Odessos Urban Winery Claret Vetrino Single Vineyard

Odessos is one of the new wave of Bulgarian wineries, located in the city of Varna on the Black Sea coast, with a ground-breaking and very modern concept whose story began in 2016. After travelling around the world and gaining experience at some of the most prestigious wineries in Australia, New Zealand and Chile, the brothers Georgi and Vladislav Vankov came up with the idea of creating one of the first urban wineries in Bulgaria. Love for winemaking has been in their family for generations and the idea of creating Odessos was a natural continuation of this passion.

If they have learned anything from the endless hours of work in different wineries around the world, it was that the most valuable asset for a great wine is its terroir. This clarified the motto and philosophy of the winery - to pursue and present their own interpretation of the Northern Black Sea region, working with carefully selected vineyards of prime terroir around the seaside city.

Cabernet Franc,

Crafted from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes, this wine originates from a single 14-year-old vineyard nestled near the village of Vetrino in the Varna region, specifically the Babuka area. The vineyard, sitting at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level and 25 miles from the Black Sea, boasts alluvial and stony soil, contributing to the unique character of this wine.

The winemaking process at Odessos is a blend of tradition and meticulous care. Hand-picked grapes are carefully transported in small boxes to a cold room. Here, they are hand-sorted and crushed in small open-top fermenters. The crushed grapes are cooled and cold-soaked for 3 days to achieve the desired colour, after which they are pressed. The must then naturally warms up, kicking off spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, with the temperature controlled between 18-22°C. After 14 days, the wine is transferred to Bulgarian barrels for malolactic fermentation and aged on fine lees for 3 months. It then spends an additional 3 months in stainless steel vessels.

True to the Odessos philosophy, all wines are crafted with minimal intervention, and the appearance of noble lees is possible.

A bright strawberry red hue. The nose is an aromatic explosion of intense red fruit, complemented by the grape's typical pyrazine character. On the palate, it is an elegant, light to medium-bodied claret, bursting with freshness and fruitiness. Delight in the attractive cherry and raspberry notes, silky tannins, crisp acidity, and a vibrant, fruity finish.

This is really versatile but great for Bulgarian or Turkish cuisine. Try with meatier sea food or sausages too.