An evening from the archive
David Wright (Dalex Wines) — Wines of Bulgaria
- Date
- Wednesday, 21 August 2024
- Time
- 20:30
- Host
- David Wright, Dalex Wines
- Theme
- Wines of Bulgaria
David Wright returned to the club, this time with colleague Giorgi Panayotof, to introduce 22 members to the wines of Bulgaria — a country whose winemaking tradition stretches back to Roman times but whose quality has only recently recovered from Soviet-era decline. Four whites and five reds ranged from the alluvial Danube plain to the high Carpathian slopes, featuring indigenous varieties most members were encountering for the first time.
The wines
What we tasted
- 1
Cote de Danube Viognier
Cote de Danube· Viognier· Bulgaria· 2023· % abv
Pale straw, floral nose from lees contact, peachy acidic taste. £12.50. Chairman's rating: B.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 2
Bratanov Symbioe
Bratanov· Chardonnay, Viognier, Tamiyanka· South Sakar Mountains, Bulgaria· 2022· % abv
Light straw, floral nose, lightly acidic and aromatic palate with Chardonnay shining through. £15.50. Rating: C.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 3
Via Istrium
Via Istrium· Tamiyanka· Bulgaria· % abv
Artisan wine with wild yeasts. Lovely honeysuckle and lychee nose, punchy on palate. £17.40. Rating: B.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 4
Zagreus Santimenti
Zagreus· Dimyat, Rkatsitelli· Thracian Valley, Bulgaria· 2023· % abv
Light green, bright appearance. Strong apple/cider nose, creamy slightly oxidised taste. 11.5% ABV. £18.50. Rating: C.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 5
Cote de Danube Pinot Noir
Cote de Danube· Pinot Noir· Danube Plain, Bulgaria· 2022· % abv
Dark red for a PN due to old vines with deep roots. Crowd pleaser with cherries and slightly sweet finish. 14% ABV. £12.50. Rating: A.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 6
Melnik 55
Logodaj Winery· Melnik· Struma Valley, Bulgaria· 2022· % abv
Deep red with intriguing liquorice flavour. 14% ABV. £16.00. Rating: A.
Tonight £0RRP £0
- 7
Via Istrum Marselan
Chateau Burgozone· Marselan· Danube Plain, Bulgaria· 2022· % abv
Good bodied, palate of molasses, coffee and cinnamon. Needed more cellaring. 14% ABV. £17.40. Rating: C.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 8
Novi Izvor Single Vineyard
Giorgie Milkov· Mavrud· Bulgaria· 2021· % abv
Artisan, wild yeasts. Deep ruby crimson, nose of sweet vanilla and roasted nuts. £25.00. Rating: B.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 9
Iris Red
Chateau Burgozone· Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Syrah· Danube Plain, Bulgaria· 2020· % abv
Crimson blend. Flavours of coffee, spice and soft tannins. 15% ABV. £28.50. Rating: B.
Tonight £0RRP £0
That's a wrap on this one.
Missed it? There's always another evening around the corner.