Edrine 22 Papazkarası 2015
Located in the village of Havsa outside Edirne, Edrine (not to be confused with the city Edirne!) is a family run winery. Founded in 2007 their first vintage came out in 2010. What started as a boutique winery has expanded rapidly and Edrine now produces some 2 million liters of wine annually. The owners, the Öktem family, concentrate on creating quality and affordable wines.
At Edrine they believe strongly in the flavor of the “naked” grape they use very little oak. At most they add oak chips for a few days. Otherwise everything is aged in steel. The Winery produces under several labels: the eponymous Edrine, 22, and the Color series (The Red One, The White One, The Pink One, The Kupaj).
Papazkarası
Papazkarası is an ancient grape with a history going back at least 1,500 years. It is not a well-known grape even in Turkey where it’s grown largely in Thrace and used by few winemakers.
Papazkarası grapes have the ability to make versatile wines that are aromatic, fruit-forward, and naturally highly acidic. Wines can range from light to full bodied when made into red wine, give medium-bodied, spicy roses, and elegant blanc de noir white wines.
Edrine 22 Papazkarası 2015 Tasting Notes:
22 might seem like an odd name for a wine, however it carries some regional significance. This wine takes its name from nothing other than the license plate numbers from Edirne-the province in which the winery makes its home. Edirne license plates begin with the number 22.
The 22 series is Edrine’s entry level, table wine. The juice used in the 22 Papazkarası comes from a second pressing of grapes (the first press juice is used for the Edrine line). The resulting wine is relatively low in alcohol (13% ABV) with a pale red color. So pale it could almost qualify as a dark rose. The nose displays some red fruits, notably strawberry, and hints of black pepper. The palate is surprisingly tannic for such a pale colored wine but is well supported by a clean, acidic backbone. While not over complex, the flavors of light red fruits and both black and green pepper make for an easily quaffable wine.