2023 Georgiev-Milkov - Thracian Valley Pet Nat Funky Mavrud Extra Brut (750ml)

The Georgiev/Milkov Wine Project was founded by graduate oenologists and longtime friends Petar Georgiev and Radostin Milkov, who worked in wine regions from Austria and Malta to New Zealand and China before settling on Bulgaria's Thracian Valley. Rather than owning vineyards themselves, the pair partner with growers around Plovdiv to champion native Bulgarian grapes, and their project began with a focus on Mavrud and Rubin before later expanding to other local varieties.

This pet nat is made in a blanc de noir style from Mavrud, a dark skinned grape with an ancient history whose name derives from the Greek word for black. The hand picked grapes come from forty year old vines around Asenovgrad, considered the birthplace of the variety. To keep the juice pale, the grapes are pressed quickly to limit skin contact, then fermented wild with minimal intervention and no added sulfites, finishing as a sparkling wine in the traditional pet nat method.

The result is a very light pink, gently cloudy wine with pronounced aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and fresh herbs, along with citrus and orchard fruit undertones. On the palate it is lightly sparkling and elegant, light to medium bodied, with vibrant acidity and a long, fresh finish. It makes a lively aperitif, on its own or alongside a meal.