Cavas Valmar
- Location: Ensenada
- Web Site: www.vinosvalmar.com
- Tel: (646) 174-0836 / 174-0829
- Email: valmar@telnor.net
AWARDS and AKNOWLEDGMENTS
- 1995 – Won a Gold Medal for their 1994 Chenin Blanc at Fiestas Vendimia
- 1995 – Won an honorary mention for their Cabernet Sauvignon from their 1991 reserve at The Best Mexican Wine Contest in Mexico City
- 1996 – Won a Gold Medal for their Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 Reserve at Fiestas Vendimia
- 1995 – Won an honorary mention for their Cabernet Sauvignon from their 1991 reserve at The Best Mexican Wine Contest in Mexico City
- 1999 – Out of 560 wines graded only 172 were selected to qualify at the for the prestigious Wines & Spirits Magazine February Edition Best Wine Competition receiving 82 points our 100 for their Chenin Blanc 1997 reserve and Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 reserve.
History
The Cavas Valmar history begins with the arrival of Don Federico Valentin to Ensenada in 1919 from the French Alpes in lovely mountains of France. He dedicated himself to attending his ranch. As a good Frenchmen, he attended his own wines and he began to share them with his friends. His children Hector and Gontran Valentin with Fernando Martain joined together to establish the Cavas Valmar in 1983.
They begin their work in an old parking lot on the ranch with a small mill and other equipment that included 20 American Oak barrels.
At that time one could only buy Palomino, Ugniblanc and Moscatel varieties to produce white wines along with Grenache, Rubi-Red, Valdepeñas and Italian varieties for the red.
In 1985, Cavas Valmar produced its first two wines; one white and one red. They used these two wines to launch their business. That same year they began to make their Cabernet Sauvignon. As time passed the white wine changed its formulation to what it is today; a wine made with Chevin Blanc grapes.
Production and Sales
Today the Cavas Valmar production is approximately 15,000 bottles yearly with 80% being of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc. These wines are consumed in the best restaurants of Mexico. We mention a few below:
Four Seasons Mexico City, La Cabaña del Gaucho in Villahermosa, Merida and Leon Guanajuato, Las Palmillas Hotels, Paraíso Los Cabos, Twin Dolphin and Melia in Cabo San Lucas, Malarrimo Restaurant in Guerrero Negro, 100 años Restaurant, La Tradición and Victoria in Tijuana, Rey Sol, Embotelladora Vieja, La Esquina, Las Conchas, Kaia, Punta Morro and Haliotis in Ensenada.
Elaboration
Currently the grapes used to make the Cavas Valmar wines come from wineries located in the Valle of San Vicente which is south of Ensenada. The vines there are 40 years old. The Chenin Blanc is produced at their winery in the Valle de Guadalupe with 30 year old plants.
The technology to make the Cava Valmar wines has constantly changed improving year after year: They have put forth larger and more modern equipment with even more adequate humidity temperature controls.
The elaboration of Chenin Blanc begins in July when vintners visit the wineries to check the characteristics desired for the grape harvest. That is to say that they look for sugar content, acidity in addition to selecting the part of the vineyard that is the healthiest with no damage to the leaves or the grapes.
Once they determine the harvest date, the harvest will begin in the first hours of the morning using plastic boxes with a capacity for 10 kilograms to avoid loosing the fruitiness and damage to the grapes during their transportation to Ensenada.
In Ensenada, the grapes are separated from the vines sending the juice, skin and seeds to the fermentation tanks. Afterwards, only the juice is sent to the fermentation. The skins and seeds are pressed and this juice is fermented separately being of lower quality. This juice is fermented at lower temperature of approximately 12 degrees centigrade for two or three months and after gelatin is added to be filtrated and stabilized for bottling. The bottles are sent to storage to rest for at least six months before being labeled to be ready for sale.
The elaboration of the Cabernet Sauvignon begins in September with the supervision of the vineyard. When the optimum conditions of quality are reached, the harvest begins. These grapes are also picked in the early hours of the morning in plastic boxes for their transportation to Ensenada where they begin their grinding process sending juice, skin and seed to the fermentation tanks where they stay for 12 days extracting the colors, flavors and aroma that will give the Cavas Valmar character. Once the alcoholic fermentation has completed the the wine is placed in the wood barrels where the second fermentation called malolactica begins.
At the end of the year the wine is sent to other barrels separating the sediment. They are sent to another facility with controlled temperature and humidity. They remain there aging a minimum of 12 months. After this, a bit of egg whites are added and filtrated, stabilized and bottled to be sent back to the winery where it will spend another 12 months before being labeled to be ready for sale.
