For the third year in a row, it's Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! Check out the reviews from the first year (2015), the second year (2016), and this year (2017).
To read about the fascinating history of Bulgarian wine, check out Bulgaria - Part 1: Three-Thousand Years of Wine History. To learn about the grapes, wine regions and Bulgarian wine's place in the market, read Part 2: The Current State of Bulgarian Wine. And if you'd like to see what Bulgaria's national drink is all about, find out in Part 3: Invincibility of Rakia.
Merlot and Cab, baby! The two Bulgarian big guns! Although, in my experience, their Merlot is the one who should be in the spotlight. Let's drink some wine, suckas!
GORCHIVKA MERLOT 2014 by SVISHTOV WINERY
The cool thing about this one is that it's from the Danube River Plains and not Thracian Valley or Thracian Lowlands (where you'll normally find that imported Bulgarian wine is from). So rather than southern Bulgaria, this wine is from the northwest.
The color of the wine is cherry red. The nose has this earthiness and funk that reminds me of Right Bank Bordeaux, but beyond that it's definitely not Bordeaux in style. There's a cooked dark fruit profile for the fruit in the aromas, like stewed plum and blueberry sauce. There's also vanilla extract and cinnamon powder. It essentially smells like fruit pastry. It takes a step back with the sauciness on the palate as it's not as thick as I was expecting. There's a medium body, soft tannin and balanced acidity. There's flavors of juicy black cherries, blueberries and plums, as well as vanilla and cola. On the finish you can taste the alcohol, almost like you just took a sip of vodka, even though it's only 13.5% in ABV.
If you want to know what Bulgarian Merlot is all about, this is the bottle of wine you need to be buying. For $13 it'll stand up to the other Merlot's around the world in the same price range, too.
MEZZEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015 by KATARZYNA ESTATE
Mezzek is the name of a village not far from this winery. This Cab is out of Thracian Valley, has a 14.3% ABV, and from what I understand there's some Mavrud blended in here.
The color of the wine is ruby red. There's aromas of cherries, red current, cedar and black tea. It's full bodied, rich and lush with soft tannin and elegant mouthfeel. All the aromas on the nose are on the palate, and it finishes smoother than a babies bottom.
This is an easy-going, crowd-pleasing, softer and lusher Cabernet. Because of that, even though there are wines that I have enjoyed far more from Bulgaria, this is one that I would seriously consider bringing in to where I work. "I see you've got (insert popular Cabernet). Wanna try one from someplace completely different?" In today's market and what's selling for Cabernets in the early-teens, I bet you it would build a local following.
Merlot and Cab, baby! The two Bulgarian big guns! Although, in my experience, their Merlot is the one who should be in the spotlight. Let's drink some wine, suckas!
GORCHIVKA MERLOT 2014 by SVISHTOV WINERY
The cool thing about this one is that it's from the Danube River Plains and not Thracian Valley or Thracian Lowlands (where you'll normally find that imported Bulgarian wine is from). So rather than southern Bulgaria, this wine is from the northwest.
The color of the wine is cherry red. The nose has this earthiness and funk that reminds me of Right Bank Bordeaux, but beyond that it's definitely not Bordeaux in style. There's a cooked dark fruit profile for the fruit in the aromas, like stewed plum and blueberry sauce. There's also vanilla extract and cinnamon powder. It essentially smells like fruit pastry. It takes a step back with the sauciness on the palate as it's not as thick as I was expecting. There's a medium body, soft tannin and balanced acidity. There's flavors of juicy black cherries, blueberries and plums, as well as vanilla and cola. On the finish you can taste the alcohol, almost like you just took a sip of vodka, even though it's only 13.5% in ABV.
If you want to know what Bulgarian Merlot is all about, this is the bottle of wine you need to be buying. For $13 it'll stand up to the other Merlot's around the world in the same price range, too.
MEZZEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015 by KATARZYNA ESTATE
Mezzek is the name of a village not far from this winery. This Cab is out of Thracian Valley, has a 14.3% ABV, and from what I understand there's some Mavrud blended in here.
The color of the wine is ruby red. There's aromas of cherries, red current, cedar and black tea. It's full bodied, rich and lush with soft tannin and elegant mouthfeel. All the aromas on the nose are on the palate, and it finishes smoother than a babies bottom.
This is an easy-going, crowd-pleasing, softer and lusher Cabernet. Because of that, even though there are wines that I have enjoyed far more from Bulgaria, this is one that I would seriously consider bringing in to where I work. "I see you've got (insert popular Cabernet). Wanna try one from someplace completely different?" In today's market and what's selling for Cabernets in the early-teens, I bet you it would build a local following.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $13
Rating: 4/5 = Recommended (what does that mean?)
The bottles used were supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
The bottles used were supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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