Orbelus Orelek Sandanski Misket 2018

This is 100% Sandanski Misket from the Struma River Valley in southwest Bulgaria. It's also biodynamic! Sandanski Misket is a cross variety of Shirka Melnika and Cabernet Sauvignon created in Bulgaria in 1979. Technically this one is dry but it has some sweet aspects to it such as its juiciness, body weight, and thick mouthfeel. There's a lot of lychee nut, so it's reminiscent of Gewurztraminer. There's also pineapple, lime peel, and a little bit of leafiness. Very enjoyable and intriguing! (Wine provided by Kristova Family Partners)

Listen to Mike and Joey talk about it on Grapes & Capes Episode #6!

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Rossidi Rubin 2017

This is 100% Rubin from the Thracian Valley of Bulgaria, and it was aged in oak for 16 months. Rubin is actually a cross variety of Nebbiolo and Syrah, created in Bulgaria in the 1940's. It's garnet in color. There's notes of bakers chocolate, tar, juicy plums, black olives, and pepper. Medium to full bodied with a rich mouthfeel. FRIGGIN' AWESOME. This was our favorite of the three Bulgarian wines we tasted that night. (Wine provided by Kristova Family Partners)

Listen to Mike and Joey talk about it on Grapes & Capes Episode #6!

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Edoardo Miroglio "EM" Mavrud 2015

This is 100% Mavrud from the subregion of Elenovo in the Thracian Valley of Bulgaria, and Mavrud is a native grape of Bulgaria. This one is complex, gritty, and different! There's notes of spearmint, Fruit Roll-Up, pepper, dried leaves, and cider spices. This wine is perfect for fall and Thanksgiving. (Wine provided by Kristova Family Partners)

Listen to Mike and Joey talk about it on Grapes & Capes Episode #6!

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Grapes & Capes Episode #6: Off The Beaten Path

Mike and Joey taste wines from Bulgaria (provided by Kristova Family Partners) and read two Indie comics: The Authority #1 (2005) and Divinity #1 (2015). WARNING: This episode contains language and descriptions of acts that may be offensive to some listeners during the discussion of the second comic book due to its content.

Listen on Anchor / Apple / Google / Spotify

Breaker / Overcast / Pocket Casts / Radio Public / RSS

*** Help Support the Podcast ***

Wine #1: Edoardo Miroglio 'EM' Mavrud 2015, history of Bulgarian wine, Khan Krum the Fearsome, drinking from the skulls of your enemies, the story of Mavrud, wine regions of Bulgaria Comic #1: Divinity #1 (2005), digital vs print, free digital comics with purchase of print, the harsh reality of space travel, Valiant, Bloodshot, Deathblow, John Woo, Hard Boiled, Face/Off, Broken Arrow Wine #2: Rossidi Rubin 2017, a bit about hybrid and cross variety grapes, wtf is up with pepper, Game of Thrones yet again, movie theaters during COVID, HBO Max, Wonder Woman 84, drive-ins, COVID numbers and precautions Comic #2: The Authority #1 (2005), lots of offensive language, who is Kev?, revisit to the Mavrud Wine #3: Orbelus Orelek Sandanski Misket 2018, biodynamic craziness that actually works, descriptor terms that are correct but sound terrible

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Best of Summer 2019!

It's the first day of Autumn so here are the Top 5 wines that I reviewed and rated this summer! Funnily, the top spot actually goes to the review that came out just two days into the season!

#5. Hazelfern Cellars Pinot Noir 2017

Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Review Release: June 30th, 2019

The color of the wine is ruby red with some pretty good clarity to it. And the nose is sooooo goooood with raspberries, cherries, mocha, toffee, wet dirt, and copper. Uuuuuungh. I don't even care about drinking this, I just wanna smell it all night. On the palate it's light bodied but has a rich mouthfeel with a bright acidity and grainy tannin. There's flavors of raspberries, strawberries, vanilla, cola, wet wood, and even some apple. It finishes with strawberries and cola, and with a silky smooth mouthfeel but with some heat to spice it up.

Wow. This is everything I expect out of an almost-$50 Pinot and then some. It's both elegant and rustic, while being both fruity and earthy, and both light bodied and rich in mouthfeel. This is a very well done Pinot and quite the enjoyable experience.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $48

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#4. VINI Pinot Grigio 2017

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 18th, 2019

The wine has a 12% ABV and it's a light straw yellow in color. It still smells like those little prepackaged cups of sliced peaches in peach juice, with almonds and vanilla, but I'm detecting the addition of some pineapple and hay this time around. It's light to medium bodied with a rich mouthfeel and a nice acidity that's, yet again, rather mellow for a Pinot Grigio. The peaches come back on the flavor, but there's also melon, a tiny squeeze of grapefruit, and a little bit of spearmint.

Pour me this Pinot Grigio any day of the week, man, because it is excellent. For $10 you're getting a Pinot Grigio with character and life, and one that is well above the vast majority of its competition in the same price range. Kris? Ecco Domani? Put them down right now and pick this up.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $10

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Dane Cellars Valeria 2016

Region: Sonoma Valley, California
Review Release: July 4th, 2019

The color of the wine is ruby red with violet highlights. Speaking of violet, you get plenty of violet on the nose! But there's also strawberry sauce, orange rind, dark chocolate, beach sand, and of course that high ethanol presence that you expect out of Grenache. On the palate it's on the lighter side of medium bodied with a fluent mouthfeel, grainy but soft tannin, and an acidity that hides behind the effects of that high ethanol. There's flavors of cold brewed coffee, black cherries, strawberry sauce, graphite, and a little dirt. It finishes super silky smooth with just a little bit of grainy tannin standing up in protest.

Oh my goodness. Bart has truly made something special here. Valeria is elegant and smooth but it still has grit and heartiness.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $40

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Domaine Bessa Valley Enira 2009

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 25th, 2019

The color of the wine is brick red but holy Moses just forget about color for right now! Chocolate liqueur. Raspberry liqueur. Cinnamon sugar. Cherries, mint, and graphite. God fucking damnit this wine has a sexy nose. On the midpalate it's medium to full bodied with a velvety and lush mouthfeel, with smooth tannin, tamed acidity, and just the right amount of umami. There's flavors of cherries, blackberries, chocolate, cinnamon, and sinful lust.

For the regular price of $26 I'd give this wine a 4.5/5 in price vs quality. It's outstanding. But you can get it right now for $18 (at the publication of this review) and that totally brings it up to a 5/5 and a no brainer. This is absolutely killer for the cost. Buy it up: https://bulgarianwine.com/wines/enira-2009-by-bessa-valley-winery/

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $18

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Ashkar Shafaya 2014

Region: Galilee, Israel
Review Release: June 23rd, 2019

Now let's get to this friggin' kickass wine because OH MY GOOOOODNEEEEESSSS THE JUICINESS!

The color of the wine is a ruby red. It's so black peppery on the nose that it almost makes you want to sneeze! There's also aromas of cassis, plum, cigarette tobacco, and licorice. Oh lordy lordy this nose is STELLAR! I think I'm in love! On the palate it's full bodied with bright acidity, a fine dusty tannin, and a rich mouthfeel. The cassis and plum from the nose return on the palate super-juicy and explosive, and they're joined by blackberry, chocolate, and graphite. Then it finishes with big juicy plum, caramel, and graphite, and a little grip from the tannin. Oh man.

This wine is big, juicy, expressive, alive, and gorgeous! I simply can't rave enough about Shafaya!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $24

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

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Wine Review: Domaine Bessa Valley Enira 2010

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

BESSA VALLEY

The Bessi were a tribe of Thracians and the Bessa Valley within the Thracian Valley of the Thracian Lowlands is their namesake. Bessa Valley Winery was founded in 2001 when 800 properties were purchased for its creation. German Count Stephan von Neipperg, owner of Bordeaux's Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere and La Mondotte, assists with the winery's production. The Count wanted to be a part of bringing quality wine back to Bulgaria. He's quoted as saying "I’ve chosen Bulgaria because of the magnificent terroir. With Enira we revive the image of the Bulgarian wines worldwide."

I've got three wines by Domain Bessa Valley lined up to finish off Bulgarian Wine Month! I started with their Petit Enira 2011, then I had their Enira 2009, and now I'm sweeping up with their Enira 2010.

The Enira 2010 is 50% Syrah, 40% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot. So it's just a little less complicated of a blend than the 2009 vintage. and gone from a Merlot based blend to a Syrah based blend in just one year. First selection is handpicked on the vineyard, then carefully selected again on sorting tables. Rather than crushing the grapes, juice is drained by gravity / the weight of the grapes. Cold maceration of whole berries is performed from 5 to 8 days at 14 – 16 C. Alcohol fermentation with addition of selected yeast strains is controlled at 26-28 C during 8-10 days, in order to reach 3-4 g/l residual sugar, followed by maceration from 5 to 8 days in concrete tanks. Malolactic fermentation continues in the tanks, then aging for about 12 months in oak barrels.

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Wine Quickie: Burgaska Special Muskatova Grape Brandy Rakia

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

This is my favorite of the three rakias that I've done spirit quickies for this month. Like the Pomorie it's made from Muscat grapes and I believe it's also a grappa, which is a brandy distilled from the must/waste left over from making wine. This one has a fiery pepperiness to it with baked apple, dried banana, vanilla, and other baking spices. It's that fiery pepperiness that I love so much, and why I'll pick a rye over a Bourbon any day of the week. $22 for a 750 ml bottle of this stuff is a good buy! It may not be available on retail shelves where you live but you can buy it on BulgarianWine.com.

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Wine Review: Domaine Bessa Valley Enira 2009

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

The Bessi were a tribe of Thracians and the Bessa Valley within the Thracian Valley of the Thracian Lowlands is their namesake. Bessa Valley Winery was founded in 2001 when 800 properties were purchased for its creation. German Count Stephan von Neipperg, owner of Bordeaux's Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere and La Mondotte, assists with the winery's production. The Count wanted to be a part of bringing quality wine back to Bulgaria. He's quoted as saying "I’ve chosen Bulgaria because of the magnificent terroir. With Enira we revive the image of the Bulgarian wines worldwide."

I've got three wines by Domain Bessa Valley lined up to finish off Bulgarian Wine Month! I started with their Petit Enira 2011, now I'm reviewing their Enira 2009, and then I'm sweeping up with their Enira 2010.

This vintage is 66% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 12% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are hand picked, then carefully selected on sorting tables. Cold maceration of whole berries is performed from five to eight days at 60ºF. Alcohol fermentation with addition of selected yeast strains is controlled at 79-82ºF during eight to ten days, followed by maceration from five to eight days in concrete tanks. Malolactic fermentation continues in tanks, then it sees aging for about twelve months in oak barrels.

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Wine Quickie: VINI Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

Last year I gave the 20016 vintage of this wine a 5/5 in a full review, and normally I don' t do scores in quickie reviews but I would double down on that 5/5 score for the 2018 vintage. Out of Thracian Valley, Bulgaria, it's medium bodied with chalky tannin and a bit of a perk to its acidity. There's aromas and flavors of black cherries, blueberries, pencil shavings, vanilla, and a slatey minerality. Man, for $10 this is quite a buy for Cabernet. VINI has proven once again this year that they know how to do inexpensive Pinot Grigio and Cabernet very well!

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Wine Review: Domaine Bessa Valley Petit Enira 2011

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

THRACIAN WARRIOR
by Rocio Espin Pinar

The Bessi were a tribe of Thacians and the Bessa Valley within the Thracian Valley of the Thracian Lowlands is their namesake. Bessa Valley Winery was founded in 2001 when 800 properties were purchased for its creation. German Count Stephan von Neipperg, owner of Bordeaux's Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere and La Mondotte, assists with the winery's production. The Count wanted to be a part of bringing quality wine back to Bulgaria. He's quoted as saying "I’ve chosen Bulgaria because of the magnificent terroir. With Enira we revive the image of the Bulgarian wines worldwide."

I've got three wines by Domain Bessa Valley lined up to finish off Bulgarian Wine Month! First it's their Petit Enira 2011 (which I'm reviewing right now), then it's their Enira 2009, and sweeping it all up will be their Enira 2010.

So the Peitit Enira is obviously a lower tier of Enira, and what we've got here for the 2011 vintage is 70% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are hand-picked, then carefully selected on sorting tables. Cold maceration of whole berries is performed from three to five days at 57-60ºF in order to reach desired color and fruits flavors. Alcohol fermentation with addition of selected yeast strains is controlled at 79-82ºC during eight to ten days, followed by maceration from five to eight days in concrete tanks. Malolactic fermentation continues in tanks, then it's aged for about ten to twelve months in French oak barrels (30% two years-old, 70% three-years old).

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Wine Review: VINI Pinot Grigio 2017

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

The 2016 vintage of the VINI Pinot Grigio was one of my favorite wines of last year's Bulgarian Wine Month, and I do believe that this vintage is even better!

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Sauvignon Blanc Lemonade with Bloomers Frosé and VINI Sauvignon Blanc 2018

How about a bourbon and wine cocktail recipe? It's super easy to make, absolutely delicious, and really refreshing for these later days of summer while things are still hot. You gotta get your hands on some Bloomers Frosé to make it, though. Hell, you gotta get your hands on it anyways because there's A LOT of cocktails recipes out there for this mixer.

WHAT YOU NEED:

4 ounces of Bloomers Frosé
8 ounces of Sauvignon Blanc
2 ounces of Bourbon
A blender
Ice

So there's no actual lemonade in this lemonade??? Nope! But to my surprise the name definitely fits the flavor profile. Here's some info on Bloomers and what I used for the other ingredients:

Bloomers Frosé - The key ingredient to this cocktail and many more! This unique mixer is the first-ever retail mixer for both wine and spirits. This original ready-to-use, non-alcoholic mixer enables mixologists to whip up an icy-smooth version of your favorite cocktail or mocktail in minutes. Easy and crowd-pleasing, Bloomers Frosé takes your drink to the next level with frozen concoctions that are sure to please.  It's vegan, Kosher, non-GMO and Gluten-Free. You can find a bunch of other recipes for this product on their website: BloomersFrose.com

VINI Sauvignon Blanc 2018 - Because it's Bulgarian Wine Months thanks to BulgarianWine.com, I'll be using this Bulgarian Sauvignon Blanc from Thracian Valley. This is a mellow Sauvignon Blanc with notes of citrus and tangerine, and perfect for this cocktail because it's not like you're getting punched in the face with pungent grapefruit like a New Zealand SB. For $10 it's hell of a deal.

Evan Williams Bourbon Whiskey - A very affordable bourbon, especially in smaller formats like nips, and my go-to when I'm making cocktails that call for bourbon.

WHAT YOU DO: 

1. Take those ingredients and ice, throw them in the blender, and blend it
2. Put it in a cup or glass
3. Drink up!
4. Let me know what you think!

WHERE TO GET THIS STUFF:

Bloomers Frosé is available online at BloomersFrose.com

VINI Sauvignon Blanc is available online at BulgarianWine.com
Evan Williams is available at your local liquor store

See more Bloomer Frosé recipes at BloomersFrose.com

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Wine Review: Domaine Boyar Traminer 2018

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

This is the fourth vintage that I've had of this wine and every time I do it gets better. I gave the 2013 vintage a 2/5, the 2015 vintage a 3/5, and the  2016 vintage a 4.5/5. So, needless to say, I'm pretty excited about tasting this one and seeing where it's going now.

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Spirits Quickie: Villa Yambol Yambolska Grape Brandy Rakia

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

This rakia is one of the most popular products by Villa Yambol, a Bulgarian winery that I've reviewed plenty of wines from, and it's made from the indigenous grapes Red Misket, Rkatsiteli and Dimyat. It's a little rough and simplistic (grapes and toffee) so it's more of a shooter or blender than a sip-and-savor, but honestly it is pretty much what it's supposed to be. For $22 you get a 1 liter bottle of brandy to get you where you want to go on the intoxication scale without getting fancy or expensive. Hell yeah, there's nothing wrong with that! I found that putting it on the rocks in a tumbler cuts down on the roughness and brings out a bit of sweetness, so I've been enjoying it quite a bit that way.

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Wine Review: Rupel Winery Gramatik Marselan 2015

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

Rupel Winery is located in the Rupel Gorge on the slopes of the Durylovitsa, and you can see the Angistro mountains of Northern Greece from their vineyards. Times were tough in this area after the Greek army burned much of it down to the ground during the Second Balkan War in 1913, and phylloxera hit it pretty hard around then too, but they persevered and stuck to their traditional culture of viticulture and winemaking. With respect and love of their ancestral lands, Rupel began restoring old vineyards and planting them with new vines in 2006. Gramatik is one of their labels with a pretty extensive lineup of different wines.

So how about that Marselan? Ever heard of that grape? Marselan is not an indigenous Bulgarian variety, but a French one that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. First bred near the French town of Marseillan, it's now mostly planted in the Languedoc and recently has gained popularity in China. I myself have never had a Marselan so this is a first for me.

Unfortunately I have no winemaking notes on this particular Bulgarian Marselan other than that it comes out of the Valley of Struma in the Thracian Lowlands, and it has an ABV of 14.5%.

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Wine Quickie: Domain Boyar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

(Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria) The last vintage I reviewed of this wine I gave a 1 out 5, which is why I made my write-up on this vintage a quickie instead of a full review, and unfortunately the trend of not liking it at all continues. Again, it's like someone left a chalk ball in the barrels. It's also just flat with an uninteresting fruit profile and a higher acidity than it can handle. Unbalanced and flabby.

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Wine Review: Orbelus Melnik 2013

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

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.

Near the border of Greece in the Struma Valley of the Bulgarian Thracian Lowlands is a town called Melnik, and that town has an indigenous black grape variety named after it that Struma is known for. Even after five years of tasting all of these Bulgarian wines this is the first time that I will actually try a Melnik. As I said a few reviews ago, August is my favorite month on the blog because of stuff like this. Where would I ever come across a Bulgarian Melnik on Cape Cod? Let's waste no further type and start drinkin'!

Orbelus, the producer of this Melnik, was founded in 2000 with the mission to "produce high quality red and white wines in a nature conscious manner, guaranteeing its products’ ecological purity." So, naturally, they are Certified Organic under the laws of Bulgaria.

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Spirits Quickie: Pomorie Muskatova Grape Brandy Rakia

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

Aaaah yes! Now we're talking! I've got some Rakia, AKA Bulgarian brandy, right here in front of me... so I've got to be careful because I looooooooove brandy. I don't know if you know this about me but I'm a total lightweight. Spirits will knock me right on my ass. That's probably why I'm a wine guy with an occasional beer hobby. I do believe that this rakia is not just brandy but it's also a grappa, which is a brandy distilled from the must/waste left over from making wine.

So this one is made from the Muscat grape. There's notes of baked apple, dried apricot, vanilla, and other baking spices. It's medium bodied, has a long lasting finish that coats your entire mouth with a thick layer of baked apples and a fiery peppery kick, that then delivers a comforting warmth to your belly. It performs better sipping neat than on the rocks, and for $23 it's a great deal for the quality that you get. If you're interested in trying it yourself than head on over to BulgarianWine.com!

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Wine Review: Minkov Brothers Cuvee 2016

It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.

That's right! Half a decade! August is my favorite month of the year because of this annual event and it really is the most special thing about this wine blog. I'm so proud to bring Bulgarian Wine Month to you for this long and to have a great working relationship with Vance, even if it just once a year. Thank you, buddy! Cheers to many more!

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.

Minkov Brothers was founded in 1875 by Ivan, Vasil and Nikifor Minkov. Soon after getting off the ground (or in it?) they started winning awards at wine fairs. In the mid-1890's alone they won Brussels Wine Fair, the London Wine Competition, and the Plovdiv International Fair. They're still raking in those medals today. The winery property itself also features two museums: one about the family history and their wine, and the other about the winemaking history of the Thracian Valley.

The 2013 vintage of this wine ranked in my top five wines for the summer of 2018 and even though we're only skipping one year ahead on the blog, we're skipping a whole three vintages ahead for the wine. Will the 2016 vintage perform just as well?

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Wine Reviews: Best of Summer 2018!

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, so here's the best wines that I reviewed for this Summer season!

#5. Minkov Brothers Tradition Cuvee 2013

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 26th, 2018

The wet end of the cork is pure black and the color of the wine is an inky, deep purplish red. Let this bad boy open up because, even though it's five years old, it's still young and holding on to everything tightly until it's given time to breathe. Peppermint candy comes alive on the nose once the wine has awoken, followed by aromas of jammy blackberries, toffee, leather, fine black table pepper, and ethanol fumes. On the palate it's rich and robust with bright acidity and finely grained tannin. There's flavors of blackberries, black cherries, mocha, and... almost like I just licked a freshly cut board of oak. I'm kinda afraid I'm going to get splinters. It finishes strong and tannic with flavors of blackberries, cola, and oak.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $17

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended(what does that mean?)

#4. VINI Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 12th, 2018

It begins with a cloud of minerality above aromas of pencil shavings, cassis, and black cherries. Lingering in the background there's aromas of vanilla, black pepper, and mint. On the palate it's medium to full bodied with rich mouthfeel and finely grained, astringent tannin. There's flavors of cassis, blueberries, cocoa powder, and cedar. The tannin on the finish leaves your mouth completely dry and really delivers the words of BulgarianWine.com: A crisp, tasty, crunchy cabernet.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $10

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Matsu el Viejo 2015

Region: Toro, Spain

Review Release: July 15th, 2018

The color of the wine is a dark inky purple that reminds me of my soul. Stewed plums and blackberry sauce lurch over the glass flexing their muscles. Break through the jammy guardians and you'll also find tarragon, salted almonds, and black pepper. It's medium bodied with a velvety yet rich mouthfeel, and a tart acidity that's kept in check by big grippy tannins. Blackberries and prunes combine to make a heavenly dark fruit profile, joined by vanilla and caramel. Then it finishes with a crazy long finish of black raspberries, black pepper, and caramel, with the tannin drying your mouth as the acidity wets it.

This wine is so dark and powerful and... gloomy. It's Batman. This wine is Batman. I can hear it demanding justice. It's just phenomenal, absolutely outstanding, and I can't recommend it enough. I love it when the best is saved for last. Bravo, Matsu!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $47

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Lieb Cellars Merlot 2015

Region: Long Island, New York, USA
Review Release: June 24th, 2018

The color of the wine is garnet, leaning more towards purple than red. There was a lot of tobacco and sandalwood on the nose at first, but they take a step back behind the fruit once it opens up. Just like the 2014 vintage, it's all about the black. Black cherries, blackberries, and black olives. It's medium bodied with softer tannin and less acidity than the previous vintage. On the palate the black cherries are big and juicy, and raspberries brighten up the profile while dark chocolate darkens it. The finish of black cherries and black tea goes on fooooooreeeeeevvvvvveeeeeeerrrrr.

This is yet again a perfect example of Merlot that any fan of the varietal will fall in love with, and $20 is an insanely good deal for the quality you're getting. So I'm gonna give this ANOTHER PERFECT SCORE! Lieb knows how to knock it completely out of the park with my favorite varietal. Keep that Merlot coming, guys!

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QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $20

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Proemio Reserve Winemaker's Selection 2013

Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Review Release: September 20th, 2018 (Literally yesterday!)

Oh. Oh here we go. See, I don't even want to write a review of this. I'm wasting time here. Instead of sitting on the porch looking at the stars and drinking this wonderful wine I've got to spend the next hour analyzing it, writing about it, and then cutting a video. Goddamn it. Do you see the sacrifices I make for you people? Uuuuugh. Alright, let's get on with it then...

So yeah. The spoiler is out: This wine is PHENOMENAL. It's brick red in color with a slight hue in the purple direction. Black olive is the very first thing that pops up for me on the nose, then there's plums, blueberries, toasty oak, chocolate, mint, and saffron. It seriously the kind of nose that makes you just tilt your head away as soon as you take a whiff and say "Oh. Oh here we go."  On the palate it has a medium body, an acidity that is so perfectly balanced that you don't even know it's there (but it is because you'd notice a lack of acidity), and fine grained tannin that at this point is pretty chill. It finishes ultra long with plums, chocolate, and mint, and leaves a silky coating in your mouth literally forever.

Wine Spectator gave this 90 points. Really, Wine Spectator? Just 90 points? How dare you. This is a goddamn god among its $27 peers! I give it FIVE OUT OF FIVE in price vs quality for Highly Recommended. Spectate THAT! HA!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $27

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

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