MMG ŞatoMet Merlot and Double Oak Blend
I am slowly coming around to Merlot. Not my favorite (long before that wine movie that’s not about wine), it always seemed to strike me as being flat and characterless. Apparently I was drinking bad Merlot. Happily I have since learned the difference between the two. Even
more happily, Turkey has a number of producers making good (or at least decent!) Merlot.
One of those is Urla-based producer, and member of the Urla Bağ Yolu, MMG is one such producer. This family-run winery in the hills above Urla produces several wines with Merlot, a varietal and several blends. I’ve previously written about MMG’s white and rosé wines. In this post we’ll look at the varietal and one of the blends, the Double Oak.
MMG ŞatoMet Merlot 2013 Reserve Tasting Notes:
The ŞatoMet Merlot 2013 showed a brickish red color in the glass. A bit over extracted on the nose with aromas of carob, chocolate, and stewed red fruits. Medium-bodied with 13.4% abv, sipping revealed initially aggressive tannins and acid that smoothed out with some breathing time. Flavors were very reflective of the nose with sticky red fruits and chocolate.
Not my favorite Turkish Merlot, but not bad. And I do love the label.
MMG ŞatoMet Double Oak 2014 Reserve Tasting Notes:
MMG’s ŞatoMet Double Oak blends Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and earned its name because the wine was aged in both French and American oak. MMG’s red wines all have a rather murky brown-red color and this was no different. Spicy with black fruits like mulberry and blueberry, fig, and caramel budno, the Double Oak had a much more alluring nose than the varietal Merlot. Sipping revealed firm tannins, racy acid, and a medium plus body with 13.7% abv. Lots of herb and violets on the attack mingled with juicy fruits and a long finish of cocoa and coffee.