• Reserva Particular: prestige Xarel·lo-Macabeu blend from older estate parcels with extended lees aging of nearly a decade; one of Spain's longest-aged regularly produced traditional-method sparkling wines.
• Range continues with Terrers Brut Nature (entry tier), Subtil (mid-tier), Serral del Vell (single-vineyard below apex), and Intens Rosat (rosé); all share the 100% Brut Nature plus cork-aging plus hand-disgorgement signature.

On 22 February 2019 Recaredo joined eight other Penedès sparkling producers (Gramona, Llopart, Torelló, Nadal, Sabaté i Coca, Mas Candí, Can Feixes Huguet, and Júlia Bernet) in formally leaving the Cava DO to launch the Corpinnat collective brand. The Corpinnat trademark had been recognized by the European Union Intellectual Property Office in late 2017; the nine producers used 2018 to negotiate with the Cava regulatory council over the right to display both Cava and Corpinnat on the same label, and when those negotiations failed they exited together. Recaredo's commitment to the Corpinnat project reflects its long-standing investment in quality differentiation: full estate vinification, organic farming, hand harvest, and extended lees aging were already estate practice well before the 2019 exit. Corpinnat is operated by the Association of Vintners and Producers Corpinnat (AVEC) as a registered EU collective brand rather than a denomination of origin; membership requires 100% organic farming, manual harvest, complete estate vinification, minimum 90% indigenous grape varieties, and minimum 18 months on the lees. Recaredo's wines now carry the Corpinnat designation prominently on every label, replacing the Cava DO branding the estate used through 2018.

• Recaredo joined 8 other producers (Gramona, Llopart, Torelló, Nadal, Sabaté i Coca, Mas Candí, Can Feixes Huguet, Júlia Bernet) in leaving the Cava DO on 22 February 2019 to launch Corpinnat.
• Corpinnat trademark recognized by the European Union Intellectual Property Office in late 2017; the nine producers exited Cava together in February 2019 after dual-labeling negotiations failed.
• Corpinnat is a registered EU collective brand operated by the Association of Vintners and Producers Corpinnat (AVEC), not a denomination of origin.
• Membership requires 100% organic farming, manual harvest, full estate vinification, minimum 90% indigenous varieties, and minimum 18 months on the lees; Recaredo's practices already exceeded these standards before the 2019 exit.