In 2016, Codorníu culminated an ambitious project to demonstrate that large companies could also produce the best cavas on the market. The then leaders of the company, Mar Raventós and Javier Pagés, chose a Barcelona art gallery to present Ars Collecta, a collection of premium cavas signed by winemaker Bruno Colomer, who five years later is still at the helm of an initiative that has contributed to revaluing the cava sector and nurturing the category of Cavas de Paraje Calificado, considered the top of the range in the sector.
Ars Collecta was born as a collection of five cavas that are handcrafted in Celler Jaume, facilities prepared for small productions that Codorníu set up within its production complex in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, which includes the historic Raventós family farmhouse and the modernist buildings designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Of the five Ars Collecta sparkling wines, four were new and one was already a classic of the house, the cava Jaume de Codorníu, which at that time was the highest quality of the winery. Of the other four, there were three single-varietal wines from the best vineyards in three distinct geographical and climatic areas within the cava region in Catalonia. La Fideuera (100% Xarel·lo from Penedès), El Tros Nou (100% Pinot Noir from Serra de Prades-Conca de Barberà) and La Pleta (100% Chardonnay from Segrià-Costers de Segre).
This initial Ars Collecta collection was completed with the Ars Collecta 456, the result of the sum, that is, the coupage of the three grapes used for the production of the cavas La Fideura, La Pleta and El Tros Nou. The name 456 was intended to pay homage to the number of harvests carried out by Codorníu throughout its long history. That 456 was the result of the 2007 harvest. Two years later, Codorníu launched the Ars Collecta 457, from the 2008 vintage.
Now, the brand owned by the American investment fund Carlyle has just started the commercialization of the Ars Collecta 459, the result of the 2010 harvest, meaning with more than ten years of aging. According to Codorníu, the 459 "is an exceptional cava" with a limited production of only 2,904 bottles that will be sold at a price of 175 euros per unit. "It was born as the most valuable cava in history and it continues to be so," highlights the winery. The gran reserva 459 contains 10% Xarel·lo from the La Fideura estate, 45% Chardonnay from La Pleta, and 45% Pinot Noir from the El Tros Nou estate.
According to Codorniu, since 2016, sales of the Ars Collecta collection have grown by 68%. These cavas have received 118 awards and recognitions for their quality. In recent years, the collection has also expanded from five to eight cavas, as Ars Collecta now also includes a Blanc de Blancs cava, a Blanc de Noirs, and the Grand Rosé rosé. The three single-varietal cavas La Fideuera, El Tros Nou, and La Pleta are certified as Cavas de Paraje Calificado as they come from an exceptional site, from vineyards more than ten years old, manual harvests, and a minimum fermentation in bottle of 36 months. Each bottle is sold for 90 euros. There are only 15 cavas that have this category. The 459 cannot be part of this group as it does not come from a single site but from three.