Producer: BESSA VALLEY WINERY
Appellation of Origin: PGI THARACIAN LOWLANDS
Variety: 56% Merlot, 24% Syrah, 14% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaking: Cold soaking and fermentation in concrete tanks for about 10 days, MLF. Aging in old French barriques (30% 2-year barrels, 70% 3-year barrels) for 12 months.
JAN code: 4582565765540
Although it is in the low price range, the label features the coat of arms of Count Neipperg, which can be considered a guarantee of quality, so it is not a half-hearted wine.
Reference evaluation
Sakura Award 2021...Gold (2016)
Wine Advocate: 87 points (2015)
Best Wine to Drink in Japan 2012...Gold Medal in the Enthusiasts' Category (2009)
Pleasant aroma and taste of ripe fruit. Charming raspberry, mint, pleasant oak flavor and smooth tannins. [What is Enira?]
The much talked about Bulgarian wine "Enira" was made by Count Stephan von Neipperg, a descendant of the most prestigious Habsburg family in Europe, who owns Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe B La Mondotte, Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, as well as Daiguil and Peyrot. Count Stephan von Neipperg moved to Saint-Emilion in 1985 and is known for raising the quality of La Mondotte and Canon La Gaffeliere to the world's highest level in a short period of time after purchasing them. He is also famous for quickly discovering the talent of Stephan Derenoncourt, who is now highly regarded as a genius winemaker, and appointing him as winemaker in 1996. Speaking of La Mondotte, Count Neipperg began improving the quality of the wine in 1996, and it was a Cinderella wine that quickly transformed into a wine that represents Saint-Emilion in a short period of time. The 2000 vintage, just four years after 1996, was the highest priced vintage on the primeur list sent by a Bordeaux wine merchant, and in recent years, the 2009 vintage received a perfect score of 100 points from Robert Parker in Wine Advocate #199. Enira is a wine that Count Neipperg made in Bulgaria with the same philosophy of winemaking as in Bordeaux.
[Etiquette design that can be considered Count Neipperg's quality guarantee]
The labels of La Mondotte and Canon La Gaffeliere, which are made by Count Neipperg, have the coat of arms of Count Neipperg in the center, making it clear that these are wines made by Count Neipperg at a glance. The same design with the coat of arms in the center is also used for Enira, which is made at Bessa Valley Winery. However, it is not just that he invested in Bulgarian wine, but he is also an enthusiastic and regular visitor to Bulgaria, and he employs Marc Dworkin, who worked on Lallemand and Bellefont-Berchet in Saint-Emilion, as his winemaker. Furthermore, the labels of La Mondotte and others, which feature the coat of arms, show how much effort Count Neipperg puts into his wines.
[Excerpts of rave reviews from the media]
"I am very interested in this project started by Count Neipperg. I have already tasted it once at en primeur and after its release, and I am not at all surprised that Waitrose (a high-end supermarket in the UK) decided to introduce it so quickly. It has a frank personality and it's as if it's singing and dancing in your mouth. I would love to have a Bordeaux lover try it blind."
Jancis Robinson
"(Enira's release) an important event."
Decanter Magazine
"Marc Dworkin (winemaker at Lallemand and Bellefont-Berchet) and Count Neipperg have produced a stunningly delicious wine. A remarkable bargain....a truly delicious wine, and a testament to the growing quality and diversity of wines around the world."
Robert Parker Jr.'s wine blog
"This wine shows that Bulgaria will play a similar role to Chile in Europe."
International Business Newspaper [Financial Times]
"This is the only wine to have won a gold medal at Vinaria (Bulgarian wine exhibition). Famous Bulgarian winemaker Tsanko Stanchev said, 'There is no other wine like this in Bulgaria.'"
Paris Newspaper
"A wonderful winery in Pazardzhik province."
★★★ (famous and highly regarded)
Hugh Johnson (from POCKET WINE BOOK 2009)
■BESSA VALLEY WINERY
Bessa Valley was established in 2001 after the purchase of a 265ha field in Pazardzhik Province, located about 135km southeast of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The appeal of Bulgaria is the low labor costs, in addition to the environment that has been successful in cultivating Bordeaux varieties for a long time. When Count Neipperg visited our company in December 2009, he emphasized that "the labor costs in Bulgaria are 1/10 of those in Bordeaux, so we can focus on winemaking facilities, etc."
Made with high-density, pure free-run juice
In Bessa Valley, about 95% of the cuvees are made using free-run juice, which gives the highest density and purest grape flavor. Free-run juice is juice that flows naturally under the weight of the grapes without pressing after crushing, and since only a small amount is obtained, it is very valuable. Free-run juice has few negative flavors such as bitterness, and is pure and has a strong flavor.