In 1740 a family of Catalan aristocrats from the village of Balaguer in Leida moved south to Alicante in search of riches, founding Finca Casa Balaguer.  Centuries later, in the late twentieth century, the name was made inseparable from the burgeoning Spanish natural wine movement by a legendary figure named Rafa Bernabé.  Rafa’s role in defining this region and elevating its distinct terroir and heirloom varieties brought him international renown. When his health began to take a turn for the worse, the vultures of the international wine world circled, hoping to buy the legendary estate.  Instead, Rafa approached Andres Carull, son of a proud winemaking family, who had been working with Rafa for three years.  

Andres and his wife Marta Ribera, along with their assistant Mick, have taken Rafa’s vision and expanded on it.  Rafa always farmed organically, but Andres and company have introduced biodynamic practices.  Rafa made his wines with very low sulfite additions, but today the wines are made without any added sulfite.  The wines were always compelling, but now they are precise as well as lively.