Eskibağlar, Honoring a Sense of Place
In Eastern Anatolia sits the city of Elazığ. Quite small by Turkey standards, the city is home to about 350,000 people with only about another 50,000 living outside the city but within the district. Like almost every other city or village in Turkey though, it is ancient, having been established as far back as 2000 BC. Elazığ is also home to one of Turkey’s most widely-known vitis vinifera grape varieties: Öküzgözü.
map from World Atlas.com
Elazığ Province is situated at the northwestern corner of a 30-mile-long valley, Uluova (literally the Great Valley). It is surrounded by the Euphrates in the north and borders Tunceli to the North, Erzincan in the North-West, Bingöl to the East, Diyarbakır to the South, and Malatya in the West. No stranger to agriculture, exporting raisins, apricots, and almonds as they do, it’s not a surprise that the area is good for grapes. Combine that with it being home to the somewhat difficult to pronounce Öküzgözü; what is surprising is that the province is home to only three wineries: Kayra, Kuzeybağ, and Eskibağlar.
Honoring Their Roots
Eskibağlar (Old Vineyards) was established in 2009 by Fırat and Hilal Aral. The Arals, part of a growing number of people looking to escape chaotic Istanbul life, packed up their family and moved to his mother’s home village of Sivrice in Elazığ province. 
To ignore Turkey’s own wine history and focus on European traditions is to take for granted a land that has been giving back for thousands of years. Most of Turkey’s pulses, grains, and even some fruit are grown around Elazığ. Fırat believes that the international market isn’t interested in yet another country’s version of a Cab and that constantly adopting someone else’s standards diminishes confidence. “This is what has been happening in Turkey’s wine industry. We … have to be held accountable. We do not have the courage or confidence to create Turkish Wine.” This attitude is largely what drove his decision to work solely with the Öküzgözü and Boağzkere varietals (the latter native to nearby Diyarbakır).
Because they work with only these two grapes, Eskibağlar does not have a wide range of wines. However, the four wines they do produce are done with care and the desire to showcase these two local varieties: a 100% Öküzgözü, an Öküzgözü-Boğazkere blend, a two reserve wines of the same makeup. In this post though I’ll talk about just the former two.
Eskibağlar Öküzgözü 2013 Tasting Notes:
Eskibağlar’s vineyards enjoy a longer growing season than others in Elazığ. This, and a wide diurnal range, give the grapes more time to slowly mature while maintaining their acidity. Quite possibly this is why Elazığ is the home to Öküzgözü. When grown in the wrong
Fırat and Hilal Aral
environment or improperly handled in the winery this grape can produce lackluster wines. Happily everything comes together perfectly here. For possibly the first time in my years in Turkey I was knocked off my feet by a 100% Öküzgözü. One, I might add, that cost less than $10 at the local grocery store!
Envision the most beautiful purple color you’ve ever seen. That’s what this smelled like! Bramble fruits, black mulberry, floral, and spicy notes all swirled together to create an aroma that was nearly visual. After such a promising nose I was thrilled that the palate didn’t let me down. It exploded out of the gate with a pow! of spice and black pepper followed by blue plums and finishing with almost delicate floral. Tannins softened and rounded out after a few hours of breathing. Initially though they were big and bold. Not usual for this grape. But the more aggressive a tannin is the happier I am!
Eskibağlar Öküzgözü-Boğazkere 2013 Tasting Notes:
Like the 100% Öküzgözü, the blend is a medium-bodied wine with medium alcohol (both 13% 
abv). However, here the added kick of Öküzgözü’s natural blending partner Boğazkere (30% of the blend) and 12 months in oak gave this wine a completely character.
Intense berry aromas mingle here with leather and spice. A racy acidity balanced both the mouthfeel and took the sticky sweet edge off the jammy fruits. While the 100% Öküzgözü was the epitome of purple, the blend here is strawberry. Every style of strawberry presented itself in a riot of flavors. Fresh dehydrated, dried, and strawberry jam combine with freshly cracked white pepper and licorice to make a wine both exciting and elegant. Frankly everything about this wine made me happy!