Oriachovitza Special Reserve Merlot 2005

Although I had some time off the blog due to my approaching graduation, I had not stopped drinking wine. No, not at all! :) There are so many pictures, memories and some notes waiting to be released that I even feel a bit trapped and do not know where to begin from - from the oldest wine, the cheapest, the most memorable, the darkest, the last or the first I drunk during this time? No, I will simply start with Oriachovitza.

Maybe this name sounds complicated to you (it's a wine region in Bulgaria). The wine IS a wonderful complicated combination of chocolate flavour with some strawberries and oak barrels. Very dark and rich colour, wonderful aroma and long finishing. I enjoyed the wine with my family and it made our evening cheerful and pleasant. I also loved the bottle and its style.

Katarzyna Twins 2008

Continuing with the wines from Katarzyna Estate, we can't miss the Twins. Again a catchy name - twins symbolises a single grape variety cabernet sauvignon blended by two oenologists.

The wine itself has a deep dark red colour and a very memorable aroma. The taste is light and fruity, yet harmonious and with long, deep finishing. I enjoyed the liveliness and richness of the taste. A lovely цомплемент to a long and romantic dinner.

The wine costs about 8 Euros from the shops. A recommendation.

Chateau Karnobat Merlot 2008

To be honest I am not charmed by this wine. I was rather sour and edgy. Although I could taste the Merlot variety in it, its not one of the best I've tried, although the deep ruby colour charmed me at first.

The wine comes from the Karnobar region in Bulgaria, which used to be a huge wine manufacturer in the country during the Communism (Karnobat Vinprom). Then, the winery used to export cheap wine, and I must confess that despite the 50 years of experience and recent investments, not much has changed. The winery is still one of the cheapest and not very qualitative wineries in Bulgaria. However, I am determined to write about as many wines as possible and give my feedback for you. I hope I've been clear for this one.

Brunello di Montalcino 2004

"I brought this wine from Italy for a special dinner. It is 2004 famous Tuscany wine. It is made from Sangiovese, colour and flavour coming from the skins of the grapes. The aroma is of cherries, black raspberry, chocolate and leather. I recommend it heartily."

by Slaveyko Djambazov

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mapu Merlot Reserva 2007

The Mapu Merlot comes from the Mapu region in Chillie and we had it with currey from Shri Lanka at my friend Rouja's place. Quite an interesting and magical combination. The wine was absolutely splendid, I really loved the rich, flowery aroma. The taste was deep and intense, very unique and different from the Bulgarian merlot. I am starting to be completely fascinated by Chilean wines. Light, delicious and utterly gorgeous taste, this wine goes into my top listed.

I give all my respect to Chilean people who lost hundreds of their people, homes and beloved ones in the earthquakes at the beginning of this year. I do hope the country will soon recover from this terror.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mapu Merlot Reserva 2007

Freixenet Carta Nevada Seco

Carta Nevada is a dry sparkling wine from Spain. It is a blend of three white Spanish grape varieties called Macabeo (33%), Xarello (33%) and Parellada (33%) and combines fruity taste with robust and high-acid taste. Sparkling and tasty, it is perfect for a festive evening. In Google I also found a semi-dry version, which I intend to try soon.

It is interesting to mention that Cava is the Spanish sparkling wine equivalent to France's Champagne, as they state in Freiexent's website. Freixenet is one of the the oldest and largest Cava producers in Spain, starting in 1914 by Pere Ferrer Bosch and became a family business and now, almost 100 year later the Freixenet Group is still family owned. Actually, it turns out most wineries worldwide are family owned. I am sure it needs a lot of love and devotion to build a successful winery brand and no surprise a family is able to achieve it.

Ferreira Porto Tawny

This wine was brought by a friend from Portugal and I would like to thank him, because otherwise I would have never tried this wonderful variety which is typical Portogese. I have never visited this wonderful warm country, but will do soon, I hope. The Porto Tawny is actualy not a typical wine: it has 19,5% alcohol, light ruby colour and very sweet taste. The flavour is of fresh fruits and toffee. The Porto is more like a liqueur or brandy. More of a "woman's drink", but quite strong. It is not drunk in the typical wine glasses and is not going well with dinner. It is a dessert wine and will go best with a chocolate or toffee cake. Yammy!

Ferreira Porto Tawny is from the Dauro Valley in Portugal. The Ferreira company has been founded by a family of Douro winegrowers back in 1751, and is usually classified as one of the best sellers of Port worldwide. Port wine is a Portogese style of fortified wines originating from the Douro Valley. It is typically sweet and is served as a dessert wine at the end of dinner. Although Porto is produced in US, Argentina, India, Canada and other countries, in the European Union it is protected and only a Portogese Porto use the term. Port can be produced from different grapes, but usually it is fortified by adding a grape called Aguardente. Very interesting stuff, I am already a Porto fan. (Source).