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More than a Table Grape

 

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Whether you call it Sultaniye, Sultana, Kishmish, Lady de Coverly, or Thompson Seedless, one this is sure…we all know this grape. Sultaniye is one of the most planted grape varieties anywhere. Do to its seedless nature, it’s hugely popular as a table grape and for making raisins. However, despite it’s reputation as a table grape, Sultaniye is in fact a vitis vinifera, aka a wine grape, variety. Thanks to the the handful of Turkish producers brave enough too work with it, Sultaniye is slowly revamping its reputation.

Sultaniye: Off the Plate and into the Glass

What does bravery have to do with making wine from Sultaniye? A lot, as it turns out. If you tell someone you make wine with Thompson Seedless grapes, the reaction from many North Americans would be disbelief bordering on horror. It’s just a table grape. You couldn’t possibly make quality wine with it. Many people in Turkey have a similar reaction. Not because it’s known mostly as a table grape, but because the country has long been flooded with cheap, poorly made wines from Sultaniye. When made with high-yield fruit and indifferent winemaking, Sultaniye wines are insipid, off-dry affairs with little to recommend them. 

However, thanks to a small group of producers, this grape is slowly finding its feet. Sourcing grapes from old vineyards gives producers like this higher-quality fruit. They’re also treating the grape with respect in the winery, the same as they would any other grape. When done well, Sultaniye wines range from easy and fruity to more tense and acidic (early harvesting helps with that). It takes well to barrel aging and can, yes, produce lovely late harvest or partially dried sweet wines. 

In the Vineyard

While Sultaniye’s origin remains murky, Anatolia remains likely. It was, in any case, Turkey which popularized the grape in Europe and much of the western hemisphere, giving rise to its name from the sultan rulers of the Ottoman Empire.

Sultaniye is a highly vigorous vine that requires careful pruning. It thrives in hot, dry Mediterranean climates in well-drained sandy or loamy soils and the high Denizli Plain in Turkey’s Inner Aegean provides just these conditions.

The grapes are resistant to drought and sensitive to humidity which can promote bunch rot. Similarly, it can easily fall prey to most fungal diseases. It grows in medium to large conical bunches that can be quite compact, exacerbating some of these bunch rot issues. Whether or not most people know what to call it, you’d probably recognize these medium-size grapes with their distinct golden-yellow color if you saw them at the grocery store. 

Acre upon acre of modern trellised and mechanized Sultaniye vineyards are a common sight as one drives across the Denizli Plain. These are the commercial vineyards producing fresh grapes and grapes intended for raisin and molasses production. But, you don’t have to look too hard to find plots of old bush vines scattered around the region. These vines are prized by wineries for their natural low yields and ability to be farmed without irrigation. 

Pasaeli

I had a couple few Sultaniye wines by well-known producers that I won’t name in the early days of my Turkish wine journey. They were indeed of the insipid, off-dry ilk and I learned quickly to avoid Sultaniye wines. Imagine then my surprise when I saw one of my favorite producers, Paşaeli, release not one but two wines from Sultaniye. Paşaeli does have an almost uncanny ability to see potential in grapes that others ignore, so it wasn’t so far-fetched they’d decide to work with this grape. 

Like many, Seyit Karagözoğlu, the driving force behind Paşaeli, came to wine in a roundabout way. He began as an importer, something he still does. Eventually, he figured that since Turkey is one of the world’s largest grape producers, more wine should be made in the country and he should be doing it. His real fascination has been researching, recovering, and experimenting with Turkey’s native and rare grapes. Thanks to Paşaeli’s efforts, Turkey has seen a quality revolution for previously overlooked grapes like Sultaniye and Çalkarası, Karasakız, Yapıncak…and Sultaniye.

Paşaeli Sultaniye

Paşaeli’s Sultaniye follows the winery’s preferred method of white wine production: classic white wine making in steel tanks followed by three months ageing on the lees.  

If the appearance is a bit colorless, the aromas and flavors are anything but! A lemony and tropical aroma profile includes lemon curd and lemon hard candy as well as sweet melon. Sipping reveals a surprisingly weighty wine. Granted it had a 13.5% ABV but that pale color deceived me into thinking this was going to be a lighter-weight. I forget that Sultaniye usually produces a more unctuous style mouthfeel. Lively acidity kept this from feeling too fat  and palate flavors leaned more tropical than citrus with banana joining the melon and edging out the lemon I sensed on the nose.

Fruity, summery, delightful!

Paşaeli Morse Sole

For the sweet Morse Sole, grapes are partially sundried and allowed to ferment naturally. The wine spends six months sur lie prior to bottling. The resulting wine is a deep, orangey-gold that glows like the sun after which it was named.

It smells…well…like raisins. No surprise there, I guess! I honestly did not much care for the nose on this one and tried but failed to find an aspect to it beyond raisin. The palate proved to be far nicer though. Sultry and viscous but with medium-high acidity for balance and moderate alcohol (13% ABV), flavors of lightly toasted nuts, brown sugar, candied orange peel, and of course golden raisins to delight the tongue.

Heraki

Heraki is the new label from Fulya Akinci and José Hernández-Gonzalez. This wife-husband winemaking duo (she’s Turkish, he’s Spanish) have worked as consulting winemakers in Turkey for years. They’re behind some great wines from places like Sobran, Karnas, Vinolus, Trio Wine (the closest Fulya has come, I think, previously to her own label previously), Hus, and Yaban Kolektif. The couple now has their own wines produced entirely from native Turkish grapes Sultaniye, Boğazkere, and Çal Karası.

Heraki Akuarela Sultaniye

Sourcing grapes from old bush vines, Heraki ferments them in stainless steel before aging in egg-shaped plastic vessels. The result? A wine that pours a pretty, clean, deep lemon and a nose that knocks my socks clean off every darn time. The first time I had this one, I could barely wrap my mind around it. Dew-covered tangerine fresh from the tree, apple/pear, branches of tarragon and honeysuckle, and the lightest whiff of buttered bread. 

Already excited and sockless, after the old swirl ‘n sniff, sipping is when the world shifts. POW!! (and SNICK!! and BAMP!! and all the other comic book onomatopoeia). Riesling-level acidity with a slight effervescence and explosive flavors of tangerine, kumquat, trillium flowers, and a honeyed quince finish. Medium-bodied but low alcohol (11.5%), mid-weight palate, and a nice finish.

So much wow happening here. 

Heraki Delta V

Unlike the Akuarela Sultaniye which sees no barrel aging at all, the Delta V is a blend of “fresh” wine with about 60% matured for give or take nine months on the lees in three to five-year-old oak. The barrel and extra time lend a deeper color to the wine and an undeniable richness. 

Top notes of smoke and butter followed by stone fruit and pastry. Juicy fruits with vanilla, smoked cream, and peach cobbler biscuit decorated with aromatic herbs like sage and marjoram. A rounded, fuller palate with structure and great acidity, mostly felt on the back palate, and a long, long finish. Not only is it a knock out, this is a wine that will develop well after a couple years in the bottle. 

Sagavin

Sagavin began with Uğur Aslan’s passion for wine, which led him to purchase a Boğazkere vineyard in Denizli’s Aegean region in 2017. What started as a hobby soon grew into a commercial winery by 2020.

The name Sagavin combines ‘saga’ and ‘vin’, referencing both epic tales and the Hittite root for wine, reflecting Turkey’s ancient winemaking history. 

Despite the challenges of winemaking in Turkey, Uğur, a former banker, is committed to his 20,000-liter winery near Antalya. He produces wines from both native and international grape varieties, including Boğazkere, Emir, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and now Sultaniye.

Sagavin Sultaniye

Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample but all opinions are my own.

Traditional white wine making with these Denizli grapes, but that lightly peachy color hints at a little skin contact. Aromatic, maybe it’s the color but peaches come to mind, along with loquat, mango, and the sweet tang of kumquat. A big pow of acidity on  the front palate makes me think this would be better with food than as an aperitif. I could see this with a summer salad involving any of those fruits, or maybe even something like yeni dunya kebab.

Kuzubağ

Kuzubağ Şaraphane is one of the new generation wineries working to raise the profile of the Çal region. More than just a member of the Çal Bağ Yolu, Kuzubağ is (in my considerable opinion), the best of them. A family-run affair, the Kuzu family not only produces high-quality wines at reasonable prices-a rarity these days in Turkey-but also promotes native Turkish grapes, female winemakers, and pride in their home region. Which might be what made them decide to start working with Sultaniye.

Kuzubağ Sultaniye

Like Sagavin, this is the first year Kuzubağ has expanded into Sultaniye. They’re sourcing grapes from 40+ year-old bush vines that grow at 850 m in Çal’s calcareous, clay-loam soil. 

Aromatic and pretty, inviting you to bury your nose in the glass the way you might a bouquet of flowers. Succulent doughnut peaches and white nectarines mix with fruit blossoms, white tea leaves, a tangy touch of passion fruit, and citrus, held together with bright acidity. Thoroughly enjoyable. 

Büyülübağ

With its unique microclimate Avşa Island, located inland on the Marmara Sea, has a history of winemaking since 1800s. Alp Törüner founded his winery Büyülübağ in 2003 to continue this history and produce top quality wines. He has a deep connection with both the island and its winemaking history. His maternal grandfather had a farm on the island where he grew a variety of crops and did hobby winemaking and Alp spent boyhood summers on the island helping his grandfather.

In addition to sourcing grapes from Çeşmeli (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and Denizli (Boğazkere, Öküzgözü, and Sultaniye), Büyülübağ is home to 20 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the island’s own grape: Adakarası.

Büyülübağ Meltemi Beyaz

The Meltemi Beyaz (white) is a Sultaniye-dominant blend with 5% Sauvignon Blanc. An aromatic wine, its deliciously fruity perfume draws you in for the first sip, then a second and a third. Tart apples and green plums jumble together with green almonds and wild Aegean herbs. While a lovely wine for sipping on the balcony or beach, its juicy acidity makes it great for pairing with light summery fare, too.