The Chateau Kalpak Twin
I have two favorite Turkish wines-and one is the 2011 Chateau Kalpak Twin.
Chateau Kalpak is a semi newish winery, located in Şarköy on the Marmara Sea. I say semi newish in that I’ve only noticed the wines here in Istanbul for about the last 18 months or so but I believe their vines have been cultivated since the early 2000’s.
Getting a bottle of Chateau Kalpak Twin is not for the faint of heart though. Suvla has the best price at 100 TL, Savoy Tobacco and La Cave are both around 115 TL, and at Solera it will set you back 140 TL (-25% if you buy it to go). Is it worth the price tag? Absolutely yes.
A lot of love has gone into making the Chateau Kalpak Twin. Proven if nothing else by the silver medal it won at the AWC in Vienna in 2015 and the gold it took in 2016. This careful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot has spent a whopping 32 months in oak with minimal filtration. It’s a big wine 14.8% alcohol and it really needs to breathe or be run through an aerator; maybe twice. Your patience will be well rewarded though.
I love the story of the Chateau Kalpak Twin. After blending their 2011 Chateau Kalpak and sending it off to VIenna for competition they
kept blending the wine because they weren’t happy with it. In the end, the blend they’d sent in won the gold but now they had another blend they liked better; and that’s what became the Chateau Kalpak Twin. While this is a pretty special story it’s also a sad story because it means that the Twin is only available in the 2011 vintage; in limited quantities.
Chateau Kalpak Twin Tasting Notes
The Chateau Kalpak Twin is a super complex wine. At first in the nose I got red fruits, spices, oak; but the more I let myself dive into to the aromas the more layers I found: green peppercorn, green bell pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, possibly some ginger, and forest aromas.
On the palate the delights of the wine continued with smooth, round, silky tannins and a long finish; a really long finish. The mouthwatering acid was accompanied by bursts of red berry fruit flavors to complete the picture.
Yes, the Chateau Kalpak Twin is a little expensive but it’s not nearly the most expensive wine I’ve had here in Turkey-and it is so very much worth the investment.