The 2010 Curro is pure Monastrell from different plots from their Casa Balaguer property in Villena, harvested in October/November, fermented in open 400-liter French oak barrels for 30 days and aged for 16 months in these barrels with four rackings following the moon cycle. It was bottled in June 2013. It’s very dark-colored and it has a really fresh nose, with red fruits, balsamic notes (thyme, rosemary), elegant and complex. The fresh, balanced palate is long and intense, juicy, velvety, with very fine, sweet tannin, a lacy texture and a very long finish. A great example of Mediterranean Monastrell. A selection of 2,000 bottles. Drink 2014-2018. 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 2009 Curro is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Tempranillo aged for 16 months in French oak. It offers up a brooding bouquet of confiture of blackberry and plum along with plenty of spice and mineral notes. Dense and plush on the palate, it has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years and will provide enjoyment through 2024. Bernabe Navarro owns 88 acres of vine, predominantly old-vine Monastrell. Importer: Hidalgo Imports, Miami, FL; Tel. (305) 477-7717