Midin Through Rose Colored Glasses
Disclaimer: This post includes wines received as a sample. All opinions are my own.
Some time ago, Midin sent me several of the wines from their new vintage. I previously posted about the white wines so let’s crack on now with the rosés!
We all know that I have mixed thoughts about rosé wines. While I don’t universally love them, I have come around them more over the years. I tend to prefer those with lighter colors, not necessarily because I like a lighter, Provence-style rosé, but because in Turkey, those are the “safer” ones. Many rosés here come in neon or otherwise impossibly pink colors.
Midin’s rosés fall into a deeper, but impossible, color category. Let’s see how they do otherwise.
Midin Pembehi, 2022
The Midin Pembehi (pembe means pink) is the rosé that holds a regular place in Midin’s line up. Usually 90% Öküzgözü, they blend in a small amount (7-10%) of Bilbizeki, which is a white grape. Using the bleeding off method, they take Öküzgözü from the tank almost immediately with little to no time for skin contact. Something I find incongruous given the intensity of the wine’s color… Öküzgözü has a fair amount of anthocyanin content, resulting in deeply purple-ruby red wines. The direct press rosés tend to have a brighter pink than say Kalecik Karası, but this level of pink is extra.
A fruity nose bursting with cranberry, rhubarb, red fruit jam, and a thread of hard/woody herbs. Round and weighty with a good level of acidity (thank you, Bilbizeki), and moderate alcohol at 13%, the palate displayed some of those fruit notes sensed on the nose but with a larger dose of herbs, almost medicinal.
Quite an interesting rosé actually.
Midin Pembehi Limited Ed. Boğazkere, 2022
This second rosé from Midin is a limited edition I was so excited to get. When made well (which not a lot of people seem to know how to do) Boğazkere can be a fantastic red wine. But it’s only ever been a red wine. No producer I know of has successfully (at least not commercially) done anything else with it.
Also made via the bleeding off method, this has a deep, clear claret color. The pictures make it look almost the same color as the Öküzgözü-based wine, but it was deeper. And that makes sense, Boğazkere having such high anthocyanin levels as it does.
An intense wine that shows an earthy character with crunchy red fruit like cranberry and red currant, hard stem herb notes, medicinal details and a hint of bubblegum on the finish. Lightly tannic with nice acidity and moderate alcohol (13.5%).
Loved it! I’ve been wanting to try a Boğazkere rosé for years and really hope Midin makes more of this next year.
Midin also sent me several red wines. But it’s just been so hot that even the thought of red wine is abhorrent. I will definitely share my thoughts on those when I can drink them!
*Wines were provided as samples but all opinions are my own