Tikves Barovo 2019
- Decanter
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Barovo is a village and an emerging subzone within the rapidly developing
wine scene in Macedonia. Located in the foothills of the Baba Mountains in
southwestern Macedonia at elevations between 500-600 meters, it is famous for
producing wines of greater freshness and more delicate tannins with a noticeable
Piedmont-like precision and utility at the table.
Blend: 35% Vranac, 65% Kratošija
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
It’s a winter warmer alright! In fact, it’s more of a winter power station of a wine. Enormous, deeply coloured in the glass with gusts of sweet heavy spice - everything from cinnamon to vanilla pod, sweet coffee and a dusting of cocoa. Massive fruit blended from local grapes Vranac, this North Macedonian wine is highly textural, imagine a thousand plum skins united in a single caress of your palate. With a history dating back to 1885, Tikveš specialise in sustainably growing local grapes and this wine from volcanic soils is green harvested to maximise intensity with 80% aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months and more than six months bottle ageing. A spicy, bold concoction, this high impact wine is very spicy on the finish, the alcohol is a little marked for me, but it is without doubt an imperious and characterful red that’s a portable fireside of a wine.
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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Between Albania and Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) shares its southern border with Greece and Greece's wine appellation of the same name.
Though there are three main wine regions of Macedonia (FYROM), interest is growing also in the mountainous areas along the border. The established areas include Pcinya-Osogovo in the east, Pelagoniya-Polog in the west, and the central region of Povardarie (also called the Vardar River Valley). Povardarie is the most influential, including almost 90% of the country’s vineyard area, most of which are within this region’s Tikveš district.
Macedonia (FYROM) produces full-bodied red wines. Prevalent varieties include Vranec as well as Stanušina and Ohridsko Crno (the only genuinely indigenous varieties identified), Kratošija (aka Zinfandel) and a few international varieties. Žilavka, Župljanka, Temjanika (Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains), Smederevka, Rkatsiteli and Graševina are the sources of the fresh white wines of the area.