Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

WINE OF THE WEEK: Vini Cabernet Sauvignon surprises with great taste, good value

Although the majority of wines tasted for this column tend not to make the cut, based on quality or other extenuating factors, once in a while a real surprise comes along. This Bulgarian cabernet sauvignon from top producers Vini is one of them.

Being the first Bulgarian wine to make it into this column, an explanation is required. Not unfamiliar with the wines made in this Eastern European country, I recently learned that several big-name producers from Bordeaux in France have made investments and planted great vines in this particular region.

Sliven is centrally located in Bulgaria and has had vines planted for centuries, but it's the same old story about overproduction resulting in diluted and awful wines. That is until a few years ago, when Vini decided to see just how good its wines could get.

The results are mind-boggling. When I learned of the ridiculously low price, this wine is nothing short of a vinous home run that is highly recommended for any red wine lover.

In the glass, this Vini Cabernet Sauvignon is a deeply blackish-red color with an opaque core going out into a deep crimson red rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose, there is classic cassis fruit with crushed black currants, then concentrated blackberries, loganberries and some vanilla, smoke and minerals, as well as a soft buttery oak character.

In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied on the palate with lots of jammy black currant fruit, blackberry juice, caramelized berries and serious classy concentration and delineation, as well as complexity. The midpalate is deliciously ripe with crushed berries, and the finish shows lengthy notes of concentrated cr¸me de cassis and smoked wood with good amounts of fruit.

This surprise shows Bulgaria may have finally arrived at making blockbuster wines for the money for the American market. The aging potential is unknown, but I would not be surprised to learn that it will drink well through 2010. Try it with steak on the grill.

Wine: Vini Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape: Cabernet sauvignon

Region: Sliven, Bulgaria

Vintage: 2000

Price: $6.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz writes his wine column each Wednesday. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749 or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.