Advent Wine Blind Tasting Six
The game is afoot! If my Sherlock (my cat) could speak Human that’s likely what she’d have said to me this morning as I selected this bottle from the Advent boxes o’ wine. Right before glaring disapprovingly at me. Does she disapprove because I’m drinking again? Or because I’m not paying 150% attention to her? That’s anyone’s guess. I have resigned myself to these these Dante Inferno-esque circles of Hell I’ve created for myself. Which means when I pulled out yet another disguised bottle this morning I sighed only a little.
A modestly priced Turkish wine from a cool climate with moderate alcohol. It’s either got a few years under its belt and/or has briefly aged in oak. There’s a roundness that does not often accompany young Turkish wines of a certain price range. The thinness of the finish definitely leads me to think it comes from a lower price range though. I feel very uncertain about this grape though. It could be Boğazkere but it could also be a Cabernet…
Final guess…Boğazkere
Turasan Boğazkere, 2015
Ha! Look at me. Maybe I’m on a roll! This bottle must have been gathering dust for ages before I selected it for the Advent calendar. You just cannot find vintages even this old of wine like this.
Cappadocia-based Turasan is one of the most recognizable names in Turkish wine-at home and abroad. The wine goes for about 60-70 TL (under $10) and comes from Turasan’s mid-range series. It might age for a few months in oak but not more. However, the fact that it’s drinking just fine five years later shows both that Boğazkere ages well and that it pays to be patient. Even with some less prestigious wines. I’ve had some of the newer vintages recently and this is definitely better.
Appearance: opaque, deep, and intense purple-tinged ruby
Alcohol: 12.5% abv
Nose: Rich, cooked berry fruit (black mulberry, raspberry) and purple blossoms with a hint of vanilla and baking spice wrapped around a black pepper core.
Palate: Medium-bodied with medium plus, mouthwatering acidity. Friendly tannins said hello and then stuck around. Flavors did not present with the same intensity as the bouquet. However, I tasted some very nice fig and plum, cinnamon, and licorice with a fig balsamic finish.