Bessa Valley Newsletter

Enira Reserva, Vintage 2005 Was Officially Presented

Enira Reserva vintage 2005 had its formal debut on 1st of June at Bessa Valley. That is the second Reserva vintage of the winery after Enira Reserva 2004, which won the admirations of experts and connoisseurs.

The new vintage was presented by three gentlemen with a key role in Bessa Valley: Mr. Karl-Heinz Hauptmann (the main investor), Mr. Marc Dworkin (General Manager) and Mr. Alexander Kanev (Executive Director).

Among the guests, there were Municipality Councilors, District Governors, the Mayor of Pazardzhik Mr. Ivan Evstatiev, Raiffeisen Bank representatives, Bessa Valley partners' representatives - Belvedere Group, Investgroup, Sytex, restaurant and hotel owners, friends and lovers of the Winery and its wines.

The debut of the wine was also honored by Mr. Liubomir Stoyanov, just titled as a Sommelier of Bulgaria 2007 and Mr. Mihail Markovski - Vice President of the Bulgarian Sommeliers' Association.

"The year of 2005 is remembered with heavy autumn rainfalls which were a challenge for both vine-growers and wine-makers. And we did not look for excuses for having a bad year but busied ourselves with creating this wine instead. It is precisely selected; it has achieved harmony and completeness for the 12 months aging in oak barrels; it was bottled in late spring and left to rest for some weeks. We can now proudly present Enira Reserva 2005."

Enira Reserva 2005 is a blend of the varieties Merlot (80 %), Syrah (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) It is a product of a precisely controlled fermentation and 12 month aging in barriques. The wine is distinguished with intense and vivid red color. The specific thick flavor is a combination of a touch of fruit and delicate oak. The taste is impressive with its velvet softness and warmth, all these achieved by well-ripen grapes. The excellent balance of the tannins allows long bottle keeping. Rich and full, the wine has a superb length and splendid aftertaste.

At the barbecue party for the presentation of Enira Reserva 2005, the guests tasted pure Petit Verdot.

It is a French grape variety planted for the first time in Bulgaria by Bessa Valley!

The wines of vintage 2006 are the first Bessa Valley ones, in which selection the Petit Verdot is blended in.

When ripe, the tiny berries of Petit Verdot produce very strong, colored and tannin wines.

These are mature and quality wines which when mixed could add thickness color and taste to weak wines.

In favorable climate the Petit Verdot variety gives grapes with very high sugar contents and fully preserves its high acidity.

Originally Petit Verdot comes from Southwest France. However it adapts excellently to the climate and soils of the Valley. There are over 16 hectares of Petit Verdot grown in Bessa Valley at the moment.