A Love Affair Complete: Kuzubağ Reds
Over the winter I met some of the family behind new Çal-based winery, Kuzubağ. Historically, the wineries located on the Denizli-Çal plateau have produced more bulk, lower-quality wines. Kuzubağ is one of the new wineries here that want to change that image. One of the ways they’re doing it is to emphasize the local grape, Çalkarası.
The winery’s vineyards sit at an elevation of 850 meters in clay-loam and calcareous soil. Given the elevation, there’s a great difference between day and night temperatures allowing grapes to ripen over a longer period while retaining their freshness. Here they grow not only Çalkarası, but also Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Narince, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winery opened to visitors this last summer and the facility looks beautiful. I haven’t had a chance to make it out there yet but look forward to being able to do so.
Kuzubağ currently makes seven wines and, spoiler alert, I have enjoyed all of them! Over the last few weeks I reviewed the rosé and the white wines. Now it’s time for red!
Kuzubağ Çal Karası, 2021
For this red Çal Karası about 50% of the wine aged in oak for 5.5 months before blending and bottling.
An aromatic wine redolent of violet and laurel wrapped around red fruits with details of pink pepper and spice. Needed some time open but showed a fresh, silky character when it did. Overall a relatively simple wine without a great deal of depth or complexity, but for a young wine from a young winery (and a grape only starting to come into its own) I’m not faulting it for it’s simplicity. I very much enjoyed it and would happily have opened another bottle.
So, I bought another one!
Kuzubağ Kalecik Karası, 2021
The Kuzubağ Kalecik Karası was partially whole bunch pressed, partially de-stemmed and saw a similar amount of oak as did the Çal Karası with 50% maturing in oak for six months.
Clear, glowing jewel-tone ruby on the glass. A fruity wine, it burst with forest fruits, pomegranate jam (it’s a thing, it’s good), cinnamon stick, all spice, and cotton candy. On the palate it was silky with bright acidity keeping the fruit flavors fresh with a sprinkle of ras el hanout. The longer it was open, the more notes of earth and game presented themselves.
Now, having had all seven wines from Kuzubağ, what conclusions can I draw? The wines are not spectacular – yet. But for a first vintage from a brand new winery they’re pretty amazing. For all seven to come out swinging this tasty and cleanly made is, I think, pretty darn impressive. Especially at their price point.
I complain a lot that some wineries charge a fortune right out of the gate when they have no history in the industry or track record to show that their quality matches the price tag (which usually it does not). This makes me appreciate a lot more what Kuzubağ is doing. Well done Kuzu family.