Ben says
★★ Great Wine “Is this wine a deep rose or a light red? It doesn’t matter, chill it down anyway and sip away. This wine’s packs of fun. It has a crunchy, red berry and bright nose with a ridiculously juicy and moreish palate. If Claret tasted this good back in the day you can see how the Brits ended up with a love affair for the French stuff. However, I am sure this Bulgarian example is something a little bit different from back then – this is modern, exciting winemaking.”
KEY POINTS
Varietal Cabernet Franc with 13.0% abv. Hand-picked into small trays, chilled and then crushed into open top fermenters where they cold-soak for 3 days before pressing. Spontaneous fermentation ensues with it temperature controlled below 20C and managed for 14 days before moving to Bulgarian oak to be matured for 3 months. The wine spends 3 months on its fine lees in stainless steel tank before it is bottled.
Grown in: Danubian Plain, BULGARIA.
Food Pairing
Lightly chill and serve with fish tacos. It’s also a great match with salads or BBQ grub – anything with a bit of sunshine.
Disclosure & Price
Tasted at the Central & Eastern Europe trade tasting event. Find in the UK for circa £23.90 from Highbury Vintners.
Reviewed and tasted: 18/06/2024
About the Producer
Odessos is a young urban craft winery set up in the north of Bulgaria, producing their first vintage in 2020. The vineyards are near the Black Sea, where they’re moderated between Bulgaria’s continental warm climate and the cooling influence of the sea for a longer ripening season. It is the brain child of brothers Georgi and Vladislav Vankov and their friends, who are all keen to celebrate and promote their local region.
