Specification :

”…Quality wines are created in the vineyard – not in the cellar…”

This philosophy is a guiding principle and a professional conviction for all serious winemakers. Yet, the work in the cellar-meticulous control of natural processes such as fermentation and barrel aging – is equally essential. It transforms the inherent qualities of the grapes into a wine with character and balance. These careful steps shape and harmonize flavors, creating a complete sensory experience.

This fascinating metamorphosis begins the moment the grape cluster is cut from the vine and continues to evolve for years to come. Every step, from harvest to aging, contributes to the wine’s unique identity and expression.

Lars Torstensson checks the grapes quality on the field before harvest

A Meticulous Journey from Field to Bottle

The Grape Harvest

At the end of August, the winemaker begins daily assessments of the ripeness of different grape varieties to determine the optimal harvest day for each. Analyses of acidity, sugar levels, and tannins provide the foundation for these decisions, but the final judgment depends on the winemaker’s sensory expertise and meticulous tastings.

Once the harvest day for a specific variety is determined, the work proceeds swiftly and precisely. From early morning until midday, a team of 25 workers hand-harvests the grapes. Each cluster is carefully picked and placed into small baskets to avoid damage. This meticulous handling preserves the grapes’ quality and natural aromas. Up to eight tons of grapes can be harvested in a single morning.

Five to eight ton grapes are harvested by 25 workers, from 6 in the morning to lunch time

Preparation for Fermentation

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes undergo thorough sorting and a final quality check before being de-stemmed and crushed into a must.

The swift handling from field to fermentation vessel is crucial to minimize the risk of bacterial and mold contamination. At the same time, this process preserves the grapes’ unique characteristics—aromas, flavors, and minerals.

Final Quality control before fermentation

Fermentation

The winery, located on the estate is equipped with modern, temperature-controlled fermentation vessels, capable of fermenting between 1 and 5 tons of grapes at a time. The vessel sizes are tailored to optimize the handling of the vineyard’s various grape varieties and harvest volumes.

Fermentation is a complex biochemical process, where even small deviations from the optimal temperature or imbalances in oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, can produce undesirable byproducts, like propanol, acetone, acetic acid, and various sulfur compounds with unpleasant odors.

The vinification process is closely monitored with great precision, through regular laboratory analyses and, perhaps more importantly, through the winemaker’s daily sensory evaluations and expert adjustments to ensure that the wine’s quality is preserved.

LarsTorstensson checks the taste and aroma of the fermenting must

Aging in Oak Barrels

After fermentation is complete, the wine is aged in 225-liter oak barrels (barriques) for 10 to 12 months. Aging in oak is a refining process that harmonizes and integrates the oak’s tannins and subtle aromas of coffee and vanilla with the wine’s fruity notes. This process enhances the development of the wine’s structure, bouquet, and flavor complexity, while also improving its stability and aging potential.

Wine on barrel testing

During the aging period, regular checks, barrel top-ups, and rackings are performed, where the wine is transferred from one barrel to another to separate the lees. These steps contribute to the wine’s natural clarification without the need for filtration. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process that is reserved only for high-quality wines from the best vineyards.

The Craft of Barrel Making

Cooperage is a family business where the craftsmanship is passed down through generations. The process takes at least three years and begins with the cooper selecting oak trees in the forest. The tree is felled, and the trunk is sawn into planks. These planks are then stacked outdoors and moved several times a year over at least two years, allowing the sun, rain, snow, and wind to evenly leach out the sharp tannins.

Despite the crucial role the quality of the oak barrels plays in the aging process, it is almost impossible to define an exact barrel specification, and even harder to control how well the quality of the barrels meets the required standards.

The cooper shapes the barrel with water and fire….

Our red wines, with the exception of the flagship First Selection, are aged in Bulgarian oak barrels.

With the same care we dedicate to our grape growing, we select our barrel suppliers. Long-term relationships, personal connections, and respect for the craft ensure high and consistent barrel quality.

Abdyika’s supplier of Bulgarian oak barrels for the past 15 years is master cooper Metodi from the village of Vrachesh. Regular visits to the cooperage maintain close contact and ensure that the material comes from oaks that are at least 90 years old, and that each plank is evenly air-dried.

The barrels are toasted according to our own recipe

Toasting is the next critical step in the production of oak barrels. It plays a decisive role, not only in the wine’s flavor but also in its quality development during aging.
The heat compacts the wood pores, which slows down oxidation and creates the ideal conditions for the wine to develop a unique aroma and flavor. The barrel toasting follows a traditional method with an open flame, where the fire is gradually moved up and down. The intensity, the steps, the time, and surface temperature all contribute to tailoring the toast recipe for different types of wine.

Our winemaker, Ivo Todorov, is always involved in the barrel roasting, which is performed according to a unique recipe he developed, specifically designed to enhance the distinctive character of the Melnik grape.

Creating a Wine with Its Own Style and Flavor Profile

Throughout the millennia of winemaking history, it has been discovered that blending wines from different grape varieties can create unique flavor characteristics. By combining young wines from selected grape varieties with various oak barrels, a skilled oenologist can craft a wine with a distinct flavor profile and perfect balance. However, blending wine is an advanced art that requires both experience and a delicate touch—a process that can take years to master.

Aroma, Taste, and Structure – The Foundation for the Perfect Recipe

Abdyika’s wine styles are developed by Lars Torstenson, Anders Melldén, and the winerie´s winemaker Ivo Todorov. The goal has always been—and continues to be—that Abdyika’s wines should be representative of the region. The wine style should be optimal for the grape variety, reflect the character of the vintage, and highlight the estate’s unique terroir.

The blending of Abdyika’s wines is done gradually throughout the aging process, up until bottling. After the wine has been placed in barrels, an initial preliminary blend is made. At this early stage, yeast aromas dominate, so technical analyses of parameters such as acidity, residual sugar, and tannin structure are relied upon most.

Over time, aroma, flavor, body, and finish become the key factors for adjustments in the blend. The goal is to gradually create the perfect recipe for each vintage of wine.

Each harvest is influenced by weather variations, meaning that the winemakers must develop a new blend recipe every year to ensure the wine maintains the same high quality and unique character.

Aromas, taste and the structure of the wine are the leading criteria for a recipe

Blending is a process based on collaboration and expertise. When Lars Torstenson, Ivo Todorov, and Georgi Ganev discuss the recipe for ”Blend 2016,” it is the result of years of experience and a shared commitment to creating wines that express the very best of Abdyika.

Lars Torstenson, Ivo Todorov and Georgi Ganev are discussing the  recipe of  “Blend 2016”

After at least two years of careful work – from the vineyard’s fields to the barrels in the cellar – the wine is ready to be bottled using the estate’s modern bottling line. Throughout the process, strict hygiene controls are carried out, and minimal contact with air is ensured to eliminate the need for preservatives and prevent uncontrolled oxidation. The choice of closure, whether cork or capsule, along with quality checks of the materials used, plays a crucial role in the wine’s continued aging and development in the bottle.

Abdyika’s Oenologists:

Lars Torstenson: A highly regarded oenologist and winemaker with numerous prestigious international awards, Lars has been at the forefront of wine development in Provence since the 1980s. In 1994, he was named Vigneron de l’Année by the wine magazine Gault Millau.

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Torstenson

Anders Melldén: A sommelier-trained lecturer and wine tasting leader, Anders is a teacher at Vinkällan’s sommelier program and an Italian Wine Scholar. He is a contributor to publications such as Svenska Dagbladet, Gourmet, In Vino, and several other outlets, as well as the author of several wine books.

www.mellmedia.com

Ivo Todorov: Holds a degree in Biology from the University of Sofia (1997). A winemaker since 1998, Ivo has been with Abdyika since 2007.

it@abdyika.bg