We welcomed back to the club David Wright of Dalex Wines with his colleague Giorgi Panayotof to present wines of Bulgaria.  22 members attended.

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The Danube valley is a rich alluvial plain and ideal for viticulture. Vines have been grown there since the Roman times though in the Soviet era wine production was appropriated as swigging stuff only for Russian wine drinkers with little incentive for careful wine making or quality.  Since then output has been transformed and Bulgaria is producing plenty of good quality wine both from the Danube plain and the southern high slopes of the Carpathian mountains. Much of the production is from grapes gathered from several growers and single vineyard varieties are unusual

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Your chairman, having recently cruised along the Danube and sampled Bulgarian wines, was impressed enough to invite David and Giorgi to show their wares.

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We tasted four whites and five reds, some with grapes to us unknown and most modestly priced for UK consumption (remember the tax though).

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The ratings, ABCD are your chairman’s opinion only.

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Whites

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1. Cote de Danube Viognier. 2023.  14% ABV. A pale straw appearance with a floral nose (from resting on the lees and a peachy acidic taste. A good food wine, B, at £12.50

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2. Bratanov Symbioe 2022 from the South Sakar mountains. A blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Tamiyanka grapes (no, me neither).  A light straw colour with a floral nose. The chardonnay grape shines through giving a lightly acidic and aromatic palate taste, C, Sold for £15.50

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3. Via Istrium  100% Tamiyanka grape. An artisan wine, made with wild yeasts and thus quite quite variable from year to year. A lovely honeysuckle & lychee nose and punchy on the palate. Definitely a food wine and perhaps an acquired taste. B sold at £17.40

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4.  Zagreus Santimenti Didmyat and Rkatsitelli 2023 from the Thracian valley 11.5% ABV. A light green bright appearance with a strong nose of apples/cider and a creamy slightly oxidised taste.  Why not buy cider? C at £18.50

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Reds

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5. Cote de Danube Pinot Noir 2022 from the Danube plain. 14% ABV.  Quite a dark red colour for a PN due to the old vines and deep roots (up to 7m deep) which impart a minerality and colour to the berries. This one is a crowd pleaser  with a palate of cherries and a slightly sweet finish. Rated A at £12..50

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6. Melnik 55 Logodaj winery, 2022, Struma valley, 14% ABV. Made from 100% Melnik grape giving it  a pleasing deep red appearance and an intriguing liquorice flavour. A novel delight. Rated A at £16.00

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7. Via Istrum Marselan, Chateau Burgozone, 2022,  Danube plain, 14% ABV. Of all the reds this one needed little more cellaring. A good bodied wine with a palate of Molasses, coffee and cinnamon (yes, sounds strange but it tasted OK). Rated C  at £17.40

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8. Novi Izvor single vineyard, Giorgie Milkov, 2021. 100% Mavrud grape. Another artisan wine made with wild yeasts. Deep ruby crimson colour. Most pleasing. With a nose of sweet vanilla and roasted nuts on the palate.  Rated B at £25.00

 

9. Iris Red, Chateau Burgozone, 2020, Danube plain 15% ABV. Crimson appearance. A blend of Cab Sauv, Marcellan, Syrah and perhaps others. A pleasant mongrel of a wine with flavours of coffee, spice and soft tannins. Rate B at £28.50

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This was an eclectic mixture of wines from a country that is only now recovering from its Soviet history. There is much to praise and if you are offered Bulgarian wines – especially the reds, you should give them a try.  

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Notes and Queries

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David was asked a number of technical questions, which he was obliged to take away and look up for us. His response is quite lengthy so is held in a separate document you can download here.