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BULGARIA<br />
DISCOVERY<br />
BULGARIAN OAK<br />
Bulgarian oak is tight-grained with a fine texture<br />
and soft, deep tannins. The chemical composition of<br />
this material is close to French oak from Limousin.<br />
The latest vintages of some wines using Bulgarian<br />
oak have shown great results, delivering dry and<br />
earth-driven red wines with moderate extraction<br />
from the oak without dominating the wine.<br />
SUNGURLARE WINERY<br />
VARIETAL RANGE<br />
Wine producers have been focussing on producing<br />
single varietal wines from international cultivars<br />
with a clear and specific organoleptic profile.<br />
Blends often act as signature wines for wineries.<br />
The ratio of international to local varietals is 70%<br />
to 30%. Bulgaria takes pride in producing serious<br />
wines from international varietals, which allow it<br />
to benchmark with other iterations worldwide.<br />
However, local grapes are slowly making their<br />
way into the very diverse Bulgarian wine industry.<br />
VILLA MELNIK WINERY<br />
DIMYAT<br />
The exact origins of the Dimyat grape are unknown.<br />
Some ampelographers believe that the vine is<br />
native to Bulgaria. The eighth most planted<br />
variety in the country, it represents nearly 5% of<br />
area under vine. Recent DNA research has shown<br />
it to be a crossing of Gouais Blanc – a parent to<br />
varieties such as Chardonnay, Aligoté, Auxerrois<br />
and Colombard – with another, unidentified<br />
grape variety. Dimyat produces fresh, lightly<br />
herbal, neutral wines with medium body and<br />
high acidity, acting as a backbone to the wines.<br />
Dimyat vineyards can be found on the Black Sea<br />
Coast and the Danube Plain. In terms of aroma, it<br />
shows a fruity bouquet with apple and lemon. The<br />
palate often has floral and herbaceous notes. Due<br />
to its high acidity, it is well suited to producing<br />
high-quality distillates.<br />
RED MISKET<br />
Despite the name, this is a white varietal with a<br />
pink skin. It is a late-ripening, cool climate grape<br />
covering over 7% of total vineyard area. It is not<br />
part of the Muscat family, although often as a wine<br />
it is blended with Muscat Ottonel. The Rose Valley<br />
SUMMER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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