Hasandede Getting Some Love from Gordias
The Hasandede grape hails from Turkey’s Central Anatolia region. It has historically not been shown a lot of love by the winemaking community. But hopefully, this is changing. Kalecik-based Vinkara first began using it some years ago and makes a varietal Hasandede as part of its Winehouse line. Gelveri, located between Cappadocia and Aksaray, uses it to make amphora-aged skin-contact wines. And now Polatlı winery Gordias has jumped on the fan wagon with its own Hasandede.
2020 was a big year for Gordias as owner and winemaker Canan Gerimli released three new wines made from: Hasandede, Fesleğen, and Narınç, the latter two about which I posted previously. Her wines can be distressingly difficult to find in Istanbul but places like Mensis Mahzen and Solera often carry at least a few.
Gordias Hasandede, 2019
Canan sources her grapes from 60+ year-old vines that grow at 1130 meters above sea level. This had a deeper color than Vinkara’s Hasandede and poured a tarnished gold. At first whiff I got apple cinnamon?! That was kind of odd and entirely unlooked for! After letting the wine live in the glass for a bit the character changed. The apples stayed with aromas of freshly pressed apples. Added to that came pears and orange along with orange bitters and bay leaf.
Medium-bodied and round in the mouth with textured, slight touch of tannin. Bruised apple peel with a medicinal-herbal quality. Only 12.5% alcohol, a pleasingly low amount for Turkey.
One of things I enjoy about this grape is how different all the wines have been so far. Well okay by “all” I mean all three of them. Clearly Gelveri with his skin-contact wine is going to be different, but even Vinkara and Gordias, both making “regular” shall we say, white wines have very different styles and flavor profiles. Hopefully more wineries will soon join the Hasandede fan brigade.