Casa Balaguer
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Originally established in 1750, the Casa Balaguer estate is located on the high plains of Villena, Alicante. Formerly home to Bodegas Bernabé Navarro (a JPS import many years back), Marta Ribera and Andrés Carull are the estate’s current owners and caretakers. The couple both trained in enology at the University of Valencia, spending time working at various wineries, and eventually catching the natural wine bug while working in Bordeaux in the late aughts. Born and raised in Villena and a third-generation winegrower, Marta knew of Casa Balaguer and, seeking a project of their own, jumped at the chance to farm and make wine at this historic estate. Since taking over from the retiring Rafa Bernabé, Marta and Andrés have done enormous work on their 40 hectare estate (30 dedicated to vineyards, plus olive & almond trees, cereals and forest) grafting over the French varieties to many near-extinct indigenous grape varieties and taking the farming to organic and then most recently Demeter certification. Embracing the mar y montaña mentality of eastern Spain, they work in two areas – the continental-influenced Villena (montaña) and the Mediterranean sea-influenced Parque Natural La Mata (mar) where they manage 8ha of vines – to produce around 100,000 bottles yearly in a resolutely low intervention style, only utilizing a bit of added SO2 or light filtration when needed. In their words, “a personal project dedicated to producing stripped-back, honest wines that truthfully express our countryside, heritage and people. Vibrant wines from living vines.”


The Wines
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Tragolargo Blanco is the estate’s main white wine and embraces their “mar y montaña” philosophy. Half own-rooted Moscatel grown in pure sandy soils within the Parque Natural de La Mata in Torrevieja close to the Mediterranean at sea level, and half Malvasía grown on pink marl soils at the Paraje Cascante in Villena close to the winery at 550m elevation. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented separately, both destemmed and macerated whole-berry in stainless steel tanks and clay tinajas, the Malvasía on skins for 1 week and the Moscatel for 3-4 weeks. The wine was then gently pneumatic pressed, combined and raised in stainless steel tank on fine lees for 6-8 months. The finished wine was lightly filtered and given a small dose of SO2 before bottling. 
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Tragolargo Tinto is the estate’s main red wine made from Monastrell planted in 2006 in Paraje Castante in Villena close to the winery at 600m elevation on chalky, stony, sandy soils. The grapes were hand-harvested and 30% underwent whole-cluster carbonic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the rest of the grapes were destemmed but not crushed. A small portion of the juice was bled off after 48 hours and the remainder fermented on skins for 7 days with daily light pump-overs before pressing to tank to rejoin the bled-off juice. The wine completed primary and malolactic fermentation and was raised in tank for an additional 6-8 months, before getting a light filtration and small dose of SO2 before bottling.

​Casa Balaguer Blanco is Marta & Andrés’ wine that showcases all of their estate’s white grape varieties and soil types. Each of the varieties are harvested separately and went through primary fermentation in different types of vessels, most with some skin maceration for more complex aromatics and texture. The different varieties were then blended in concrete tanks on fine lees for 5 months to complete malolactic fermentation and age, before getting a light filtration and small dose of SO2 before bottling.

Casa Balaguer Tinto is Marta & Andrés’ wine that showcases all of their estate’s red grape varieties (and one white) and soil types. Each of the varieties are harvested separately and go through primary fermentation in different types of vessels, some partially destemmed and some whole-cluster for more complex aromatics and texture. After completing malolactic fermentation and aging in their respective vessels for 8 months, the finished wine is blended and given a light filtration and small dose of SO2 before bottling.

Carro de la Mata is made from the oldest parcel of own-rooted Moscatel de Alejandría (around 125 years-old) in the Parque Natural de la Mata close to the Mediterranean Sea, growing on fine sandy limestone soils. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and ferment whole berry in clay tinajas of varying sizes with skin maceration lasting around 30 days with a few punch-downs during that time. The skins are then removed without pressing, and the wine completes malolactic fermentation and ages on fine lees for 6-8 months during which a veil of flor develops. The finished wine is then combined in stainless steel tank, lightly filtered and given a small dose of SO2 before bottling. 

Viña Guerán is made from the vines in the original plots purchased by the Lords of Balaguer in the 1800s when the estate was founded, but later ripped out in the 1990s. Luckily a neighboring grower of Andrés and Marta had some original clones of those lost vines, and they have been grafting back the Monastrell over the past several years, as well as the rare Arcos variety. The grapes are partially whole-cluster fermented in large vessels, then pressed off to complete malolactic fermentation and age in French oak barrels and clay tinajas for 10-12 months. The finished wine is then combined in tank, lightly filtered and given a small dose of SO2 before bottling. 
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Rambla Peligrés is made from the single Garnacha parcel of the same name just uphill from the winery, planted in 2004 and referencing the adjacent rambla (old river bed) that carries rainwater down from the mountains. A half-meter below the soil’s surface is a calcareous layer that blocks the vine roots from penetrating deeper, forcing them to compete more for space, water and nutrients with neighboring plant life. This horizontal root system means these vines behave differently from other Garnacha vines elsewhere on the estate, resulting in thinner skins, less color and less vegetative growth on the vines. The grapes are hand-harvested, 70% destemmed and ferment whole berry in 2000L concrete tanks with 3 weeks maceration, and frequent punch-downs during the first 10 days. After pressing, the wine completes malolactic fermentation and ages on fine lees for 12 months in one 3000L concrete tank.  The finished wine is lightly filtered and given a small dose of SO2 before bottling.
 

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Location

General Info

  • Founded: 2018
  • Region: Alicante
  • Town: Villena
  • Climate: Mediterranean
  • Soils: Calcareous
  • Farming:  Certified Demeter
  • Grower:  Marta Ribera and Andrés Carull

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