Talay Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Together with Corvus, Amadeus, and Çamlıbağ; Talay is one of Turkey’s Aegean region wineries located on the island of Bozcaada.
In 1948, the Talay brothers Necati, Hayati, and Sebati established their family-run winery. During the early years they focused their attention on local varieties Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, Karasakız (Kuntra). In 1999 they planted European grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, and Tempranillo; as well as adding to their indigenous grape roster with Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Narince.
While the latter four Turkish grapes are fairly familiar Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, and Karasakız may not be. But these varieties have grown on Bozcaada for centuries.
The Island of Bozcaada
Known by both its Turkish name Bozcaada and its Greek name Tenedos, the island sits in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea and is the third largest Turkish island after Marmara Island and Gökçeada. As Tenedos, it is mentioned in both the Iliad and the Aeneid, in the latter as the site where the Greeks hid their fleet near the end of the Trojan War in order to trick the Trojans into believing the war was over and into taking the Trojan Horse within their city walls.
Wine has been made on this small island for centuries and in classical antiquity wine production was linked with the cult of Dionysus, while grapes were also depicted in the local currency.
But Back to Talay …
While there are private homes dotted across the island, the only village is the town center located at the main ferry pier. Talay Winery has a restaurant and tasting room in the town center, but if you want to experience winery life you can also book a room in their guesthouse. Located about eight kilometers from the town center, Talay has a small, four-room guesthouse. As a guest of the winery you can wander the vineyards and gardens and use their bikes to tour the island and visit the beaches.
If you’re looking to try some Talay wines you don’t have to go quite as far as Bozcaada, but you do have to get to Kağıthane. Metro Market is one of the few places in Istanbul where you can find their wines in Istanbul.
Talay Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Tasting Notes
I tried several wines when I visited the winery’s restaurant on Bozcaada but the Talay Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite. Despite the high alcohol (14.5% abv) it’s a nicely balanced wine. The nose displays a lot of green bell pepper with cocoa and red fruits woven through the green spiciness. Velvety tannins on the palate offset a strong, acidic backbone and carry those green pepper flavors through to a generous medium finish.