Ловеч (Lovech)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyards are situated on the boundary between the Danubian hilly plain and the foothills of Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains), at elevations ranging from 170 to 370 metres above sea level.
• The climate is moderately continental with hot, dry summers and cold winters, while the microclimate of the Lovech surroundings is milder than that of the plain around Pleven, owing to a protective rocky ridge that blocks cold northerly winds.
• The Osam River, which flows through the area, brings a degree of cooling freshness to the vineyard zone during the summer heat.
• The total heat summation for the period with mean daily temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius (April–October) is 3,700 degree-days, the mean daily temperature of the warmest month is 22.8 degrees Celsius, and mean annual precipitation is 620 millimetres.
• Soil types in the area include grey forest soils that are weakly eroded, medium to heavy sandy-clay in texture; alluvial-meadow soils, heavy sandy-clay in texture; and strongly leached chernozems, weakly to moderately eroded, heavy sandy-clay in texture.

• The authorised grape varieties for the production of red and rosé wines under the protected designation of origin Lovech are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.
• The training systems employed in the vineyards are Umbrella, Moser, and mid-trunk double-arm cordon, with pruning that is mixed and short, carrying a load of up to 54 buds per vine.

• The red wines of the area are distinguished by a deep colour and an aromatic profile in which red and black fruits interweave, carrying through onto the palate.

• The moderately continental dry climate, the natural protection from cold northerly winds, the favourable soil conditions, and the restrictive requirements imposed by human intervention collectively determine the production of red wines with a deep colour and an aroma of interweaving red and black fruits.

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-A0956
• Official trade body site — НЛВК — Национална лозаро-винарска камара