Gemici Alasata Chardonnay 2018
Turkey’s Aegean region is home to beautiful coasts, vistas, and culinary delights. Thanks to these advantages, it’s also a hotbed for both domestic and international tourism.
Alaçatı, Ceşme is one of the prettiest villages along the southern Aegean coast and a big stop on the tourist trail. The city center is all low, white-washed buildings with colorful (mostly bright blue) shutters and simply dripping with flowering bougainvillea. Tucked in amidst all the restaurants, boutique stores, and tourist chachki shops one finds the Gemici Wine & Jam shop. In addition to homemade jams, soaps, oils, and the like, the shop also carries wine made by the Gemici family.
The Gemicis make more red than white wine. I’ve previously reviewed one of the few white wines, the Alasata Sultaniye. This year, they debuted their first ‘noble grape’ white wine; a Chardonnay.
Gemici Alasata Chardonnay 2018 Tasting Notes:
A very pretty, steady lemony color in the glass, pouring the Alasata Chardonnay released aromas of citrus, pomello, and pear. Sipping revealed a round palate with unaggressive acidity a tinge of oiliness; the latter of which evoked thoughts of lemon oil. Fresh and bright flavors of citrus with a hint of saltiness, like the lemon salt sold in Turkey’s famed spice shops, made for a charming and easy to drink wine.
Medium-bodied with 13% abv, the Alasata Chardonnay stood on its own quite well. However, it would also pair well with mild cheeses, fish dishes, and Turkey’s oily mezes.
Disclaimer: the Gemicis sent me this wine for my opinion (my first sample! I was so thrilled). Happily I can truly say that my good review was not influenced by that but is my honest opinion.