Bulgaria is Back
Friday, October 28th, 2011
Great Uncle Bulgaria
Bulgaria; famous for weightlifting, a very recent and very short-lived property bubble and as the name of many people’s favourite Womble….
However go back to the 1980s and early 90s and internationally Bulgaria stood for affordable, easy drinking wines, made from familiar grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
A series of bad financial choices, poor decisions regarding production and the rise of brand Australia brought the old Bulgarian wine industry to its knees.
Castra Rubra Winery
It has taken a while but over the last decade a totally new Bulgaria has arisen. While there are cheap and cheerful wines being made, the real excitement is around a number of top quality producers making wines that are truly world class.
One of these new wave sensations has just landed in Ireland: Castra Rubra.
The CR
Hailing from Thracia, a region with an important vinous history, the winery is state of the art and the vineyards pristine and carefully managed. However there is an instantly recognisable class and international feel to these wines and that is down to the signature of renowned French consultant; Michel Rolland. These are bold, ambitious, reds of great purity and layer upon layer of dark fruit backed by intelligent oak ageing.
Although the flagship wine (CR) can be compared to great St. Emilion and the Nimbus Pinot Noir has a brightness of fruit that would not be out of place is Central Otago these wines are still very unique. There is a distinct accent to these reds that could only be described as, well …Bulgarian.
Try something truly different this weekend – it’s the closest thing we have to Transylvanian wine! The Dominant is available to order here and the full range is already available in the following stores: Donnybrook Greystones, Rathmines, Ballybrack, The Beacon, Carrickmines, Galway, Malahide, Sandymount, Newbridge, Blanchardstown, Athlone, Limerick , Naas, Glasnevin and Blackrock.
