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.
Out of all the Bulgarian wines I'm reviewing this month, six of them are from the Quantum label by Domaine Boyar. I started a week ago with their Traminer 2015 and their Pinot Noir & Merlot 2014, then a few days ago I had their Sauvignon Blanc 2015 with their Mavrud & Merlot 2015, and I'm finishing them off today with their Chardonnay 2015 and their Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.
QUANTUM CHARDONNAY 2015
This 100% Chard is out of the Danube Plain and is 12.% in ABV. It's pale yellow in color, and on the nose there's aromas of apple, banana and butterscotch. In the mouth it's medium bodied, very very smooth in mouthfeel, and has a perfectly balanced acidity. On the palate there's flavors of apple, nectarine, vanilla and ginger. The finish is a bit harsh with bruised apple and burnt sugar, but it's not unpleasant. It's right in line with other $13 Chardonnays, and it also doesn't taste like they obviously tried to fake oak barrel aging like many of the other $13 Chardonnays. It's solid stuff.
QUANTUM CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015
Dark ruby in color, this Cab is from Thracian Valley and has an ABV of 13%. Bulgarian Cabernet's always seem to have an alluring nose, and this is no exception. It leads off with fresh cedar, followed by black olive, and then cherries, milk chocolate, almonds, and mint. It's medium bodied with a little bit of a chalky mouthfeel and soft tannin. On the palate there's flavors of black cherries, blackberries, and black tea. It finishes with some heat and flavors of black cherries and cranberries. I like it. Again, solid stuff for $13.
Out of all the Bulgarian wines I'm reviewing this month, six of them are from the Quantum label by Domaine Boyar. I started a week ago with their Traminer 2015 and their Pinot Noir & Merlot 2014, then a few days ago I had their Sauvignon Blanc 2015 with their Mavrud & Merlot 2015, and I'm finishing them off today with their Chardonnay 2015 and their Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.
QUANTUM CHARDONNAY 2015
This 100% Chard is out of the Danube Plain and is 12.% in ABV. It's pale yellow in color, and on the nose there's aromas of apple, banana and butterscotch. In the mouth it's medium bodied, very very smooth in mouthfeel, and has a perfectly balanced acidity. On the palate there's flavors of apple, nectarine, vanilla and ginger. The finish is a bit harsh with bruised apple and burnt sugar, but it's not unpleasant. It's right in line with other $13 Chardonnays, and it also doesn't taste like they obviously tried to fake oak barrel aging like many of the other $13 Chardonnays. It's solid stuff.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $13
QUANTUM CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015
Dark ruby in color, this Cab is from Thracian Valley and has an ABV of 13%. Bulgarian Cabernet's always seem to have an alluring nose, and this is no exception. It leads off with fresh cedar, followed by black olive, and then cherries, milk chocolate, almonds, and mint. It's medium bodied with a little bit of a chalky mouthfeel and soft tannin. On the palate there's flavors of black cherries, blackberries, and black tea. It finishes with some heat and flavors of black cherries and cranberries. I like it. Again, solid stuff for $13.
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.
0 comments:
Post a Comment