In Pagos de Anguix we are harvesting. The harvest tasks in Pagos de Anguix began during the penultimate week of September, while in the Espiells vineyards, where the Juvé & Camps sparkling wines and Propietat d’Espiells wines come from, it took place at the beginning of August. What accounts for this difference? The soils and climate of the region have the answer.
The terroir of the Pagos de Anguix estates offers slow maturation and, for this reason, the harvest is one of the latest in Spain. This slow maturation facilitates the production of fresh wines, with good acidity, balanced and with a very positive evolution in the bottle and greater longevity.
What are the factors that cause slow maturation?
The quality of the soil, the climate and the altitude are factors that contribute to the slow ripening of the grapes. We have different plots, each one with a different composition. The majority are clay-calcareous soils, but we also have gravel, sand… that create very different wine profiles.
The Pagos de Anguix vineyards are located at 850 meters above sea level, which also contributes to slow maturation. At this altitude we have a big difference between day and night. “On any day in July or August we can reach 40 °C during sunny hours and at night the temperatures plummet to 10 °C, this makes the vineyard recover well at night and the maturation is slower” he states. José Manuel Pérez Ovejas, Technical Advisor of Juvé & Camps Prime Brands.
The climate is dry continental with a clear influence from the Atlantic and little rainfall, which also favors slower grape maturation.
Why is late maturation and harvesting positive for wines?
Rapid maturations are more difficult to manage. Slow maturation allows us to obtain fresh wines, with good acidity, good tannin, and balanced wines. These characteristics are highly valued in long-lived wines. They are fresh wines, with low pH and good acidity, which will have a very positive evolution in the bottle.
