Galentine’s Day Tasting of Paşaeli Çalkarası
We spent Valentine’s Day in Istanbul under both our regular weekend lockdown and a blanket of snow this year. Since we couldn’t go out for Valentine’s, I invited a couple people from my pandemic bubble over on Monday for a Galentine’s Day wine tasting. The wines: four wines based in the Çalkarası grape from Paşaeli Wines. I’ve had all four wines individually but have really been wanting to open them together. Since even I have my limits I knew I needed help to open them all at once!
I recently wrote conducted an interview with Paşaeli Wines owner Seyit Karagözoğlu for the Vintner Project. There are a lot of things about Paşaeli Wines that stand out. In the interview I spoke with Karagözoğlu about his commitment to native, and often rare Turkish grape varieties. He doesn’t just make wine wine them, he makes wines. Plural. This collection that we drank for the tasting is a great example. The Çalkarası grape has previously been used as a workhorse in inexpensive red blends but we hadn’t seen many quality, varietal wines made with it. Karagözoğlu gave us four: a blanc de noir, two rosés, and a red.
One of the other things I think is special about Paşaeli Wines is that the winery gives you a full package from the label to the wine in the bottle. Karagözoğlu really thinks about what the label says about the wine and often uses it to convey a message. And so it was with this series. The first of the wines he made with Çalkarası was the darker rosé. The idea was that it was half and half…it started on the skins like a red but then ferments like a white wine brought a mermaid to his mind. He was introduced to New York-based illustrator and graphic designer Isabel Roxas who designed his mermaid. Then he introduced the paler blush wine and with Roxas continued the sea theme with the seahorse. The next year he debuted the blanc de noir and the red and kept the theme going. A snowy Istanbul may not have been the most appropriate backdrop for these wines but we went for it anyway.
So, how were the wines?
Paşaeli Karaların Beyazı Çalkarası, 2019
The Karaların Beyazı (blanc de noir) was produced as a direct press wine which then aged on the lees (in stainless steel) for three months.
For a grape that makes a relatively pale red I was surprised by how not white the wine is. It’s a very very pale peach in the glass. And maybe it was psychosomatic because I was thinking about the color but I caught peaches on the nose along with strawberry and lemon. Soft and round in the mouth lent the wine some weight but with enough acidity so as to not feel flabby. Medium high alcohol at 13.5% abv. Lemon salt and grapefruit flavors on the palate.
Very pleasant and quaffable. Would love to try this again with a seafood topped salad. I’ve heard the 2020 vintage displays a juicier fruity palate and really stands out. Looking forward to trying it!
Paşaeli Blush Çalkarası, 2019
The grapes here only spent as much time on their skins as it took to press them, essentially 30 minutes or so. After fermentation the wine aged three months sur lie.
Very pretty pale, peachy orange on the pour with a fruit forward nose of cranberry, strawberry, and unripe raspberry. Citrus on the edges and lightly herby with aromas of lemon thyme. On the palate, medium (-) body with medium acidity and medium-high alcohol with 13.5% abv. Round in the mouth like the blanc de noir with flavors of pink lemon and a salty minerality.
Paşaeli Çalkarası, 2019
For this wine, the ‘original’ Paşaeli Çalkarası, the grapes were allowed to crush under their own weight then spent about 10-12 hours with skins before the press. After fermentation the wine spent three months sur lie. The resulting wine is a deeper rosé with a medium-deep, peony pink color.
Big aromas of black mulberry with raspberry, watermelon, and a hint of citrus on the nose. The palate, medium-bodied with light tannins displayed the most acidity of the three wines so far. Juicy cranberry flavors burst on the tongue. Again, 13.5% abv this might not be a pool side sipper but it is the rosé you break out when you fire of the grill.
Paşaeli Wild Ferment Çalkarası, 2019
I learned today that most of Paşaeli’s red wines ferment on native yeasts! This Çalkarası which debuted last year is simply the first time the winery advertised it. After fermentation the wine aged for eight months in 225 liter French oak barrels.
Clear, pale, brilliant cherry color in the glass. Really a very pretty color. Initially spicy on the nose with black pepper then opening to savory bay leaf, lavender, and tomato leaf. Cranberry and wild strawberry added some fruit aromas before peeling back to reveal a depth of caramel macchiato. Very spicy on the palate-both in flavor and sensation. Low tannins with nice acidic structure and a silky texture. High alcohol at 14.5% abv but with sufficient balance that you in no way feel the alcohol. Flavors of cranberries and raspberries mingled with milk chocolate. Tobacco on the back breath.
Really lovely and food friendly! I couldn’t help thinking how nice this would pair with duck in fruit sauce.
Having tried them all together now I want to do this all over again but actually make the food pairings that came to me while drinking them!