Why it matters
The producer
Josep Masachs is a Catalan sparkling wine estate that ranks fourth in the whole of DO Cava by volume, yet farms its 43 hectares entirely without synthetic chemicals. The family planted its first vines in Vilafranca del Penedès in 1920. A century later, the fourth generation is entering the business at the Monsarra estate in Torrelles de Foix, about 40 kilometres south of Barcelona. The three bottles in the range are all Cava: traditional method sparkling wine made from Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada, the grapes that define the appellation.
The scale is real. Between 208,000 and 240,000 cases leave Monsarra each year, 85 percent of them sold within Spain. Cava is a domestic product first, and Josep Masachs is one of the producers who keeps it that way.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
El Penedès sits in the interior of Catalonia, on a broad plateau of limestone and clay between the Garraf massif and the pre-coastal range. The altitude moderates what would otherwise be a hot, dry Mediterranean climate: cooler nights preserve the natural acidity in the grapes, which matters for a sparkling wine that depends on freshness to work in the glass.
The DO Cava appellation does not map onto a single village or subzone in the way a Burgundy village appellation does. It is a method designation as much as a geographic one: wine labelled Cava must be made by secondary fermentation in bottle, in the manner of Champagne, from approved varieties grown in registered vineyards. Josep Masachs holds registered vineyard land in El Penedès and produces its entire range at the Monsarra estate in Torrelles de Foix, the facility built in 1985 to handle increasing production.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All 43 hectares are planted with the three classic Cava varieties. Macabeo brings freshness and forward fruit to the blend, giving the wine its initial aromatic openness. Xarel·lo is the structural grape: it adds body, weight, and a savouriness that is particular to Penedès-grown sparkling wine. Parellada, often grown at slightly higher elevations where temperatures drop further at night, contributes aromatic lift and a lighter, more delicate texture. Together the three varieties form a blend calibrated for mousse, freshness, and drinkability.
No synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilisers are used. Organic compost goes back into the soil. In the cellar, all Cava is made by the traditional method: base wines are blended, bottled with a small addition of sugar and yeast, and sealed. Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle, producing the carbon dioxide that forms the mousse. The bottles are then aged on the lees before disgorgement and final dosage.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Josep Masachs range runs across three tiers. The Emily Blanc de Blancs is the entry-level Cava: 33 percent Macabeo, 33 percent Xarel·lo, and 34 percent Parellada in an even, measured blend. It is white, dry, and traditional method. The Josep Masachs line sits above Emily in the range and carries the estate name directly; the Dignitat line represents the upper tier. All three are organic and vegan certified, all are produced by the traditional method, and all draw on the same three estate-grown varieties.
The Emily Blanc de Blancs is the most documented bottle in the range, with a precise varietal composition. The Josep Masachs and Dignitat tiers follow the same Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada architecture but express the grapes with longer lees contact and more selective fruit handling, producing wines with greater weight and ageing potential in the glass. The Xarel·lo component gives all three levels a character specific to Penedès: a mild almond note, a savoury edge, and a body that distinguishes them from sparkling wines made from Chardonnay or Pinot-based blends.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the Emily Blanc de Blancs. It is one-third each of the three Cava grapes, made by the traditional method, certified organic and vegan, and priced as an everyday sparkling wine rather than a special occasion one. In the glass it is dry and fresh, with a light pear and citrus character, a steady mousse, and the mild savoury note that Xarel·lo always brings to Penedès blends. It answers the basic question a curious buyer needs answered first: what does traditional method Cava from Penedès actually taste like when it is farmed with care and made without shortcuts.