Cava’s apex expands as five new Paraje Calificado wines approved
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture has ratified five additional single estate Cavas at the highest rung of the appellation’s hierarchy. The decision brings the total number of Paraje Calificado wines to 15 and confirms the category’s full organic status from the 2025 harvest.
The prestige tier of DO Cava has widened following formal endorsement by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and publication in the Official State Gazette. The decision, announced from Vilafranca del Penedès yesterday (2 March 2026), confirms five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas.
Three of the newly approved wines come from Sumarroca in El Rebato, Subirats: Núria Claverol Allier Finca Cols, Núria Claverol Homenatge Finca Peretes and Núria Claverol Blanc de Noirs Finca Rosendo.
Also admitted to the category is L’Era del Celdoni from Carles Andreu in Pira, Conca de Barberà, produced from the vineyard that gives the wine its name. Completing the quintet is MIM Natura Blanc de Noirs from Vins El Cep, sourced from a Pinot Noir vineyard on the Can Prats estate in Espiells.
At the same time, the Vallcirera estate of Art Laietà d’Alta Alella has been expanded.
A demanding qualification process
According to DO Cava, each wine has met stringent regulatory conditions before being revalidated by a high-level tasting panel composed of Masters of Wine and senior sommeliers. The panel comprised Pedro Ballesteros MW, Almudena Alberca MW, David Forer MW and journalist and sommelier Ramon Francàs, alongside Oriol Roig, technical director, and Francisco González, former technical director and promoter of the category.
Paraje Calificado represents the summit of the Cava quality pyramid. The designation is reserved for wines from a single estate with distinctive soil and microclimate characteristics and is granted only after a prior qualifying tasting, full traceability from vineyard to market release and official approval by the ministry, according to the regulatory framework.
Among the requirements are vineyards of more than 10 years of age, maximum yields of 8,000 kilograms per hectare, hand harvesting and vinification on the estate. Extraction is limited to 48 hectolitres per hectare, the wines must be vintage dated and released only as brut nature, extra brut or brut. A minimum ageing period of 36 months applies.
From the 2025 harvest, all Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas must be 100% organic, as per the appellation rules.
Fifteen wines at the summit
With the new approvals, 15 Cavas now hold the distinction. These include Migin Exeo Paraje Calificado Vallcirera, with ageing of more than 66 months and Migin Opus Paraje Calificado Vallcirera with 50 months from Art Laietà d’Alta Alella.
Partner Content
From Carles Andreu, L’Era del Celdoni Paraje Calificado is aged for 87 months.
Codorníu holds three Paraje Calificado wines under its Ars Collecta range, La Fideuera, La Pleta and El Tros Nou, each aged for more than 90 months.
Ferrer Wines counts Can Sala Paraje Calificado with 144 months of ageing and Vinyes de Can Sala Paraje Calificado with more than 120 months.
Juvé & Camps La Capella Paraje Calificado is aged for more than 150 months, while Pere Ventura Gran Vintage Paraje Calificado Can Bas sees more than 96 months.
From Sumarroca, Núria Claverol Allier Paraje Calificado Finca Cols is aged for 36 months, Núria Claverol Homenatge Paraje Calificado Finca Peretes for more than 80 months and Núria Claverol Blanc de Noirs Paraje Calificado Finca Rosendo for more than 36 months.
Vins El Cep holds Claror Paraje Calificado Can Prats with more than 84 months of ageing, in addition to the newly approved MIM Natura Blanc de Noirs Paraje Calificado Can Prats with more than 36 months.
Organic conversion completed
As previously reported by the drinks business in September 2025, all Guarda Superior Cavas released from that point onwards are certified as 100 per cent organic. According to the figures cited, Spain counts nearly 110,000 hectares of certified organic vineyards within the Cava DO.
Every bottle beginning with the 2022 harvest, including Reserva, Gran Reserva and Paraje Calificado categories, has been produced from organically grown grapes. Organic certification is backed by the European Union and requires that no chemicals have been used in the vineyards for at least three years, verified through documentation and regular inspections. The Catalan Council for Organic Agricultural Production provides additional certification.
In 2024, sales of organic Cavas reached 37.3 million bottles, representing a growth of 15.24% on the previous year.
Related news
Why Cava is 'undergoing an exciting renaissance'
