Melnik Family Tree
Variety: Blend of Shiroka Melnik (Broadleaf Melnik) Bush Vine, Melnik 1300 Jubilee, Melnik 55, Melnik Rubin, Melnik 82, Ruen
Current Vintage: 2023
Alcohol: 14,5%
Limited Batch: 3600 bottles
Vinification: The wine is made from carefully selected grapes from our own vineyard and matured for 12 months in Bulgarian oak barrels.
Characteristics:
This wine embodies our mission – to preserve and revive unique local grape varieties and produce world-class wines from them. Melnik Family Tree stands out with a medium-intense, beautiful red color. The nose is harmonious and multi-layered, revealing noble notes of moss, resin, and autumn leaves, intertwined with hints of blackberry and tobacco. The palate is dense, structured, and rounded, yet balanced and complex, with accents of black cherry, rosehip, and pepper. A long and memorable finish makes this wine a noble representative of the Melnik varietal family.
Nikola’s favorite wines
To celebrate the spring festivities – Lazarus Day, Easter, and St. George’s Day – the founder of the winery, Nikola Zikatanov, has personally curated a selection of his rarest, limited-edition wines.
Two of the wines belong to the Aplauz Premium Reserve series – boutique, single-varietal wines bottled from a single barrel. This is the finest barrel of the vintage, hand-picked by the owner for its exceptional quality.
The remaining wines are from the “Rare Varieties” series, embodying Villa Melnik’s mission to preserve and revive the unique indigenous grapes of the Melnik region.
These wines have aged for 12 to 18 months in Bulgarian and French oak barrels within our cool cellar, carved deep into the natural Melnik sandstone. They are a true delight for the senses, impressive in their uniqueness, and perfectly suited for special occasions or as a distinguished addition to any serious wine collection.
The selection includes:
- Aplauz Premium Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
- Aplauz Premium Reserve Merlot
- RARE VARIETIES – Ruen
- RARE VARIETIES – Melnik 1300 Jubilee
- RARE VARIETIES – Melnik 82
- RARE VARIETIES – Shiroka Melnishka Loza (Broad-Leaved Melnik Vine) – Gobelet (Bush Vine)
Villa Melnik’s Melnik
Immerse yourself in the world of unique Melnik varieties with this wine package. Here we have gathered a selection of emblematic wines that reveal the richness and diversity of local varieties from the Struma Valley. Each wine carries the spirit of the region and reflects our aspiration to preserve and promote the unique Bulgarian wine heritage.
The package includes the following wines:
- Melnik Family Tree: A blend of all Melnik varieties – embodies our mission – to preserve and revive the unique local varieties and make world-class wines from them.
- Alpauz Melnik 55: A dense and complex wine with deep aromas of ripe black fruits and spices.
- Aplauz Shiroka Melnik: An elegant and well-structured wine with notes of red fruits and herbs.
- Rare Varieties Melnik 1300: A limited variety with an impressive aromatic profile and velvety body.
- Rare Varieties Melnik 82: Good tannin structure, medium body. Wine with a long finish and memorable taste.
- Rare Varieties Ruen: Wine with a light to medium structure, reflecting the unique character of the Ruen variety - with delicate notes of red fruits and woody aromas.
Order now and discover the magic of Melnik varieties in one bottle!
The Wine Behind the scenes
We present you a box of wine dedicated to the BNT1 TV series "Grapes of Guilt", a large part of which was filmed at Villa Melnik.
Learn more about the series here.
- Bergule Mavrud and Melnik – A beautiful transparent garnet color. The aroma is intriguing with elements of black cherry, herbal and ethereal notes. The taste is spicy, fresh, with a good tannin structure and a medium-long finish. The wine is not in contact with oak barrels, only fermentation in stainless steel
- Aplauz Shiroka Melnik – wine made using classical technology from the original Melnik variety – just as the keeper of traditions in the series, the technologist Nasko (Gerasim Georgiev – Gero) would have made it.
- Aplauz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva – the favorite wine of director Viktor Bozhinov and the male part of the cast.
- Rare varieties Melnik 1300 Jubileen – the wine that left even Mikhail Bilalov speechless.
- Bergule Rosé – the favorite wine of the ladies from the film crew of the series. Many pages of the script were written and read with a glass of this rosé in hand. Made from Shiroka Melnishka Loza, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir
- Aplauz Viognier – the wine that inspired the moviegoers and forever left a mark in their hearts.
Aplauz MAGUM 1.5L Melnik 55
Variety: Melnik 55
Current Vintage: 2021
Alcohol:15 %
Characteristics:
Our Magnum bottles (1.5 L) embody the very best of Villa Melnik – exceptional red wines crafted with care, passion, and attention to every detail.
The wines stand out with full body, intense aromas, and remarkable depth of flavor. Thanks to the slower evolution in the larger bottle, Magnum wines reveal elegance, harmony, and longevity.
Created in limited quantities, Magnum bottles are the perfect choice for special occasions, collectors, and connoisseurs seeking something truly remarkable.
Aplauz MAGUM 1.5L Melnik Blend
Variety: Melnik 1300 Jubilee, Melnik 55, Merlot
Current Vintage: 2020
Alcohol:14 %
Characteristics:
Our Magnum bottles (1.5 L) embody the very best of Villa Melnik – exceptional red wines crafted with care, passion, and attention to every detail.
The wines stand out with full body, intense aromas, and remarkable depth of flavor. Thanks to the slower evolution in the larger bottle, Magnum wines reveal elegance, harmony, and longevity.
Created in limited quantities, Magnum bottles are the perfect choice for special occasions, collectors, and connoisseurs seeking something truly remarkable.
Rare Varieties – Melnik 1300 Jubilee
Variety: Melnik 1300 Jubilee
Current Vintage: 2021
Alcohol: 14.5%
Limited Batch: 3 600 bottles
Vinification:
The wine is crafted from carefully selected grapes from our own vineyards, aged for 12 months in Bulgarian oak barrels. Unfiltered.
Characteristics:
The rare Melnik 1300 is an exceptional red wine, created from a local Melnik variety with an impressive character. It stands out with its deep inky color and rich, multi-layered aroma of exotic flowers, sandalwood, ripe black fruits, and fine chocolate. The palate is juicy and well-balanced, with ripe, soft tannins and a refreshing structure. The finish is long, noble, and leaves a memory of something rare, beautiful, and deeply Bulgarian.
