The Project 2005 July

The project started In 2001 • 266 hectares (ha) of land from around 800 people In the neighbourhood of Ognianovo (region of Pazardjik). About 138ha have already been planted with French grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. The name of the winery, Bessa Valley Ltd, means the valley of the Bessians, a Thracian tribe who inhabited these lands and cultivated vines from the fourth to the fifth century BC. Over 100 places have been studied according to both combination of history and conditions for vine growing. The famous legend of Thracian wine, the suitable combination of soil and climate, and detailed soil analysis attracted the main shareholders - Count Stephan von Neipperg and Dr Karl-Heinz Hauptmann - to the region of Pazardjik.

“We brought vineyards abandoned 20 years ago back to life,” says Count von Neipperg, who owns six chateaux in Bordeaux -Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe), La Mondotte (Saint-Emilion), Clos deli'Oratoire (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Ciasse), Chateau Peyreau (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru), Chateau d'Aiguilhe (Cote de Castillon), and Clos Marsalette (Pessac-Leognan). Dr Hauptmann is co-founder of ECM -Europe Capital Management -a corporate finance and investment management company located in the Czech Republic. He was the former managing director of Merrill Lynch London and vice-president of Bankers Trust International London.
€6.5 million have already been invested in the winery. Part of the financing comes from the SAPARD program - which subsidized €485,000 -and from a long-term credit granted by the Austrian bank Raiffeisen.
The vatting and ageing cellars have, respectively, a capacity of 107 concrete vats and up to 2,500 French oak barrels. Bessa Valley Ltd. Is one of the biggest employers of the region, with up to 250 workers during the harvest period.

Two wines will be marketed from September 2005: Enira Reserva and Enira.
Some 80% of the production will be exported to the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, North America and Russia.
For any further information, please contact us at info@neipperg.com

FACTS:

Location: Region of Pazardjik (Bulgaria)
About the company: Bessa Valley Ltd was created in 2001 by several partners, including Count Stephan von Neipperg and Dr Karl-Heinz Hauptmann. Marc Dworkin is general manager.
Solis: clay/limestone, with clay/gravelly solis on the highest plots.
Area: 134,17 ha.
Grape varieties: 53% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 12% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Harvesting: hand-picking; double-sorting before and after de-stemming; only conveyer belts are used to move the berries into the vats.
Winemaking: alcoholic fermentation and maceration in temperature controlled concrete vats for about 30 days .Malolactic fermentation in barrels.
Ageing: on lees for 16 months for Enira Resserva (20% new barrels, 80% second-fill barrels) and 9 months for Enira (50% second-fii! Barrels, 50% third-fill barrels).
Harvest period: Merlot on 21 September 10 October; Syrah on 11-12 Octobar,-Cabernet Sauvignon on 16 October.
2004 Enira Reserva 2004: 70% Merlot/25% Syrah/5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
2004 Enira 2004: 80% Merlot/20% Cabernet Sauvignon

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