The Importance of strong relationships within the winemaking community.
A Sense of Place
Part of our process when we think about our wine program at Fourth and Church is to work with like minded people within the wine community.
Over the years we have aligned ourselves with winemakers who demonstrate the deepmost respect for the land they work, who fully understand that they are just temporary custodians of the landscape they work and who strive to manage their projects using best practices, in many cases regenerating and improving the environment that surrounds them.
With this in mind I was super excited towards the end of last year to arrange a quick trip to Spain to meet up with a former colleague of the Fourth and Church team and friend, Laura Lopez. Sadly for us Laura re-located to her home city of Alicante earlier in 2025.
However it's always wonderful to maintain a true hospitality friendship and to grab an opportunity for Laura and I to catch up in Alicante and for us to visit one of our favorite winemaking estates Finca Casa Balaguer.
Located in the Vinalopó River valley, about an hour's drive into the interior of Alicante. At over 550 meters above sea level, Finca Casa Balaguer was first established as a holistic agricultural system with vineyards, olive groves, cereals, almond and fruit trees, with animals all co-existing naturally, shaping an agricultural landscape as productive as it is beautiful.
Laura and I met up on Monday morning for a quick coffee and catch up, before the short drive out of the city. We navigated our turn off the main road, headed down a rough track and parked up opposite the gates of the estate. As we approached we were met by the loud honking of team Geese! Certainly more effective than any guard dog, so the welcoming appearance of Andrés Carull was a little bit of a relief!
Andrés, one half of the young dynamic winemaking team, alongside Marta Ribera, welcomed us to the Finca and momentarily hushed the geese up. He was very quick to introduce us to their other animals, donkeys Carlota and Margarita, goats Mireia and Brilli-Brilli, some hens, and of course the geese. None of the animals are part of the decor but instead form part of the natural balance of the place, an active part of the biodynamic farm, where everything plays its part and has a purpose.
While we walked, Andrés talked us through their philosophy. Finca Casa Balaguer is not just about growing, they create life and embrace biodiversity, always leaving room for the wild.
Farming vines, olives, cereals, almonds, and fruit trees, integrated with animals, many of which are rescued, including goats, donkeys, hens, rabbits, cats, and geese.
Local grape varieties that were nearly extinct have been recovered vine by vine and graft by graft, 100% organic and biodynamic agriculture, no chemicals, no shortcuts, all in tune with how the seasons and the natural world dictates.
We wanted to create a place, an ecosystem. A space where nature, animals, and people coexist in harmony. That’s how this project was born, and over the years, it has become our way of life.
Their daily work revolves around a clear goal, to craft organic and biodynamic wines and olive oil that speak of their origins, beliefs, and their way of understanding the land. Working with local grape varieties, respecting natural cycles, and committed to regenerative and self-sufficient agriculture. What drives us isn’t just making quality products, it’s doing so responsibly.
We want our estate to be more than just a beautiful place. Our dream is to turn it into a true haven of biodiversity and life, a benchmark of sustainability, a model proving that agriculture can be productive, sustainable…and respectful of the planet.
We continue to walk along a track running alongside the nearest of the vineyards, today it's a little overcast, with a very light splattering of rain, a welcome to the dry relentless heat of the summer months. In the distance there are gentle hills, sloping vineyards, scattered olive trees and mountains. No herbicides or pesticides are used at all and underfoot lie soils millions of years old, different plots consist of gravel, marl, and sand, once shaped by an ancient river.
It's so very quiet and peaceful with the scent of Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme and chamomile on the breeze.
We stop alongside an embankment that the track is cut into and Andrés is keen to show how the different layers of marl, sand and chalk allow plant roots to penetrate the different layers of soil and its variations.
He explains that the soil diversity stems from the area's fascinating geological history. In the late 18th century, after several floods, a second riverbed was opened south of the San Cristóbal Hill to reduce flooding in the lowlands of Villena. By the end of the 19th century, following new floods, the original riverbed, the northern one, was permanently closed, leaving the mosaic of soils that now nourish the crops and shape our wines.
In addition, research shows that more than 40 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous, the valley was covered by the sea. A tectonic shift caused by seismic activity gave rise to the San Cristóbal Hill. The final part of that fold became the Cerrico de Balaguer, a small hill in the heart of our estate. There, a limestone plate just half a meter below the surface which naturally limits root growth, creating gentle stress on the vines.
When the landscape is laid out in front of you on such visits it all makes such perfect sense. The variety of layered soils are so visually demonstrated, with clear examples of soil composition makes it far more straightforward to understand the impact on the vines from different sites and the identity that runs through all of the farms wines.
Next stop is the winery, housed alongside the main house, some modern tanks and a press but also a space with handmade clay amphorae, breathable concrete vats, and demijohns filled with light and wine. The amphorae of various shapes and sizes are purchased as opportunities present themselves locally. The traditional craft of hand making amphorae is unfortunately dying out, so any opportunity to acquire used vessels are welcomed with a program of repair and restoration.
In the cellar there are many different vessels, filled with juice from different vineyards and vintages. Some with delicate yeast veils at different stages of development, resting quietly in the peaceful cellar. These wines all form parts of the estates inventory, single vineyard wines and blended cuvees.
Time to taste some wine, and we walk back across the yard to the main house, Andrés asks us what we would like to try. The tasting room is beautiful, original 19th-century floors, and ornate tiled walls, overlooking the valley. The table is set with glassware and a very generous selection of nuts, picos, cheese and salamis.
Andrés suggested some wines for us to taste, being familiar with some of the wines, we opted for the bottles listed below, either new to us or a new vintages. As he talked us through the wines, we made some brief notes for future reference and which you can find below.
Having spent a wonderful couple of hours with Andrés, we bid him our fond and grateful farewell and headed into the mountains for a late lunch at a fantastic little restaurant that Laura had been told about Restaurant Casa el tio David (details of which will form another blog, but we had a ball!)
In the car we took the time to talk about what we took away from Finca Casa Balaguer. An opportunity to meet a couple of talented forward thinking winemakers, truly invested in creating a holistic approach to modern farming. Carving out a lifestyle that constantly addresses sustainability with a goal to succeed commercially while caring for the environment they call home and work. Their dedication to this little pocket of Spain where they were raised is inspiring and plans for improvement and regeneration of their estate has to be the model for modern day winemaking and farming. We will always remember our trip and will stay in touch Andrés and Marta and the wines of Casa Balaguer will feature on the shelves and on the wine list at Fourth and Church for the foreseeable future
All of the wines tasted, some of which are listed below 👇 , I believe have a sense of place running through them, a style and honesty. Special grapes from a special estate, rich in minerals and salinity, ethereal wines with tension and a crisp acidity.
I truly believe that the Andrés and Martas approach to farming and their outlook regarding their time at Casa Balaguer reflects in what we taste in the glass.
Wines born from living soils, not formulas, winegrowers who understand the land as a living entity as opposed to a factory, where biodynamics is not a trend, but a commitment
All in all, the best ‘natural’ approach to winemaking there can be, and one that we applaud, their wines will always have a presence at Fourth and Church and my time spent with Andres and Laura at Casa Balaguer will always bring a smile to my face.
THE WINES WE TASTED
‘Tragolargo’ ( Big Gulp) Moscatel-Malvasia 2024 (Click here to purchase)
A bright amber from the short skin contact of the grapes during maceration. Chamomile, apricot, and nectarine on the nose. Very fruity and a little floral, with some slight funkyness, round and enticing, a little savoury and wild with notes of orange peel, quince, chamomile and apple.
Dry with delicious tannins and the right amount of acidity, a tasty, fantastic value orange wine.
Casa Balaguer - Vino Blanco 2024 (Click here to purchase)
A blend of five white grape varieties revived and planted on the estate, each fermented individually in different materials: wood, clay, cement, glass, and stainless steel. All blended together after vinification for bottling.
Straw yellow with steely reflections, aromas of stone fruit and citrus with hints of white flowers on the nose. The palate is fresh and smooth with a slight herbaceous character.
Carro De La Mata- Moscatel
On the nose, intense with notes of white flower, stone fruit, citrus peel, wild chamomile and aromatic herbs. On the palate, an explosion of flavors, crisp acidity, tight texture with a saline background that lengthens on finish and leaves a long impression of minerality.
‘Tragolargo’ (Big Gulp) Monastrell (Click here to purchase)
Dark rose in colour, with a nose of fresh fruit, cherries, raspberries and eucalyptus. Chunky fruit on the palate, balanced by lovely tannins. Good acidity, solid structure and a nice herbal edge.
Viña Guerán - Monastrell
Subtle aromas of red and black fruit, dried flowers, fine herbs, and a clean mineral background. Balanced with a silky texture, polished tannins, and a lively acidity, fresh and precise finishing with a light saline note.