was founded in St. Sadurní d'Anoia in 1918, by the Santacana family, which has a longstanding tradition in the world of wine. So much so, that even today the Cava caves are called by the affectionate and familiar nickname "Cal Santacana."

It is considered one of the five oldest and most traditional wineries of the Cava region. The first expansion of the Cava dates to the year 1944, but it was in the sixties when it achieved its greatest splendour, leading Cava producers in sales. After that period, the family business began a slow decline.

In 1989, the family business went through a full-blown crisis, and sold most of its shares to the company "Coll de Juny, S.A.," in order to expand, improve and re-launch the Cava.

An extensive plan was drafted for that purpose, which consisted of the following:

Construction of new buildings and remodelling and updating existing buildings. With this measure, the Cava storage capacity was increased to 6 million bottles, which will allow sustained sales growth during the coming years. The underground galleries where the bottles of Cava are elaborated are more than 2.5 kilometres long.

Investment in machinery, replacing absolutely every element of production, in order to achieve greater production capacity, improved productivity, a quality product and prestigious design. It should be remembered that making a good Cava is not only a question of tradition, but also of applying modern techniques. This has also been a very significant motive for introducing everything that today's innovation and technology can offer into the production of a high-quality Cava.

The entire range of products, including both Cava and Wines with the Penedès "appellation of origin," were renewed so that all the segments of the market can be reached under one name, offering one of the best Price-Quality ratios on the market.

Finally develop a new national distribution network.

In October 1992, the Cava caves were reopened by the Most Honourable Mr. Jordi Pujol, President of the regional government of Catalonia, initiating a new period in the history of MONTESQUIUS.

This reinauguration coincided with the worst years in the history of the Cava industry, and MONTESQUIUS went through a crisis in sales that the shareholders found difficult to resolve. It was in 1997 when the Ruíz-Mateos family came onto the scene and acquired the majority of the shares of "Coll de Juny, S.A.," taking over the management of the Cava, which by that time was very debilitated, financially. Shortly thereafter, the Company held a Capital expansion which allowed it to serenely face the new challenges of the modern economy, in which we are still immersed at the start of the new millennium.


operates on both the national and international levels. On the national market, the company basically markets the Montesquius and Santacana brands, in their different varieties: Semi-Seco, Brut, and Brut Nature. It also markets its most outstanding product, the Gran Reserva with more than 3 years of elaboration, which the Company has been able to place among the best high-market products in its category.

Internationally, apart from the brands mentioned above, the company also markets the DAMA brand, in its different varieties: Brut, Brut Nature, and a special bottle known as the GRAN DAMA ("Great Lady"), which has been widely accepted in distribution systems.



MONTESQUIUS Cava is elaborated according to the traditional method; in other words, the fermentation that produces the Cava and its elegant foam takes place inside the same bottle that reaches the consumer and is therefore totally individualised.

The origin of this method is found in "Abad de Hautvilliers" in the French region of Champagne. From the hand of Dom Perignon, this unique method of elaboration reached the Capital of Cava at the end of the Nineteenth century.

The bottles prepared in this manner are mechanically lowered into the Cava caves, where expert hands stack them in the horizontal position, forming the "rimas" (characteristic stacks of Cava bottles). An elegant, fine and delicate bouquet, with small, slowly rising bubbles and is achieved not only with high-quality base wines and select yeast, but also with a decisive factor: temperature.



After the fermentation and elaboration of the Cava is completed, at a constant temperature of 14-15° C, the dead yeast must be eliminated. The yeast has died because it has consumed its nourishment -the sugar- and because it has drowned in the carbon dioxide that it produced through the fermentation. In other words, it gave its life for the Cava!! It has given its life for a new life, and the joy of this life will reach us through their magic bubbles.

We eliminate the yeast through a manual process on the racks. The hand of man performs three actions on every bottle: vibration to loosen the sediments stuck to the glass, elevation of the bottle and rotation of the bottle to force the sediments down toward the base of the cork.


Disgorging consists of eliminating all the sediments which, thanks to the rack, we have situated in the end of the bottle, leaving the liquid totally clear. We freeze the neck of the bottle at 25° C below zero, which allows us to lock all the yeast into a block of ice, and to place the bottle in the vertical position. Thus the bottle is prepared for the birth of the Cava.

A steel claw raises the crown plug, allowing the pressure of the bottle itself to eject the block of ice. A typical sound -a blend of explosion and bubbling- tells us, just like the cry of a new-born child, that our Cava is born. We feel the joy of a job well done.


Like the most beautiful ladies, the bottle is elegantly dressed. The cork preserves all the qualities of the Cava despite the passage of time, and the halter keeps it in place. The capsule, the label, the collar and the reverse label are its credentials which allow it to be recognised as the best of the Cavas. That is how it reaches you for your enjoyment.


We hope you can experience many hours of happiness with our Cava. At work, in gatherings of friends, at parties or in intimate moments, a MONTESQUIUS Cava is not only a symbol of distinction, but also a true pleasure. Do not forget that our love for Cava, our knowledge, our experience and our most sincere wish of happiness for you and yours are inside every bottle.