“To take wine
into our mouths is to savor a droplet of the river of human history.” …. Clifton Fadiman
A long, long, time ago, in a
(country*) far, far away, wine was being made.
Homer’s Iliad describes the honey sweet black wine brought by ship from
the Thracian city of Ismarus to their camp outside of Troy. In fact, the
earliest traces of cultured vines within what is now Bulgaria go back 3000
years and possibly much more. Fast forward to 1980. Bulgaria is the second
largest wine producer. There are 25 varieties of red and white wine grapes
registered as trademarks of origin from designated geographic regions. But after the fall of communism, wine
production declined.
Happily, production is again hearty
and healthy. Castra Rubra, producer of “Via Diagonalis,” began in 2004 and has 16 wines in its portfolio.
Growing in their vineyards are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Pinot
Noir, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc,
Grenache Blanc, and Sauvignon Gris. The vineyards are in Southern Bulgaria, in
the Thracian Plain (a designated region) in the
province of Harmanli that
enjoys hot, dry summers and more than 3000 hours of sunshine. Myriad soil
types, (rich, sandy, sandy-loam, clay-limestone) but all with good drainage,
allow for vines to be grown in areas best suited for them, the whole of the
region itself protected by the Balkan Mountains. These conditions, blended together as they are
create a unique terroir and character to Castra Rubra’s wines. But in the case
of Via Diagonalis, it is the use of two indigenous Bulgarian grapes that
contribute to making this wine, and others of Bulgaria, a unique tasting
experience.
Via Diagonalis is a red blend:
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Rubin and 5% Mavrud. The judicious use
of these last two grapes is what makes Via Diagonalis so different from other
red blends you've tried. Rubin is a crossing of Nebbiolo and Syrah,
created in Bulgaria in 1944. It offers aromas and taste of cherry, black
cherry, and raspberry and Syrah’s contribution of pepper and crushed violet.
Barrel aged, it will accumulate notes of vanilla and a smoky flavor. Mavrud, its low-yielding and late ripening
counterpoint, is thick skinned with coordinating high tannin. Its stewed fruit
character on the palette gives the wine a glycerol mouth feel and some spicy
character. Some people pick up herbal notes. Together these grapes make for a
wine that can be aged well due to excellent tannin/acidity.
As varietals, these grapes make for powerful
wines that some may find too unusual for their palette to readily acclimatize
to. But as blending grapes, they offer
an unusual and delightful wine tasting experience. Several vineyards in
Bulgaria have reduced their plantings of these grapes in favor of planting more
of the classics (Cabinet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot et al) which I think is
unwise. As in the culinary arts, fusion is fun. But abandonment of established
classics just leaves a void in good taste.
Fresh out of the bottle at a
tasting, I found the tannins off putting, but the wine so unusually tempting
and promising I bought several bottles to taste later. (About $17 a bottle). It was a good decision. If you do not decant
this wine, I recommend leaving it uncorked for about three hours in order to
have it open up and soften. In the
glass, it is a very dark garnet with a distinct nose of blackberry jam and with
that note carrying prominently into the initial taste. Following that rush of fruit, more delicate
notes of vanilla, soft spice and a compote of black fruit play on the upper
front palette and nose. Hints of leather compliment the juicy finish accented
with violet.
In addition to liking this
wine for what it is, I appreciate it also for its utility as a “safe,
crowd-pleasing” wine. Opening numerous different wines, remembering who prefers
which, pouring --- these tasks distract
from the continuity of group discussions in informal gatherings. Unlike more
structured dinner parties in which you may want to serve different wines with
the different courses, conversation is best served during informal get
togethers with a commonly served wine being self poured. And Via Diagonalis is
serious enough for committed red wine drinkers of most any ilk to enjoy, yet
fruity enough to appeal to newer red wine drinkers and even white wine aficionados.
 |
| Food Friendly, Via Diagonalis Goes With Many Dishes |
It’s also food friendly on
many levels and goes well with grilled meats, barbecue, red-sauced pasta dishes
and more. I enjoyed Via Diagonalis recently with a dish of whole wheat pasta
shells, diced peppers, garlic and onion mixed with slices of Italian sausage dressed
in a sauce of aglio e olio, the wine’s fruitiness being a nice contrast to the
garlic in the sauce.
The more wines I write about,
the fewer I find myself getting excited over. Indeed, the only thing I find
distressing about Via Diagonalis is the difficulty experienced in finding it available.
Popular in the U.K. and Europe, it has limited availability here. Hopefully that
will change. Distributed by Vinprom Distributing LLC, I learned that it is stocked by House Red Bar in Forest Park, IL. A Google search (“Buy Diagonalis wine”)
yielded few results, all outside the U.S. "Bulgarian Wine Direct” is on facebook and offers direct on-line sales. I
have no experience with them. On that note, let me say I have no connection to anyone mentioned here. Over time, I've simply become more sensitive
to wines being reviewed without information being provided regarding their
availability. So I’ll be providing information on where less-available wines
ARE available in the future.
Nazdrave!
…………….. Jim
Follow and “like” Wine Mizer
on facebook for mini reviews, fun facts, recipes and more.
* “Galaxy” was used in the
opening of the movie “Star Wars”. While
Via Diagonalis is somewhat difficult to track down, fortunately you need not be
a Jedi Knight to obtain it.
TECH SPECS
Alc: 14%
BRIX 24%
Total Acdity 5.8
Ph 3.66
Aging 12 Months, 50% New French Oak Barrels
Grapes Were Hand Picked
Vinification: Cold maceration
at 10 degrees C (50F) for 8 days. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in inox
(stainless) container at 27 degrees C
(80.6F). Post fermentation infusion. Spontaneous malolactic in new French barrels.
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