A polished texture carries the black cherry, licorice, smoke and mineral flavors in this graceful red. Has well-integrated tannins and firm acidity. Balanced, in a savory style. Drink now through 2018. 1,700 cases made, 684 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Alicante Select to Add

Always a favorite of mine, and probably in its finest vintage so far, the 2012 Casa Balaguer is a blend of Monastrell with myriad other grapes from vineyards planted around the winery in Villena, and named after the estate. It has a very strong aroma of thyme that is balsamic and develops more fennel and licorice characters. The refined and polished tannins have a velvety texture and very good freshness while the oak is very well integrated into the wine.

The 2011 Casa Balaguer is a blend of Monastrell with other varieties fermented and aged separately for 16 months in French oak barrels and then blended and aged in inox until its bottling in June 2013. Quite dark cherry-colored, with a cedar nose mixing the licorice and blueberry notes of Monastrell with a green touch that reminds me of Bordeaux varieties. The medium-bodied palate shows a fine texture and comes back with a serious minty note, and again a bitter touch at the end. 10,000 bottles produced. Drink 2014-2017. Bernabe Navarro is one of the most active, creative and experimental wineries in the Alicante region. It was created in 1999 by husband and wife Rafael Bernabe and Olga Navarro. They started with 40 hectares and a small winery on their property, Casa Balaguer in Villena, and own a further 30 hectares of vineyards in Finca Usaldon, all of them dry-farmed. They also have control over a further 3 hectares of white Merseguera and Moscatel de Alejandria in a traditional sub-zone outside the Alicante appellation, the natural park of La Mata in Torrevieja, a coastal, tourist zone 45 kilometers south of Alicante city. Rafael Bernabe, who left a life in business to go back to his passion and family roots in nature and agriculture, is merging his two wineries and projects into one, with the wines from Vinedos Culturales being more in the natural vein (no added sulfites, fermentation in amphora). Many different wines are produced in small quantities, trying to show the diversity of their terroir, with some unusual grapes, combining tradition with innovation, and the more traditional range of Bernabe Navarro, Beryna, Casa Balaguer, and a great pure Monastrell called Curro. They produce an average of 100,000 bottles per year, using natural yeast, carrying out gentle vinification and aging, intervening as little as possible with minimal or no addition of SO2. Various American importers, including Jose Pastor Selections; www.josepastorselections.com; Elite Wines; www.elitewines.net; and American Northwest; www.anwdistributors.com

The 2007 Casa Balaguer is a blend of 50% Monastrell with the balance Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah aged in new French oak for 16 months. Smoke, underbrush, brier, and blueberry aromas and flavors lead to a succulent, ripe, friendly wine that will benefit from another 2-3 years of bottle age. It will deliver enjoyment through 2022. Bernabe Navarro owns 88 acres of vine, predominantly old-vine Monastrell. Importer: Hidalgo Imports, Miami, FL; Tel. (305) 477-7717

Black cherry and chocolate notes underscore a solid dose of oak in this juicy red, which has lightly chewy tannins on the finish. Tempranillo with Monastrell, Cabernet Franc and others. Drink now. 400 cases made, 150 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Spain / Alicante Select to Add