Five Turkish Sauvignon Blancs to Try
Sauvignon Blanc enjoys great popularity in Turkey. It, along with Chardonnay, are not only the two most popular white wines here; they’re even more commonly found than any of the native white grapes. Wineries across the country cultivate the grape but it’s largest production is in Turkey’s Aegean in Denizli. And with summer’s warm temperatures approaching I’m getting thirsty for some Sauvignon Blanc!
Denizli Vineyards
While all these Sauvignon Blanc wines are from Aegean region wineries; not all are created equally of course. However, the below wines are all great examples within their respective price ranges.
Pamukkale Anfora Series
For the more budget conscious people is the Sauvignon Blanc from Pamukkale’s Anfora Series. Grapes for this series come from the vast vineyards spread across the Denizli province in Turkey’s Aegean. Unfortunately, it seems I did not take a picture of this bottle.
Alcohol: 13% abv
Color: pale lemon
Nose: Flint and citrus with hints of grass
Palate: Dry with lively acidity and elevated flavors of citrus with lemon curd, lemon peel, and grapefruit joining an edge of minerality. A nice zippy wine for the price.
Doseluna
Boutique family winery Doseluna is located in Ayvacık, Çanakkale. The winery produces a red blend, this Sauvignon Blanc, and a Montepulciano rose. Not the easiest wine to find but worth the effort to hunt it down!
Alcohol: 13.8% abv
Color: bright clear lemon
Nose: Almost textbook Sauvignon Blanc with cat pee, intense citrus, green and jalepeño peppers, and gooseberry
Palate: Dry with noticeable but not aggressive acidity, the palate brings out more of the wine’s vegetal flavors than anything else. Lots of green pepper, fresh lemon juice, and cut grass.
Amadeus MMX
Amadeus MMX, located on the Aegean island, Bozcaada, is well-known for its excellent white wines. As an island winery it really seems to do a great job with fresh wines that invoke feels of summer.
Alcohol: 13.1% abv
Color: pale lemon
Nose: Intense lemon perfume and mineral, hint of cat pee, tropical fruit, white fruits, and lemon blossom
Palate: Medium-bodied with disappointingly low acidity. Flavors less pronounced than on the nose but with clear grapefruit, gooseberry, and tropical fruits. Very quaffable.
Sevilen İsa Bey
Such is Sauvignon Blanc’s popularity that Sevilen produces several Sauvignon Blanc wines. The winery’s İsa Bey line (which includes a variety of single variety white, red, and rosés) always carries a guarantee of quality. I particularly like their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Narince.
Alcohol: 13% abv
Color: intense lemon
Nose: A little shy on the nose initially but the wine opens up to reveal a more aromatic side of Sauvignon Blanc. Lots of citrus fruit aromas like lemon juice, lemon and orange peel, lemon blossom, and white flowers.
Palate: Medium across the board in body, acidity, and finish but bright and lively nonetheless. Flavors showcased a lot of the same aromas detected in the nose with added freshly cut grass, and tropical fruits.
7Bilgeler Khilon Sauvingon Blanc
7Bilgeler (Yedi Bilgeler) is located in Selçuk near the Greco-Roman ruins of Ephesus. However, the grapes for this wine were sourced from the winery’s Denizli vineyards on the Güney Plateau at 840 meters.
Alcohol: 13.6% abv
Color: pale, silvery lemon
Nose: Intensely fruity and bursting with stone fruit, passion fruit, and mango joined by grapefruit peel and hints of grass.
Palate: On the palate this crisp and dry wine shows an elevated fruity character with apricot and peach taking the lead. Lively acidity adds bright lemon flavors and a medium finish carries grapefruit pith and green herb flavors.