Appelation and origin: Sparkling wine from Bulgaria, Chardonnay Extra Brut “Midalidare Premier” traditional sparkling winemaking, PGI Thracian Lowlands, Mogilovo. Midalidare estate grown and bottled.
Vineyard: Prisovete and Dabovets (Bio certified).
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay, blended grapes grown on Prisovete and Dabovets.
Terroir:
Harvest: By hand, in August.
Winemaking:
Style: Non-vintage Blanc de Blancs.
Sweetnes scale: Extra Brut.
Maturation: At least 36 months on the lees.
Maturity: Mature. Could benefit from further ageing. Keep 10 years and more.
Volume: 750ml, 1500 ml.
Closure: Natural cork.
Following the principles and practices built over the centuries in already recognized wine regions, the Midalidare Sparkling project was launched: a sparkling wine produced according to the traditional sparkling winemaking with bottle fermentation, at least 18 months ageing on the lees and made with exceptional attention to detail. From 2010, after a profound terroir analysis and assessment, the first vines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier were gradually planted on the Prisovete and Dabovets vineyards.
Sparkling wines Midalidare Premier are produced only in years when the predominant vintage is of exceptional quality, solely in sweetness scale Extra Brut or Pas Dose (Brut Nature) and are aged on the lees for at least 36 months. The first wine – Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV, is presented on the market in December 2021.
The Chardonnay vines are planted on the northern slopes of Prisovete and Dabovets vineyards. The plots are specially selected in order to limit the amount of sunlight. The plantations are at an average altitude 300-400 metres above sea level and 10% slope. The soils are of alluvial origin and are characterized by presence of clay and slime, with a high content of limestone. These soils have the ability to retain water and make carbonates available to the plants. The unique microclimate of Mogilovo area is characterized by great temperature amplitudes, northern air currents from the wide valleys, mild winter, hot summer, and optimal proportion of sunshine and rainfall.
Shiny, golden-yellow colour. The mousse is rich, ample, and prolonged. An intensive, ripe, and precise nose is followed by nicely balanced and fresh palate. Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV is full-bodied wine with good structure, stunning finish, and great potential.
The harvest for sparkling winemaking precedes the one for still winemaking and usually starts two-three weeks earlier. The harvest for Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV takes place at the early mornings, at the end of August. Manually harvested grapes are carried out with 10-12 kg boxes and cooled for 24 hours.
Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV is made from the best grapes and selected wine juice. The blend consists of Chardonnay grapes grown on Prisovete and Dabovets vineyards and the proportion may vary in different tirrages. The winemaking process starts with step-by-step whole-cluster pressing and separating the fractions. Clarification (debourbage), decanting and primary fermentation at controlled temperature precede the ageing on the lees, blending and cold stabilization. Then, sterile filtration and adding a “liqueur de tirage” (sugar, wine and yeasts) are the preparation for the fermentation in bottle. A few hours after the wine is bottled, stopped with a crown cap, and stored in a wine cellar for a second fermentation. The second fermentation is carried out for about 40 days at controlled temperature. During the process the pressure inside the bottle increases from 0 to 7 bars. The following process is ageing on the lees at controlled low temperature, for at least 36 months. Next is process known as remuage (riddling). Тhe bottles are placed on special racks called pupitres, with the crown cap pointed down. Daily, several times a day, the bottles are given a turn with the angle gradually increased. For the process of degorgement the bottles are placed upside down and the bottle neck is freezed. The crown cap is then popped off which allows the frozen lees to shoot out of the pressurized bottle. The liquid level is complemented with “liqueur d'expedition” (dosage) and the wine is bottled and corked. The final steps are Poignettage – gentle shaking of the bottles in order to homogenize the dosage, and Mirage or inspection of the limpidity of the wine. At the end of his long winemaking process, Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV is aged for at least 3 months in bottle.
aLCOHOL CONTENT: 12.5 % vol.
TOTAL ACIDITY: 8.3 g/l
residual sugar: 2.2 g/l
ph: 2.94