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Wine Reviews

HomeWine Reviews (Page 71)

  This lovely Hoşköy Cabernet Sauvignon I first had at a Paşaeli tasting with Şarap Atölyesi. I really like Paşaeli’s wines, the K2 being a general favorite, and this was my favorite of the night. So of course when I found out that Paşaeli ships half cases I ordered a bottle (120 TL direct from Paşaeli). Paşaeli’s Hoşköy vineyard, located in Turkey’s Thracian region, has a long and warm growing season; much like France’s Bordeaux making it ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. With Paşaeli’s care they’ve gone from quality grapes to a truly quality wine. This bad boy is beautiful now but will also age 10 to 15 years-from the release date. How much care has gone into

  The Rèmole Toscana by Frescobaldi is one of my new favorite wines. And at only 61.50 TL at Macro Center it’s not all that expensive. For a wine imported to Turkey. The Frescobaldi family has been firmly rooted in Tuscany for hundreds of years. While they started as bankers they are now dedicated wine makers. With no less than six estates across Tuscany they take full advantage of the diverse terroir the region has to offer. The Rèmole Estate is in Sieci, east of Florence. The wines made on the Rèmole Estate are fruit-forward, generally everyday wines. However what may be an everyday Super Tuscan in Italy is something of a revelation in Turkey! Frescobaldi

  One of the best, medium-priced Turkish wines I’ve had in a while was the Kybele 2011 from Şen Vineyards. I picked up the Kybele for 42 TL at Comedus on Meşrutiyet (it might be less at La Cave in Cihangir). Honestly it was the label that caught my eye. I think it’s fantastic. Much like the art on Chamilja’s wine bottles I’d love to hang a print of this in my apartment. The other reason I bought it is because I’d never heard of Şen Vineyards and I am always on the look out for new Turkish wine. Located in Balıkesir, in Turkey’s Marmara region, Şen Vineyards plants Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Semillion. The Kybele

  Kastro Tireli is something I discovered only recently. During a stop-in at Comedus I bought this Kastro Tireli Narince Viognier (67 TL). I have come to realize that Kastro Tireli, an Aegean-based winery, is a much bigger deal than I suspected! Since I first bought this white, I have seen Kastro Tireli wines pop up everywhere. I had also the pleasure of being able to try several others and speak to them at the Sommerlier’s Selection Turkey event. Located in Akhisar, in Manisa, the winery is influenced by the history of its location and by French and Italian viti and viniculture practices. Committed to quality over quantity, Kastro Tireli, which began

  Nif has quickly become one of my favorite wineries in Turkey and I’m always seeking out more of their wines. At the Sommeliers’ Selection Turkey I had the opportunity to try several which I picked up later from La Cave. Among them was the Nif Aegean White blend. With the tag line “Bottled Happiness” they rather boldly guarantee the quality of their wine. Are the wrong? Not that I have so far found. The critics seem to agree. Nif wines have been winning awards since 2012. Located in Izmir in the heart of Turkey’s Aegean region, Nif cultivates both domestic grapes such as Bornova Muscat, Narince, and Sultaniye as well as a vast array of

  This Kindzmarauli Marani Kisi was part of the loot I brought home from Georgia in October. It was a duty free purchase I made before boarding. I remember that I had an awful migraine when I left Georgia. I was in pain, nauseated, and miserable. To add insult to injury, there’s a dedicated wine store in the Tbilisi airport and they offer wine tastings. I had to content myself with at least buying a couple wines as I was too ill to taste any. Kisi is a native Georgian grape grown largely in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. As with many grapes, winemakers in Georgia use both traditional

  Melen is one of those wineries tucked away in Hoşköy of which I had some nebulous knowledge, but had never seen any of their wines. Until a trip to Migros in the Cevahir mall. Migros had two or three of Melen’s wine including the Melen Tempranillo 2014. I was gun shy as I’ve been burned by Turkish Tempranillo before; but for 29 TL what could it hurt? Nothing that’s what. This was a shockingly good wine for the price. The inflated retail price no less. Melen Winery The Melen winery has been a family venture around since the founding of the [Turkish] Republic. Their website is written rather poetically and absolutely worth a read

  Last autumn E&M visited E’s family in Greece returned with many many bottles of Greek wine for us to try, including this 2015 Roditis Sauvignon Blanc by Papaioannoy. I have had very limited experience with Greek wine before now. Limited in fact to pretty much just jugs of table wine from my brief trip to Athens. Those I would not recommend. I would however recommend the Papaioannoy Roditis Sauvignon Blanc. Papaioannoy is an organic vineyard located in Corinthia where they grow grapes on the doorstep of history with vineyards located adjacent to the Temple of Zeus. Papaioannoy has 57 hectares planted in seven locations to take advantage of different soil make up and

  The Yedi Bilgeler Phytagoras Reserve 2013 is why I fell in love with this winery. The first time I had it was at Solera where it caught my eye both because it was new and because I really liked the label. I have enjoyed it several times since and included it in one of my wine tasting events. Yedi Bilgeler Yedi Bilgeler is based near the village of Selçuk; home to the ruined city of Ephesus. Due to Turkish alcohol laws wine tourism next to impossible.  As a result the native wine industry has suffered. Possibly the best way to stay in concert with current law and yet still attract people to

  It’s been years since I went to Lebanon but the more Lebanese wines I taste the more I want to visit again! This 2016 Chateau Kefraya Blanc de Blancs (la cuvee de Roussalka) is just one example of why we should be paying more attention to Lebanese wines. Chateau Kefraya Chateau Kefraya is the lifetime achievement of founder Michel de Bustros (1929-2016). He planted his first vines in 1951 and Chateau Kefraya as been making award-winning wines ever since. The Chateau’s wines even won medals in the early 80s when, despite the Lebanese civil war, de Bustros continued to produce wine. Located in the Bekaa Valley at the foot of Mount Barouk,