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Turkish Wine

HomeTurkish Wine (Page 67)

  I was in the Suvla shop the other day looking for gifts for friends moving here. I thought they should have some nice wine before the harsh realities of the overall wine situation here came crashing down on them. The shop recommended the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (at I think 28TL) Suvla blend and since I hadn’t tried it yet myself I got one for them and one for me; and am so glad I did. The pretty garnet red (and the fact that this came from Suvla) gave me high hopes for what was to come. Now, I must warn you, I am about to wax tipsily

  Since my Carrefour has remodeled and renamed itself a Carrefour Gourmet (which as far as I can tell means that it simply has a less well designed interior and higher prices) I have found a few new wine labels. I was thrilled when I saw this Büyülübağ Vedat Milor (30-ish TL if I recall) was one of the new options. When asked which country I think produces the best wine I will always say Spain first (Italy second and Argentina third) so seeing a Turkish wine blend that includes Tempranillo and Grenache made me do a little happy dance right there in the Carrefour Gourmet wine section. Unfortunately the

  Whenever I go into Carrefour I take a quick look at the wine section to see if I can find red wines at a) I haven’t tried yet, b) aren’t massively over priced, and c) aren’t Merlots. My options are dwindling. I did manage to find something from Sevilen’s Majestik line that I haven’t tried yet; its 2013 Syrah/Kalecik Karasi blend. I find that I tend to enjoy the flavor of a wine more if I feel it has a pleasing color. This must be some sot of subconscious something but holds true in this case. I thought the dark purply-red color was lovely. I’d love a dress in

  This week we’re talking about the 2013 Suvla Kabatepe white. Sadly, they’re not producing any more of this so what is in stock is what is left. Kabatepe is Suvla’s lowest-price wine range and the best wines you can get in Turkey for under 25TL. Like the red, the white is a super blend: Kınalı Yapıncak 47%, Chardonnay 17%, Sauvignon Blanc 15%, Semillon 10%, and a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne makes up the last 11%. Right out of the bottle it was interesting with its bright straw yellow color and green hues. The nose was dry and little floral. I was really surprised by the flavor which was sweeter

  In addition to the its already overwhelming selection of excellent wine; Suvla also produces a series called Kabatepe-a table red, white, blush, and rose. If the Suvla Kabatepe red, which we’re reviewing today, is an indication of the complete series then Suvla has done the impossible…produced an under 20TL wine that is GOOD! Garnet in color with a fruity and slightly spicy nose, the 2012 is a busy blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 47%, Merlot 21%, Syrah 21%, Petit Verdot 8%, and Cabernet Franc 3%; with a flavor profile indicative of the three most dominant grapes. Juicy, slightly acidic with light tannins and hints of raspberry and pepper, this wine is consistent

  This week we’re diverting from Suvla. Largely because I saw a bottle of wine at Carrefour last week that I don’t recall having seen before. The Kutman Ipsala Gamay – Cabernet from 2005. Gamay is about the only wine for which I will forgive the French. In fact I was fairly well set on making France a parking lot for Europe or giving it to Germany after I take over the world; but my friend L pleaded for it. She gets France and Ireland and my interference in her rule will be minimal. Ish. But I digress. At 38TL the Kutman Ipsala is right around the price point I have

  Last week I went to the Suvla shop in Cihangir for a bottle of Sur, completely forgetting that there were two. When I was stumped by which one to try the shop suggested getting both Suvla Surs to do a side-by-side comparison. Never one to turn down a good opportunity to drink yet more wine I happily accepted the proposal and bought both. Suvla makes two Surs, one a 2011 and the other a 2010. Both are blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot (although in different percentages). Let’s begin, as I did, with the 2011. Suvla Sur 2011 Tasting Notes A dense garnet red the nose of

  It’s December and yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent which means that it’s officially time to start playing Christmas movies and music and, more importantly, start drinking Gluehwein! Which for me means that it no longer matters that Turkish wine generally isn’t good. Also luckily, good wine is neither needed nor recommended for Gluehwein so for the first time I bought a bottle of the cheapest wine (10 TL / 5 USD) on offer here: Sava; specifically the Sava Çalkarası Merlot. And while I meant it from the beginning for Gluehwein I thought I’d make a proper tasting of it before adding tons of sugar. Everything has at least one

  I was both excited and trepidatious going into this Suvla Merlot. On the one hand…Merlot; blech. It rhymes with ‘no’ for a reason. One the other hand…Suvla hasn’t really disappointed me so far and the Suvla Merlot blends have been fantastic.  So here we go. The 2013 Suvla Merlot had a nice dense ruby color. Plum and cranberry on the nose; the bottle label said I should also be getting pepper in the nose but for me at least not so much (Sherlock had no comment). It was a bit tight when I first tried it. This one wants air so be prepared for that. In the mouth the

  Suvla has two Kirtes. A while back I reviewed the other Kirte (a Cabernet Sauvingnon, Syrah, Petit Verdot blend) and last week I picked up the 2011 Suvla Kirte at the shop in Cihangir. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc blend. And wow. I did not think I would like this one as much because, you know, Merlot. Ick. But if the Merlot had anything to do with the flavor of this Kirte I may even be moved to try Suvla’s Merlot varietal. Although frankly, the flavor of anything is going to be massively enhanced if you’re simultaneously enjoying the sunset and view out my window! The 2011 Suvla Kirte