7Bilgeler Vindemia Series
7Bilgeler (or Yedi Bilgeler as you prefer) has long produced wines I’ve liked and admired. My one issue was that all the wines were international grape-based. No longer! The southern Aegean-based winery has released two* new varietal native grape wines under a new ‘Vindemia’ label: an Emir and Kalecik Karası.
*7Bilgeler has used small amounts of Kalecik Karası for a while in blends and has now also released a Chardonnay-Emir blend under different labels.
7Bilgeler Vindemia Defne Emir, 2020
While I don’t particularly love it when wineries drag grapes across the country, I must admit that Emir planted outside of Central Anatolia’s Cappadocia region just doesn’t work. At least not so far. Like many wineries not based in that region, 7Bilgeler brought in grapes. Specifically from a single vineyard in the the Ulaşlı Köyü in Ürgüp. Grown at 1400 meters (we have serious elevation here) in Cappadocia’s signature volcanic tuff vineyards.
Pale, silvery lemon on the pour with grapefruit, pomelo, a hint of apple, and flint smoke aromas. On the palate it’s light-bodied with a shockingly low 12% abv and somewhat sneaky acidity. The wine felt soft in the mouth but the acidity slowly crept up to leave me salivating. Flavors of key lime, golden apple, and Santa Maria pears accented by a kiss of mineral.
Clean and easy but not especially distinctive.
7Bilgeler Vindemia Rüzgar Kalecik Karası, 2020
Like the Emir, 7Bilgeler brings in its Kalecik Karası. Also like the Emir, these grapes come from their native home of Kalecik in Central Anatolia. Specifically from the alkaline loamy-clayey soils at 720 meters above sea level in Gümüşyaka Köyü. The bottle did not indicate but I’m guessing based on its youth and aroma profile that this wine maybe glanced at some oak before bottling but didn’t get a long look.
Typical of Kalecik Karası, the color had only a medium opacity and showed a consistent garnet hue. How much juiciness and intensity do you like in your fruits? If the answer is “a lot” then I’ve got the wine for you right here! Intense black fruit flavors of mulberry and blackberry burst one the palate. Almost to the degree of drowning out some of the secondary flavors of purple flowers, black pepper, and fennel. Bright acidity accompanied by fresh, silky tannins slipping across the tongue. Medium-bodied with 14.2% abv.
Admittedly this is not my favorite Kalecik Karası ever. Or my favorite Emir. I am, nonetheless, happy to see 7Bilgeler giving some love to native grapes.