Celler Kripta 'Franc' Brut Reserva 2021

It’s hard to overstate the impact of Agusti Torello Mata on the Cava world, and Spain’s enological history. Defined by both winemaking and evangelizing native Catalan grapes and sparkling wine, Mata’s legacy is profound.

At 13 years old, Mata left home to work with his uncle who was a winemaker. After formal enology studies, he dedicated his career to his native Catalonia and its Cava production. It was in the 1970s, after the formal establishment of the Cava denomination, when his prominence as both a winemaker and Cava evangelist took off. Mata held the office of Presidency of the Catalan Association of Winemakers for 12 years and founded the Cava Brotherhood in 1979. In 1984, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture awarded Torelló the first Gold Medal for merit in winemaking. Finally, in 1986, Mata founded his eponymous winery on the outskirts of Sant Sadurni where he and his children and grandchildren make wine to this day. 

Over time, Mata helped define a more serious, cellar-worthy style of cava while adhering to organic viticultural practices. Notably his Kripta, first produced in 1978, is known for its striking amphora-shaped bottle which Mata designed to promote constant, circular movement of the lees. Always aged under natural cork for a minimum of seven years on lees, Kripta is a monumental wine which started to be found at the tables of die-hard Champagne lovers. (In May 1992, the mayor of Épernay invited him to preside over the prestigious Champagne trade fair). 

Fast forward to 2025, the 90-year-old Mata’s Sant Sadurni winery now goes by Celler Kripta, signaling a torch-pass to his children and grandchildren. This rebrand coincides with the new D.O. rules and quality tiers and the Mata family will be utilizing the Cava de Guarda Superior designation on their labels. Simply put, this label indicates that a winery utilizes 100% certified organic, hand-harvested grapes from vineyards that are at least 10-years old with yields under 48hl/ha. It also sets minimum bottle-aging standards:18 months for Cava de Guarda Superior Reserva, and 30 months for Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva. 

Celler Kripta is also one of 17 D.O. Cava wineries who can use the label Elaborador Integral (Integral Producer). This indicates that a producer carries out the entire Cava production process, from the vinification to bottling, on their own estate. 

Ultimately, the new D.O. rules and regulations are catching up to a benchmark set by the Mata family and we’re glad to see more guardrails in a region that produces over 250 million bottles of sparkling wine a year.