Arda Kuşlu Cabernet Shiraz Coferment
Edirne-based Arda Bağcılık has been a favorite winery of mine for years now. One of the first I ever visited in Turkey, this family-run winery makes wines that I think get overlooked. On the one hand, it’s terrible because they’re not getting the recognition I think they deserve. On the other, it keeps the prices down and I am not mad at that!
While they make an outstanding Narince and have recently really begun to highlight Thracian native Papazkarası, their focus rests largely on international varieties. Even that I’m not necessarily mad at, maybe because they do it so well! Both Arda’s reserve red wines and the middle Kuşlu range offer fantastic value and rarely (if ever) disappoint.
Arda Kuşlu Cabernet Shiraz Coferment, 2018
It seems that I neglected to take a picture of the bottle. Given that perplexing departure from normal behavior, I have no photo of the wine to share. Instead, enjoy this picture of the winery on a cold January day.
You’ll have to trust me then that it was a medium opaque ruby in the glass. On the nose, blue-black fruits (mulberry, plum, blackberry) came first before soft purple flowers peeked through the fruit. Black pepper, thyme, and candied tomatoes revealed themselves after the wine had spent a bit more time in the glass.
Like the other reds in the Kuşlu series, this received a kiss of oak, just enough to give it a bit of extra depth and soften the tannins. Which, going by the round, soft antler fur texture of the wine’s tannins absolutely worked. Medium-bodied with 14% abv and fresh acidity, the palate echoed many of the flavors sensed on the nose, highlighting the thyme and tomato and finishing with a pleasantly bitter note.
I ate some candied tomatoes with this and it gave the wine a super meaty tone. Loved it!
This coferment was new from Arda last year. I didn’t see if on their 2021 price list which makes me sad. It took me a while to get around to drinking it after I bought it but I really enjoyed it and am sad to think there may not be more!
November 10, 2021
Berkay Aksoy
We tasted their Merlot Rezerv ’17 last Sunday for Merlot Day with Vinkara Merlot ’19 and Montes Reserva ’18 and Arda was the one stood out.
I tried their Kuşlu Seri Merlot before, it was really tasty too. Right now I hold a bottle of Kuşlu Seri Sauvignon Blanc ’20 in my cellar, I am sure it will amaze us too.
November 11, 2021
admin
I tasted the Merlot Rezerv ’17 and the Kuşlu for Merlot month! I really think Arda makes some fantastic red wines and I was sad to not see the late harvest Merlot anywhere this year, that one was so very nice. Have you tried the Semillon yet? I really recommend that one!