2020 Zagreus Vinica

For years, one of Bulgaria's top-rated wines, made by the beautiful, modern, and organic Zagreus Winery. We should really call this the Bulgarian Amarone, as the grape-drying technique is also used in this superb Bulgarian wine. The indigenous Mavrud grapes are organically grown and dried outdoors for two months, after which the wine is aged for 12 months in new Bulgarian oak. The wine has a dark color with purple hues in the glass. We smell beautiful, yet deliciously fresh, crisp aromas of a variety of red and dark fruit (raspberry, currant, cherry), as well as hints of raisin, chocolate, vanilla, and marmalade. The wine is full-bodied with lovely acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a spicy undertone that perfectly captures the oak.

In terms of style, this wine certainly has similarities with an Amarone or Ripasso, but is fresher with slightly less residual sugar and not as alcoholic (14.5%) as an Amarone wine, which sometimes contains 16.5% alcohol.

• BEST LOCAL GRAPE WINE 2019 /current vintage 2017/ – DiVino, Bulgaria;
• 3rd PLACE in the TOP 50 Bulgarian wines for 2019 /current vintage 2017/ DiVino, Bulgaria;
• PERSWIJN REVIEW: VERY GOOD
• BULGARIA'S BEST WINE FOR 2016 – DiVino, Bulgaria;
• GOLD MEDAL – International Bioweinpreis 2017, Germany;
• GOLD MEDAL – Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2017;
• SPECIAL PRIZE ORGANIC WINE – Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2017;
• GOLD MEDAL – Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2016;
• REVIEW The Wine and Food Association: 8+
• IN THE TOP 5 NOMINATIONS for Wine of the Year – 28th Proefschrift Wijnconcours, Amsterdam 2016;
• 6th PLACE in the TOP 50 Bulgarian wines for 2015;
• SILVER MEDAL – The Balkans International Wine Competition 2014.

ABOUT ZAGREUS WINERY

Zagreus Winery is located in the Thracian Valley (Thracian Lowlands) in southern Bulgaria and was built in 2004. The winery is an ultra-modern building with a fully integrated production cycle. Zagreus Winery currently has approximately 130 hectares of vineyards, all within a 2 km radius of the winery. To ensure maximum quality control, Zagreus uses only grapes from its own vineyards for its wine production. Since 2010, Zagreus Winery's vineyards have been cultivated entirely according to European organic farming standards, and all wines have been certified organic since the 2013 harvest.

ABOUT BULGARIA

Bulgaria has a rich history and a tradition of viticulture for no less than three thousand years. The Thracians introduced viticulture to Bulgaria starting in the 9th century BC. Numerous excavations demonstrate that wine played an important role in the lives of the Thracians. At that time, they even used coins depicting bunches of grapes as currency. The Thracians planted vineyards en masse in Bulgaria, introduced new agricultural techniques, and even developed specialized tools for working in the vineyards and winemaking. Thrace, the region that would later become the core of modern-day Bulgaria, was the scene of the first festivals in honor of Dionysus (the Thracian Bacchus) and in celebration of wine.

Today, Bulgaria is gaining increasing international recognition for its quality wines. Nicknamed "Sleeping Beauty," this country has all the makings of a major player in the global wine market and has already surpassed all Eastern European wine-producing countries with its superior wines. Wine production is sustainable and innovative, guaranteeing the quality of both the grapes and the wine. As a result, Bulgaria is increasingly gaining international recognition as a wine-producing country, and the country is receiving increasing international recognition and awards for its wines, which have been produced there since time immemorial.