Vintage - 2018

Country - Macedonia

Region - Tikveš

Grape Varieties - Vranec 100%

Alcohol by volume - 14%

Bottle - 75cl

Every wine tells a story about the synergy between the soil, sun, grapes and the country of its origin. The Tikveš Winery has been narrating the Republic of Macedonia’s story as a winemaking country since 1885. However, the Republic of Macedonia remains one of Europe’s last undiscovered wine countries: it is a natural paradise of vineyards, mountains, lakes and rivers, with a climate perfectly suited to producing quality grapes. Located in the Tikveš region of central Macedonia, the Tikveš estate sustainably cultivates indigenous varieties such as Smederevka, Vranec and Kratoshija. The grapes are vinified in the state-of-the-art cellar equipped with the latest technology under the watchful eye of illustrious consultant oenologist Philippe Cambie, resulting in a series of authentic and characterful wines.

Vranec (pronounced VRAN-ash) translates as 'strong, powerful horse' and wine made from this grape variety is associated with strength and opulence. Vranec also means black, and is often referred to as the 'black wine’ locally. The Tikveš vineyards are sustainably cultivated, with 80% of the vines planted on the slopes of hillside plots with east or south easterly orientation. The vines are double Guyot trained and are planted in well drained clay soils which are rich in carbonates and naturally encourage high yields. Green harvesting takes place to reduce the yields and concentrate the flavours in the grapes. The grapes are manually harvested when they have reached optimal ripeness and maturity and are transported immediately to the winery

The grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain the purity of fruit. When fermentation was complete, the young wine was pressed off its skins in a pneumatic press, cold stabilised, filtered and bottled with minimal sulphur.

A deeply coloured red wine revealing vibrant aromas of blueberries and blackberries, with hints of chocolate and cocoa. Full bodied and harmoniously balanced, with ripe, smooth tannins and juicy plum and blackberry flavours. Delicious with red meat, game and barbecued or smoked meats.