# Tragolargo Tinto Monastrell (2024)

- **Producer:** Casa Balaguer
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Monastrell
- **Region:** Valencia, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €14
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 12–15 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, raspberry, plum, liquorice, eucalyptus, herbaceous

## About this wine

Tragolargo Tinto is produced by Casa Balaguer in the Alicante region of southeastern Spain, specifically near Villena at high elevations between 600 and 700 meters. Winemakers Marta Ribera and Andrés Carull Gandía lead the estate, which dates back to 1750, using certified organic and Demeter biodynamic practices. The name 'Tragolargo' translates to 'Long Gulp,' reflecting its easy-drinking, quaffable design. Unlike traditional Monastrell wines from southeastern Spain that are heavily extracted and wood-aged, Tragolargo offers a fresh, fruit-driven interpretation grown on chalky, calcareous soils.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Tragolargo' translates to 'Long Gulp' or 'Big Gulp' in Spanish, highlighting its easy-drinking nature.
- 30% of the Monastrell grapes undergo carbonic maceration, a technique rarely applied to this variety in Alicante.
- The grapes are harvested from high-altitude bush vines planted in calcareous soils at up to 700 meters elevation.

## Food pairing

The wine's lively acidity, soft tannins, and vibrant fruit intensity make it exceptionally food-friendly. It cuts through rich fats in cured meats like Jamón Ibérico and roasted pork belly while complementing traditional Spanish rice dishes and grilled meats without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested in small 15 kg boxes, the Monastrell grapes undergo three days of cold soaking before fermentation with native wild yeasts. Thirty percent of the grapes undergo whole-cluster carbonic maceration in stainless steel tanks, while the remaining seventy percent are destemmed for a gentle seven-day skin contact fermentation with light daily punch-downs. The wine is aged unoaked on fine lees in stainless steel tanks for six to eight months prior to bottling without fining or filtration, following the biodynamic calendar.