Wine Tasting :: Bulgarian Wines :: Zlaten Rozhen (Syrah)

It's time for some wine sipping, ladies and gentlemen! And what better way to start this series, but with a Bulgarian wine!

If you've seen enough American movies, you know that Bulgarian wines are cheap, horrible and only good for a headache. This conclusion, without a doubt, must be made by the same 15-year-old (at least mentally) screenwriter, behind all cheesy American flicks. The truth is slightly different - Bulgaria is among the producers of both the worst and the best wines in the world. The good part is that I have access both to this market and Steemit, so I can share some of my experience.

Today, we have a bottle of "Zlaten Rozhen" (Golden Rozhen) syrah, produced by the recently established (2010) "Golden Rozhen" winery. That's a bad start for this wine review - hopefully they managed to incite some experienced wine makers to join their ranks.

Let's take a closer look at the bottle, the design is quite good and the top label is actually embossed.

Right, fancy bottle, but first of all - where does this wine come from and what should we expect from a syrah?

The label claims the wine originates from the Thracian valley - a large plain in the middle of Bulgaria, right under the massive Balkan Mountains, which protect the location from severe weather and sudden temperature changes. It's the perfect place for growing grapes - lots of sunlight and occasional rain, throughout the year.

The Thracian Valley. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

How about the syrah grape variety? It originates from France, but because of its excellent taste, it is claimed to be in the top ten grapes grown around the world. It is often mixed with other varieties, to produce a rich smell and taste. The syrah wines are dark red to violet in color. They should taste of blackberries and mint, but the location where the grapes are grown define the overall qualities.

Let's take a look at the winery's claims and how the wine sits in a glass.

Light barely penetrates the lovely red to violet body of the wine - that's a clear indication that the producer tried to create a quality product. Unsurprisingly, many wineries add water, diluting the look and taste of the wine. The smell, however, is sour and almost completely flat. And if it smells sour, it will taste sour - but I still have some hope.

Let's take a sip. Hmpf.

I will go through the winery's claims:

Intense ruby color with violet hues, characteristic for the variety. Check!
Compelling scent of dried plum (Yes), leather (No), meat (No), delicate smoke (No), and light accents of mint and rosemary (Absolutely not).
Juicy sweet taste. No. It was dry, barely sweet and awfully sour.
The aftertaste is dry and slightly spicy. I guess I keep tasting the aftertaste. Also, no taste of any "spices", unless sour is a spice.
Sensations turn into a long and impressive finish. Very flat and sour. Maybe a hint of plum.

At a price of €6 ($8), I've tested incredible wines, like Terra Tangra's Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which should probably be priced twice as much. "Zlaten Rozhen" may be suitable for cooking or getting drunk, when there's nothing around.

Points: 2.5/5.

I was actually thinking closer to 2 out of 5 points, but I had no headache in the morning, after two glasses of this wine.

Hope you enjoyed my review. I will keep publishing reviews of different wines using the #dek-wines tag. Check out some of my previous articles below.

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