Odessos is one of the new wave of Bulgarian wineries, located in the city of Varna on the Black Sea coast, with a ground-breaking and very modern concept whose story began in 2016. After travelling around the world and gaining experience at some of the most prestigious wineries in Australia, New Zealand and Chile, the brothers Georgi and Vladislav Vankov came up with the idea of creating one of the first urban wineries in Bulgaria. Love for winemaking has been in their family for generations and the idea of creating Odessos was a natural continuation of this passion.
If they have learned anything from the endless hours of work in different wineries around the world, it was that the most valuable asset for a great wine is its terroir. This clarified the motto and philosophy of the winery – to pursue and present their own interpretation of the Northern Black Sea region, working with carefully selected vineyards of prime terroir around the seaside city.
Vineyards
The vineyard is located near Kavarna, in the region of Dobrich, 3 miles from the Black Sea coast. The vines are 10 years old, located near Cape Kaliakra, close to Shablenski vineyards. The soil is a mix of limestone and humus-carbonate. The exposure is south-southeast at an altitude of 120 m.
Vinification
The grapes are picked by hand in small boxes and transported to the winery where they are sorted by hand and crushed in small, open-top fermenters, then cold soaked for 7 days. The fermentation starts spontaneously after a natural increase in temperature and is controlled within the range of 20-22°C while the pumping over, plunging and pigeage help to achieve a gentle extraction. After fermentation, the young wine is run off into Bulgarian oak barrels for 8 months aging, after which the wine spends an additional 8 months in stainless steel tanks for better integration of the oak aromas. The wine is crafted with minimal intervention, the appearance of a fine sediment is possible.
Tasting Notes
Medium intensity, bright ruby colour. The nose is typical for Cabernet Franc – herbal aromas of peppers alongside abundance of cherry, blackcurrant and a touch of cocoa. Elegant medium body, fresh and juicy with a good balance between density and acidity, distinctive notes of ripe cherries, chocolate and light spices. Impressive long fresh finish.
Drink with grilled meats, lamb, sausages and hard cheeses. Duck would be a great shout here.
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