Mavrud with a mission—bold, homegrown, and bringing Bulgarian wine back in style.
About the wine
Aged for 18 months in Bulgarian oak, this is Mavrud at its bold, characterful best—perfect for hearty dishes, cosy nights, or showing off to your wine-savvy mates. Made with organic grapes in a sleek gravity-flow winery and 100% vegan, it’s high time the world caught on to what Bulgaria’s been quietly perfecting.
Tasting notes
This Mavrud Reserve opens with a dark garnet hue and an elegant nose of crushed dark berries, chocolate, and hints of walnut. On the palate, it is smooth and structured, with a medium to full body, fresh acidity, and well-rounded tannins. The finish is long and balanced, showcasing the depth and character of this native Bulgarian variety.
About the winemaker
Villa Melnik has quickly become a favourite here at The Humble Grape and it's easy to see why. This family owned winery, tucked away in the most beautiful setting in South West Bulgaria.
The owner, Nikola Zikatanov, was born in the village across from the winery, Kapatovo, in a family with long standing traditions in vine growing and winemaking. Nikola decided to dedicate the second, wiser part of his life to reviving his family traditions and building a business for the generations to come. Together with his wife, Lyubka, he planted the vineyards and built the winery. They planted their vineyards with indigenous and international grape varieties with the clear mission to bring back the glory of the Melnik wine and to lead the Renaissance of the region.
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{"id":6923694276678,"title":"Villa Melnik, Aplauz Mavrud Reserve, 2019, Struma River Valley, Bulgaria","handle":"villa-melnik-aplauz-mavrud-reserve-2019-struma-river-valley-bulgaria","description":"\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eStruma River Valley, Melnik\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eBulgaria\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eRed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrape\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eMavrud\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eDry, smooth and structured\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABV\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e14.5%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClosure\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eCork\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eSustainable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"475\" data-end=\"771\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eMavrud with a mission—bold, homegrown, and bringing Bulgarian wine back in style.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAged for 18 months in Bulgarian oak, this is Mavrud at its bold, characterful best—perfect for hearty dishes, cosy nights, or showing off to your wine-savvy mates. Made with organic grapes in a sleek gravity-flow winery and 100% vegan, it’s high time the world caught on to what Bulgaria’s been quietly perfecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis Mavrud Reserve opens with a dark garnet hue and an elegant nose of crushed dark berries, chocolate, and hints of walnut. On the palate, it is smooth and structured, with a medium to full body, fresh acidity, and well-rounded tannins. The finish is long and balanced, showcasing the depth and character of this native Bulgarian variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winemaker\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVilla Melnik has quickly become a favourite here at The Humble Grape and it's easy to see why. 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They planted their vineyards with indigenous and international grape varieties with the clear mission to bring back the glory of the Melnik wine and to lead the Renaissance of the region. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-05-27T15:01:06+01:00","created_at":"2022-05-27T15:01:05+01:00","vendor":"Humble Grape","type":"Red Wine","tags":["country_bulgaria","grape_mavrud","method_sustainable","method_Vegan","type_Red","vintage_2019"],"price":3295,"price_min":3295,"price_max":39540,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":55279755428214,"title":"750ml","option1":"750ml","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Villa Melnik, Aplauz Mavrud Reserve, 2019, Struma River Valley, Bulgaria - 750ml","public_title":"750ml","options":["750ml"],"price":3295,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":38,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":55279755460982,"title":"Case of 6 x 750ml","option1":"Case of 6 x 750ml","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Villa Melnik, Aplauz Mavrud Reserve, 2019, Struma River Valley, Bulgaria - Case of 6 x 750ml","public_title":"Case of 6 x 750ml","options":["Case of 6 x 750ml"],"price":19770,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":55279755493750,"title":"Case of 12 x 750ml","option1":"Case of 12 x 750ml","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Villa Melnik, Aplauz Mavrud Reserve, 2019, Struma River Valley, Bulgaria - Case of 12 x 750ml","public_title":"Case of 12 x 750ml","options":["Case of 12 x 750ml"],"price":39540,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/shop.humblegrape.co.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/aplauzmavrud.png?v=1743773984"],"featured_image":"\/\/shop.humblegrape.co.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/aplauzmavrud.png?v=1743773984","options":["Bottle Size"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":64951100146038,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1500,"width":1500,"src":"\/\/shop.humblegrape.co.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/aplauzmavrud.png?v=1743773984"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1500,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/shop.humblegrape.co.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/aplauzmavrud.png?v=1743773984","width":1500}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eStruma River Valley, Melnik\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eBulgaria\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eRed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrape\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eMavrud\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eDry, smooth and structured\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABV\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e14.5%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClosure\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eCork\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 20%; padding: 1px 1px 1px 4px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-left: 3px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 30%; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; border: none;\"\u003eSustainable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"475\" data-end=\"771\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eMavrud with a mission—bold, homegrown, and bringing Bulgarian wine back in style.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAged for 18 months in Bulgarian oak, this is Mavrud at its bold, characterful best—perfect for hearty dishes, cosy nights, or showing off to your wine-savvy mates. Made with organic grapes in a sleek gravity-flow winery and 100% vegan, it’s high time the world caught on to what Bulgaria’s been quietly perfecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis Mavrud Reserve opens with a dark garnet hue and an elegant nose of crushed dark berries, chocolate, and hints of walnut. On the palate, it is smooth and structured, with a medium to full body, fresh acidity, and well-rounded tannins. The finish is long and balanced, showcasing the depth and character of this native Bulgarian variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winemaker\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVilla Melnik has quickly become a favourite here at The Humble Grape and it's easy to see why. This family owned winery, tucked away in the most beautiful setting in South West Bulgaria.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe owner, Nikola Zikatanov, was born in the village across from the winery, Kapatovo, in a family with long standing traditions in vine growing and winemaking. Nikola decided to dedicate the second, wiser part of his life to reviving his family traditions and building a business for the generations to come. Together with his wife, Lyubka, he planted the vineyards and built the winery. They planted their vineyards with indigenous and international grape varieties with the clear mission to bring back the glory of the Melnik wine and to lead the Renaissance of the region. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}