Bodegas Balcona, wine treasures

The grandparents lands passed from generation to generation. Those grandmother Josefa’s vineyards are today the wines of Bodegas Balcona. From the Aceniche Valley in Murcia, this small winery produces aged wines with many prizes behind it. Small bottled treasures that improve over the years and with the aim of conquering new palates.

Everything changed one morning in 1997. Pepa Fernández, head of Wine Tourism, Communication and Commercial Department, knew that her thing was to make wine but she did not finish taking the step until the presence of Josep Lluís Pérez Verdú, one of the Priorat’s parents. In a few days Verdú changed Pepa and Bodegas Balcona life´s.

In one year (1998), Bodegas Balcona already had their first wine on the market. Their DNA are organic vineyards and aging wines. “I think that great wines are the ones that improve in the bottle,” explains Pepa. In the lands of Murcia, in the Aceniche Valley, with a clay and limestone soil, they grow Monastrell, Syrah and Tempranillo grapes.

Since 1997 they are part of the little known DO of Bullas and in 2007 they joined the Wine Route. In these years they have received many awards. The last of them, the Gilbert Gaillard Gold for two of their wines.

• In 1997 Bodegas Balcona was born as a brand focused on the production of aging wines. How were those first years?

In that year, a conference was organized which was attended by one of the Priorat’s parents, Josep Lluís Pérez Verdú. He was the one who inspired us his way of elaborating and taking careo f the vineyard. We based our work on the variety of grapes in the area but complementing with others and adapting them to the terroir. This is how we began to make aging wines.

We started with that philosophy even though I’ve always wanted to make wine. Years ago, in cooperatives, winemakers were called chemists and I started studying Chemistry but it was not my thing. Then I worked as a teacher, and after those days with Verdú, I returned to the world of wine. We started to develop studies, I did a master’s degree and there was a turnaround. In 1998 we put our first wine on the market. In a year we went from having nothing to having a young wine with carbonic maceration.

• For those who do not know anything about wine, what is an aging wine?

It is a wine that improves with the years in the bottle. There are many wines on the market that are made quickly for quick consumption. Wines that improve over time, there are few. A wine for aging has that capacity. I always say that only great wines improve in the bottle.

• DO of Bullas is a unknow for general public. How do you define the wines of the area?

It is very unknown. We are the smallest DO in the Murcia region — which has three more DOs. We are also the youngest denomination — we got it in 1994. With the euro, exports to the United States fell. This sector is a drag race and we have managed to stay in the market with our way of working.

• How can we define this area?

DO Bullas has 3 subzones depending on the height. We are in the highest area, in the Aceniche Valley, where we have the family’s vineyards. It has an average height of 825 meters and is between mountains. In general, the wines produced from the highest grown grapes are wines that provide fresher sensations on the palate, while maintaining Mediterranean character. In the Aceniche Valley we have a great thermal contrast between day and night, almost 15 degrees. On our estate it has reached 12–13 degrees below zero in winter and it also snows… so, it means that we have all the tools to make a good wine.

• In your DNA there are main pillars: your own organic vineyard and native yeasts. Tell us about it.

Since 2008 the entire vineyard is organic. The basic quota for organic certification is the same for a winery that produces 1 bottle as another with 1 million. For each new label you have to pay € 35. In the end, they penalize small wineries … but even so, in 2017 we decided on the organic certificate although since 2013 we have already used natural yeasts.

Since that year we have opted for spontaneous fermentations with minimal intervention in the winery.

• What three wines would you recommend to a buyer who wants to understand your vineyards?

One from 2006 or 2005, because it is a amazing. Of the current ones, the Partal Cepas Viejas and if client loves red wine, a 37 Barricas. If you want to be surprised by a different White wine, then Macabeo de Balcona, fermented in 600-liter barrels, is subtle, elegant, with a very slow fermentation for about 1 year… light smoky nuances, hints of nuts and some butter.

• What challenges do you think the wine market has in the coming years?

First, the challenge is to recover from covid on a commercial level. Adapt and recover from this crisis. Another issue is the culture of culture of wine. When turists come to visit our winery, some tell us that in Murcia they were offered a Rioja wine. This way we communicate the wrong idea that we don´t do good wine in Murcia. Although luckily, there are a wine lovers clubs that want to discover new wines. The key is for the consumer to stop buying labels and actually start drinking the wine behind it.

• Who is your target customer?

At the national level we go to gourmet and specialized stores. Above all restoration. At the export level, we have a lot ahead of us. The market is currently stopped but we hope to increase our presence in some countries.

• Finally, what encouraged you to be part of Spainery?

Make ourselves known in other European countries. I found it interesting to be able to start our presence in other new markets and even in others where we are already, to buy small quantities.

Here you can find Bodegas Balcona´s wines.