Arda Shiraz Rose 2016
I cannot count the number of times I’ve said that I don’t like rose wine. It is many. There have been a few here in Turkey though that, while they won’t make me a rose lover, I will happy say are very nice. Arda makes one such wine.
Arda Vineyards sits a short drive outside Edirne in northern Thrace; equidistant from both the Bulgarian and Greek borders. The winery defines boutique. The owners, the Saç family, do more than merely oversee operations. Yavus Saç obtained a master’s degree in wine history, recently sat the WSET 3 exams, and with his wife Bahar oversees the running of the vineyard and winery. They do everything, right down to cleaning the floors and tanks themselves. His sister Seniz studied oenology in France and acts as the winemaker, assisted by another experienced winemaker, Kamen Koev from Bulgaria.
Arda produces under three labels: Dokuz Sekiz, Kuşlar, and Arda Reserve. The Dokuz Sekiz line is a table wine series. The wines are aged only in stainless steel and are meant to be drunk young. The Kuşlar line is a step above with wines receiving six to 12 months of
oak ageing (depending on the grape variety). They are excellent value wines for a middle label. At the top of the pyramid sit the award-winning Arda Reserve wines which are aged for 12 to 18 months in a combination of French and American oak. Their reserve Narince is one of my favorite expressions of that grape. But that’s for another post. Today it’s the Kuşlar rose.
Arda Shiraz Rose 2016 Tasting Notes
Arda’s Shiraz rose is every bit as delicate as the bird that decorates its label. Its pale pink color is reminiscent of sun’s first morning blush. Aromas of summer red berries and flowers are not unexpected. But they are made more interesting by hints of fresh herbs. The palate is light and balanced with a bright and lively acidity.
The summer flavors and relatively low alcohol (12%) makes the Arda Shiraz rose a light and refreshing wine.