From Coal Mines to Fine Wines-the Story of Prodom
While I have many favorite wineries in Turkey, Prodom holds a special place in my heart. The first year I lived in Turkey I lived in a conservative neighborhood a fairly far distance from the heart of the city. Alcohol was not easy to come by. And good wine was even more rare than that. So for a year I was convinced that all Turkish wine was crap.
Then I moved to the city center where there is not only wine on grocery store shelves but also proper wine shops and wine bars.
It was at one of these bars where a friend of mine took me that I had the first two wines that not only made me rethink my position on Turkish wine; but full on reverse it. One was a 190 blend from Vino Dessera. The other-Prodom’s flagship red blend. It is therefore with great delight that I seek out all wines by Prodom now.
From Coal To Wine
Prodom Wines is one of the many offshoots of Atay Holding. The holding encompasses several business including coal mining and olive oil. While the family had been in coal for generations it wasn’t until Mehmet Atay – of the fourth generation – that they branched out. His project initially started with the planting of fig, olive, and walnut trees in Savrandere, close to the family’s home town. Encouraged by wine-loving friends and his own love of wine, Mehmet Bey decided to expand into wine and so was Prodom born.
The first vintage, their flagship blend, released in 2006 with assistance from French viticulturist, Xavier Choné. For the first three vintages, Prodom’s wines were produced by nearby Sevilen winery until legislation in 2009 made that illegal. In 2010 Prodom built its own winery. That same year winemaker and food engineer Evren Kalkan joined the team.
Today Prodom produces wine under five labels: Prodom, Tellus, Barudi, Baruso, and Gile. They cultivate a wide range of grapes grown largely on Izmir’s Güney Plateau. The grapes, both native and international, include: Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Muscat, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Emir.
I’ve had a number of Prodom’s wine across all their labels and have yet to find one that I do not like. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with winemaker Evren Kalkan and taste a range of Prodom’s wines with her. Evren’s dedication to producing quality wine and enthusiasm to educate people about Turkish wine domestically and abroad was infectious.
Prodom Viognier 2015 Tasting Notes
You can see in the picture what a lovely color this wine is. Pale, star-bright lemon with no green. Aged for eight months, sur lie, in French oak, the wine punches above its 12% ABV. Rich aromas of melon, banana, caramelized sugar, and toasted almond do not need the encouragement of swirling to rise from the glass. Big, round, and a slight oiliness create a great mouthfeel. While the palate largely reflects the nose, Juicy fruits lead the flavors into a lovely, deep medium finish.
I will admit that I’m rather biased about this one. Not only because of why I love Prodom but because Viognier is one of my favorite white grapes. My bias aside though this is a great wine.
Prodom Emir 2017 Tasting Notes
This Emir is a new offering from Prodom. The fruit was harvested from vines only four years old but it’s already showing very promising results. While Emir is known as the Cappadocia grape, Prodom’s Emir comes from the Güney Plateau in Izmir. It is not however inferior fruit or a poor copy but shows us the grape’s flexibility and how it can adapt to new terroir.
This Güney Plateau Emir has much of the same quality as Cappadocia Emir with classic mineral, citrus, and floral aromas but is more fruit forward and leans toward tropical and stone fruit characteristics.
Aged sur lie and with a startling 14% ABV the palate shows a rather incredible balance with no hint that the alcohol level is so high. With a round, slightly oily mouthfeel and flavors like seafoam covered stone fruit, banana, and melon on the finish this is a new favorite.
Prodom Chardonnay 2017 Tasting Notes
Prodom’s Chardonnay is not only aged in French oak barrels (eight months sur lie to be exact) but it was also fermented in the barrel. Very few wineries in Turkey are going to the expense, particularly for white wine. Only three even spring to mind: Prodom, Ayda, and Nif.
Like the Emir the alcohol is very high at not quite 14%; but also like the Emir you would never know it the balance is so clean. Usually when I hear “oak” and “Chardonnay” in the same sentence I worry because I equate that with a with overly extracted aromas of heavy vanilla and sweet spices. Prodom’s Chardonnay then was a lovely surprise with an elegant and femine nose redolent of flowers and fruit with the tang of wet stone. The palate displays fresh fruity and mineral flavors and a lively acidity but still with a smooth, round mouth feel. Beautifully and thoughtfully made there is nothing to fear here.
I continue to be impressed with Prodom’s wines and I fall in love with them all over again with each new find.