Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi eu nulla vehicula, sagittis tortor id, fermentum nunc. Donec gravida mi a condimentum rutrum. Praesent aliquet pellentesque nisi.
vino@elated-themes.com

Turkish Wine

HomeTurkish Wine (Page 60)

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  A few months ago I held a big Chamlija tasting for a group of friends on E&M’s terrace. After our visit to Chamlija we made a huge order of wines and I basically ordered one of everything. One that I was particularly looking forward to trying was the Chamlija Köpek Gülderen. Dog killer?! Why was I so excited to try this particular Pinot Noir? There’s a Turkish phrase: “köpek öldüren” which means ‘dog killer’. This expression describes the worst of the worst wines. As in, it’s so bad it could kill a dog. Chamlija has cleverly capitalized on this very common phrase with a very clever play on words. Their wine, ‘Köpek Gülderen’

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  The Chateau Kalpak 2011 is a classic Bordeaux blend made by one of Turkey’s premiere winemakers; Chateau Kalpak. Made in a chateau-style this 2011 blend took a well-deserved gold medal at the 2014 Austrian Wine Challenge. What is a “chateau-style” wine? The word came into use originally to describe wine in France where winemakers used grapes all grown on one “terroir” (a specific patch of land) to achieve a house-style wine with a consistent character across vintages. Chateau Kalpak wines are made in this style. The Chateau Kalpak 2011 is a classic Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. All the grapes are grown in one vineyard in Gellibolu.

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Likya has a huge range of wines, including several varietals of native Turkish grapes that are really rare; including the Merzifon Karası. I put together an all Likya tasting in the fall for a group and wanted to include several of Likya’s more unusual varietals. In addition to a Chardonnay and a Malbec we tasted an Acikara and this 2015 Merzifon Karası. Going with the Merzifon Karası for this tasting made me a little nervous. For one thing, it wasn’t a small investment. A bottle of this from La Cave will set you back 110TL. Additionally, no amount of Googling netted me any information about this grape. I still know nothing about the

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  My friend AJ introduced me to Barel Vineyards with this Barel Cabernet Merlot blend from 2013. At 30-something a bottle this was a really pretty decent every day kind of wine. It’s not special but neither will it melt your insides the way some Turkish köpek gülderen (dog killer) wine will. Okay, so that really isn’t the most ringing endorsement I could provide. Located in the Trakya region of Thrace, Barel is vineyard owned by the Akin family. The name comes from a combination of the Akin children’s names: Elif and Barkin. Founded in 1997, Barel cultivates Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc. With these grapes Barel produces a full range of wines:

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I have not yet explored Kutman wines much but when I saw this Kutman Gamay Cabernet Sauvignon at Carrefour I couldn’t resist trying buying it. It’s the first Gamay I’ve seen in Turkey and I was curious both as to what Turkey would turn out in a Gamay as well as how it would blend with a Cabernet Sauvignon. It blends really well as it turns out. This Trakya-based winery has produced a really pretty nice blend with these two grapes. Fairly low alcohol for a red, at only 12.5% abv, this Kutman Gamay Cabernet Sauvignon was a medium-bodied wine that has spent eight to twelve months in oak

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  After the rousing success that was the Ma’Adra Cabernet Sauvignon and the disappointment of the Syrah, I decided I might as well go for the hat trick and try the 2014 Ma’Adra Cuvee Special-a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. For 60 TL at La Cave it wasn’t as dear as either of the others so it didn’t hurt to try. A dark purple, full body in the glass with nice legs, the nose of this was really quite promising: raspberries, cedar, a hint of tobacco, baking spices, and milk chocolate. On the palate the Ma’Adra Cuvee Special was initially rather sweet with jam, tobacco, and vanilla. The acid was

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I found this post buried in my drafts folder. I think it’s from last winter so color me embarrassed! Regardless of my embarrassment the 2010 Paşaeli 6N is too good to not post. This Karasakız, Merlot, Petit Verdot blend is a gorgeous example of how right a blend of native Turkish and Old World grapes can go. Before we get into the notes lets talk about the name. What’s in a name? A political statement in this case! I’ve wondered about the name of this wine since the very first time I tried it and it was only recently that I learned the story behind it. So I guess

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  7Bilgeler (Yedi Bilgeler) is one of my new favorite Turkish wine producers in the Aegean. The 2012 Reserve Bias Priene is a beautiful example of the magic that can happen with European grapes grown on the Aegean. Located bare minutes from the archaeological city of Ephesus, 7Bilgeler is a beautiful complex that includes a boutique hotel. A perfect place to spend the evening relaxing after a day exploring the Greco-Roman ruins of Ephesus! While there you can take the opportunity to try and buy as many of their wines as you can since the Istanbul-based wine merchants are so hit-or-miss on stocking these gems. Now that I’ll be staying in Turkey

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I had such hopes for the Ma’Adra Syrah after the way E and I fell in love with their Cabernet Sauvignon. Alas our hopes and expectations were dashed when we opened this one. At 90TL from La Cave that was a pricey heartbreak. Syrah wines are supposed to be domineering bad asses with at least a solid medium body to back up powerful fruit and oak flavors. I think Ma’Adra missed the memo with this one. It started out well. In the nose of the Ma’Adra Syrah I got a lot of blackberry, black pepper, hazelnut, and vanilla which was really pretty nice. Then we tasted it which is where

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  It’s been ages since I’ve had an Öküzgözü Boğazkere blend. As much as I enjoy trying the native grape wines in Turkey drinking the same three reds (Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Kalecik Karası) and blends of the same does get old. I was, however, only too happy to take up a friend on her offer of a glass of the Turasan Öküzgözü Boğazkere that she brought to a Thirsty Thursday event. In the glass the Turasan Öküzgözü Boğazkere was a ruby red bordering on purple, bright and clear. The nose was dark/black fruits. On the palate it was very tart, no tannin, and little bit of a cliffhanger; something of a surprise for