Doseluna Red Blend 2014
Boutique wineries seem to pop up apace with the Turkish Government’s attempts to repress the wine industry. Some are boutique due to their size. Some earn the name by not only being small but also by being truly family run operations with the family having a hand in every aspect of the vineyard and winery. Doseluna is just such a winery.
Where Modernity Meets Tradition
Located in Korubasi, a small village six kilometers from the antique site of Assos, Doseluna blends the modern technology and winemaking techniques of California with a deep connection to Turkey’s rich history. Turkey hosts a never ending parade of ancient sites important in the development of philosophy, religion, and the rise and fall of empires.
Aristotle went to Assos where he was welcomed by King Hermias. There he opened an academy he made innovative observations on zoology and biology with the philosophers he trained and gathered. When the Persian empire conquered the city and killed King Hermias, Aristotle fled to Macedonia where he tutored the young man who would later make a name for himself as Alexander the Great. Who also, incidentally, would take Assos back from the Persians.
Doseluna is a family owned and operated boutique winery located on the northern Aegean coast of Turkey. At the moment this small enterprise remains very straight forward with one red, one white, and one rose wine. All the grapes used in the wines come from Doseluna’s own vineyards, nothing is brought in.
After harvest, Lucienne Thys and Doğan Senocak of Doseluna carefully ferment the must in steel tanks. While the white and rose wines 
develop their aromatic flavors away from any oak influence, the reds are aged in American and French oak barrels.
Doseluna Red Blend 2014 Tasting Notes
It is easy to see why this wine got a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge. The exceptional care taken in both the vineyards and winery at Doseluna are obvious in this Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend.
I decanted this for about an hour and a half before drinking it and am so glad I did. That time opened up the wine in a way that allowed an explosion of aromas to burst forth as soon as the dense purple liquid hit the glass. The seductive perfume of violet, nutmeg, and cedar mingle with black currant, plum, raspberry, and green pepper. On the palate a velvety rasp of tannin gives way to a balanced, silky wine where full fruit flavors fade into a long, spicy finish. Beautifully balanced despite its high alcohol (14.9% abv) this wine is like an elegant, velvet-gloved fist that packs a powerful punch.
To my immense disappointment, the red blend is the only Doseluna wine I have seen in Istanbul. After drinking this I cannot wait to try the others.