The 2013 Suvla Merlot
I was both excited and trepidatious going into this Suvla Merlot. On the one hand…Merlot; blech. It rhymes with ‘no’ for a reason. One the other hand…Suvla hasn’t really disappointed me so far and the Suvla Merlot blends have been fantastic. So here we go.
The 2013 Suvla Merlot had a nice dense ruby color. Plum and cranberry on the nose; the bottle label said I should also be getting pepper in the nose but for me at least not so much (Sherlock had no comment). It was a bit tight when I first tried it. This one wants air so be prepared for that. In the mouth the tannins were rather light. In the front I got a lot of dark fruits and whatever pepper I wasn’t smelling 
I was certainly tasting.
At first there was something about the Suvla Merlot that completely turned me off; something mineraly that prepared me for ‘Merlot = no’ vindication. But I decided that Suvla wasn’t going to do me that way. Suvla and I have an understanding that in the realm of Turkish wines and all the pitfalls and dragons that go along with it; Suvla is my knight in shining armor. So I set aside the wine for a little while; okay it was a day before I could face it again but the point it that our mini breakup gave it time to open up. For me this vastly improved the experience. Breathing gave the Merlot a chance to exchange its initial uptight nature for something softer, really brought out the plum in the nose, and brightened up the flavor.
I like to think that I’m an adventurous eater and can generally place pretty high in any ‘what’s the most unusual food you’ve ever eaten’ competition but I have a few firm and fast food rules:
- Nothing from the body cavity. I’ve been there and I’m not going back. Deep fried chicken uterus on a stick. All I’m saying.
- Say no to Merlot.
- No (oaked) Chardonnay.
- Cilantro-why?!
So does this new found enjoyment of the 2013 Suvla Merlot mean I’m striking Rule 2? Abso-fracking-lutely not. What it means is that were someone to offer me a glass of Suvla Merlot I would happily accept rather than look at them with hurt because I thought we were friends but now they’re trying to poison me. Every rule has it’s exception and I found Merlot’s! Suvla’s armor remains untarnished.
Suvla has several Merlots, the 2013 being at the least expensive end of the scale. While I can’t the 2013 has really made me want to work up the ladder; I am due for a visit to the shop in Cihangir and I think I might spring for one of the pricier blends. The Sir has consistently been a favorite but I have yet to try Suvla’s Sur (another Merlot blend as it happens). I have things to celebrate and I think a bottle of Sur will fit the bill!