Al-borani was the nickname of a Tunisian pirate who terrorized the Spanish coasts on behalf of the Ottoman Empire. The name means "thunder storm" in Turkish, and he earned this moniker through his ruthless attacks. He operated from an island situated between Morocco and Spain that still bears his name today: Alborán.
Pirates like Al Borani were the reason the Spanish population lived in the mountains rather than along the coast. After the fall of the Emirate of Granada, and especially after the expulsion of the entire Spanish Muslim population, life near the water became perilous. The banished Muslims who turned to piracy had been born and raised in Spain and knew exactly where to find the most valuable targets. What's more, they were utterly determined to inflict pain on the new regime and the Christian population.
The vineyards of Bodegas Alborán overlook the Sea of Alborán from the safety of 1,100 meters above sea level. Down on the coast, you can just make out the Torre de Cautor, a watchtower built to warn the interior when Moors were spotted offshore (“hay moros en la costa”). If you draw an imaginary line from the vineyard through the tower and extend it to the horizon, you'll land almost exactly on the Island of Alborán.
Al-Borani wasn't the only one who could strike like lightning. Red wine from the Contraviesa mountain range, where our vineyard is located, is bold, dark, and unapologetic. At this altitude, the grapes grow closer to the sun, which shines here more than 300 days a year. At night, temperatures drop rapidly at this elevation, providing the grapes with essential cooling that gives the wine its complexity and the acidity needed to balance the dark fruit flavors.
