Любимец (Lyubimets)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyards are situated in the southern part of the Thracian Lowland, between the western slopes of Sakar mountain and the slopes of the Eastern Rhodopes, in a hilly and low-mountain terrain.
• The climate is moderately continental, tempered by a strong Mediterranean influence that penetrates through the valley of the Maritsa River, with mild winters and hot summers.
• The total heat summation for the period with mean daily temperatures above 10 ºC (April–October) is approximately 3,850 ºC, and the mean daily temperature of the warmest month is 23.2 ºC.
• Mean annual precipitation is approximately 500 mm, and sunshine duration in the area is considerable, reaching up to 2,100 hours per year.
• Soil types include leached cinnamon forest soils of medium to heavy sandy-clay texture, and leached chernozem smolnitsa soils of medium to heavy sandy-clay texture.

• For the production of wines bearing the protected designation of origin Lyubimets, the permitted white grape varieties include Chardonnay, Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, and Tamyanka.
• For red wines and rosé, the permitted varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pamid, Syrah, Mavrud, Cabernet Franc, Shiroka Melnishka Loza, and Pinot Noir, among others.

• The rosé has an actual alcoholic strength above 11% vol. and titratable acidity between 4.5 and 6 g/l, and is distinguished by a fresh nose with pronounced wild strawberry and cherry on the palate.
• The white wines are characterised by a pleasant fruity nose, a full palate, elegant freshness, and a clearly expressed fruit character on the palate, while the red wines display pronounced fruity aromas, freshness, and body on the palate.

• The characteristic climate of the area, combined with the cinnamon forest soils and chernozem smolnitsa soils, favours the production of deeply coloured, highly extracted wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Bulgaria

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — iavv
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-BG-A1177
• Official trade body site — НЛВК — Национална лозаро-винарска камара