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Barbare Debuts a Pinot Noir

 

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Of all the Turkish wineries producing wine with French grapes, Barbare has distinguished itself by leaning not towards Bordeaux, but the Rhône. Rather than featuring Cabernet and Merlot*, Barbare’s main wines include varietal Grenache and Mourvèdre, as well as the classic GSM – or Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre blend. Recently, the winery released a new wine inspired by a different French valley: The Loire.

Turkey does light and medium-bodied red wines really well. The majority of native black grapes here make wines that naturally fall into the light to medium-bodied and medium to high acidity category. Given that, it’s probably not a surprise that Pinot Noir does really well here. While I personally tend to avoid most of the international grape wines, Pinot is the exception for me. There are great examples of Pinot Noir from several areas of the country and now Barbare has joined the fun. 

Barbare Pinot Noir, 2021

Like all Barbare’s wines, the Pinot Noir was made with Ecocert-certified organic grapes. The label annoyingly included absolutely no winemaking information at all though.

Earth and fruit filled the glass with aromas of red fruit, strawberry Twizzlers, flowers, and tea leaves. While initially a little hot (I mean, 14.8% alcohol!) that eased as the wine had a chance to breathe. The palate was a pure silk tapestry of red fruits, lavender, earth, and tea. 

Price-wise this is falling in the middle of the Turkish Pinot scale. Which, these days, still makes it pricey but it delivers for the price. 

*Barbare DOES make both a Bordeaux blend as well as several varietal Cabernets but, the blend at least, has never seemed to be the focus.

Please Help Turkey and Syria!

Turkey and Syria are still in desperate need of help after the horrific earthquakes that have decimated large areas of Turkey’s south east and northern Syria, please consider donating to one of the relief efforts if you are able:

Animal rights organization Haytap is helping animals affected by the earthquake, and displaced people who need a place to stay with their pets. Other animal-focused groups such as Dört Ayaklı Şehir (Four-Legged City) and Work Animals Rescue Foundation, are also helping farm animals, street animals, and pets.

Donate to civil society groups working on the ground to provide immediate relief and medium- to long-term recovery to survivors via UK-based Turkey Mozaik Foundation or US-based Turkish Philanthropy Funds.

World Central Kitchen provides funds and food to those still living in tents in the affected areas.

To support rescue efforts in Syria, donate to White Helmet and SAMS.

Field Ready Türk‎iye (Sahaya Hazır İnovasyon Derneği) is a team of engineers working in Gaziantep, Turkey, and northwest Syria who make cheap, low-tech airbags for search and rescue from buildings which have collapsed. “If we move fast they can make more,” a good friend who previously worked with the team writes. “The workshops in Syria also have vast experience of fixing essential medical equipment, and making insulated shelters – both greatly needed right now”