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Finca Casa Balaguer is a small family-owned winery based in Alicante run by Andres Carull and Marta Ribera. Their wines are made in the most natural way possible with the proud focus on organic agriculture. Local grape varieties such as Monastrell, Merseguera, Moscatel and Malvasia are used to make the various wines as well as other lesser-seen natives, and only natural yeasts are used in their wines with zero corrective additions. In their own words, “we believe our grapes should express themselves naturally, so it is our job as winemakers to provide them with the best possible environment in which to grow. The less intervention from us in the winery the better, so our wines can truly reflect the character of our wonderful land.”
Casa Balaguer Blanco and Tinto are the true reflection of everything they believe in. Combining their philosophy, beliefs, soils and grape varieties, these two wines are the purest representation of how they interpret the mountain (and coastal) viticulture in the Mediterranean.
The overall climate is typically hot, humid and Mediterranean near the coast, becoming drier and more continental further inland where the vineyards are at higher elevations.
Casa Balaguer is the third generation of vine growers, continuing the hard work started by their grandparents over 65 years ago. As the first generation to make bottled wine, their determination is to produce high quality wines with as little human intervention in the winery as possible, in short natural wines. In order to achieve this, the work that takes place in the vines is fundamental to the endeavour. Everything is done therefore to favour the best quality grapes produced under the strict principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture.Â
Many of the grapes for the Casa Balaguer Blanco come from the “Parque Natural de La Mata Torrevieja”, a national park comprising salt water lagoons by the coast at Torrevieja, south of the city of Alicante. Bush vines (some old) nestle amongst the sand dunes.
This wine comprises 30% Merseguera, 30% MalvasĂa, 20% Moscatel de AlejandrĂa with 10% TortosĂ & 10% Verdil. Grapes are harvested manually with the five varieties fermented separately with varying degrees of skin contact. The juice is blended and aged for three months in small-batch concrete tanks, before a light filtration and a bottling according to the biodynamic calendar.
The resultant wine is medium straw yellow in colour. Stone fruit and citrus on the nose with hints of white jasmine leads to an invigorating palate which develops Mediterranean characteristics of fennel and eucalyptus and notes of dried spice from the variable. skin-contact.
The red wine hails from vineyards planted on alluvial stony soils from the river Vinalopo up in the Alicante mountains (around 650-700m above sea level) and is made up of 40% Monastrell, 30% Garnacha Peluda, 15% Arcos, 10% ValencĂ, 5% TortosĂ, many of which are old vines.
Again the different varieties are fermented individually with varying degrees of whole bunch and maceration. The wines are blended and matured in various vessels, the Monastrell ageing 8 months in used oak (500L), Garnacha Peluda – 12 months in concrete vats, Arcos – 8 months in amphora, ValencĂ – 8 months in amphora and demi-johns & TortosĂ – stainless steel only.
Bright cherry in colour, this medium-bodied red has vibrant red fruits on the nose with strawberry and raspberry leading the way and infused with a subtle lavender and thyme character. A solid mouthful of red wine and one that punches far above its weight.
2024 Casa Balaguer Blanco
2023 Casa Balaguer Tinto
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Interested in finding out more about Casa Balaguer’s wines? Contact us directly:
shop@lescaves.co.uk |  sales@lescaves.co.uk | 01483 538820