Hus Şarapçılık The New Kid in Urla
The Urla district of İzmir in Turkey’s Aegean region has become a hotbed of trendy wineries. Many belong to the Urla Bağ Yolu (the easiest wine route to navigate). Even those that do not though are not so far off the path. The newest winery to open its doors is Hus Şarapçılık. Founded in 2017 by Juan Pablo Diaz Leon and Ceylan Ertörer Diaz Leon, Hus Şarapçılık is a family venture that blends the Chilean wine background of Juan Pablo’s family, and the agricultural history belong to Ceylan’s family.
When I talk about the Turkish-Greek population exchange of the 1920s, it’s usually about the Greeks leaving Turkey (as that directly affected the wine industry). Ceylan’s grandmother was one of those who went the other way. She went to Urla from Crete in 1923. After arriving, her family became commercial famers in the Urla area and eventually Ceylan’s mother planted a vineyard. Meanwhile, Ceylan herself pursued a different path in industrial engineering. Eventually she met Juan Pablo and they were married. Sadly, during that period, she also lost her mother.
Several years later, Ceylan and Juan Pablo visited Urla and the, by then, neglected vineyards her mother had planted. While neither ever thought about having a life in wine, they both felt struck by fate, inspiration, what have you on the visit. In that moment, their future decided itself. In 2018 they began to revive the old vineyards, planted new ones, and formed agreements with other vineyard owners locally and outside İzmir. Their first harvest took place in 2019 during which they produced 10 thousand liters and in 2020 completed their winery.
Limited production means limited distribution but I got my hands on their 2019 bottles. Did I roll my eyes to see the Syrah? Yup. Was I somewhat horrified at the price of the Emir? Double yup. But I love to see a new winery open in Turkey, especially one that has such passion behind it.
Hus Emir, 2019
The Emir for Hus’s one white wine comes (one assumes) from a partner vineyard in Central Anatolia’s Nevşehir. The grapes are from a single parcel grown at 1000 meters in volcanic soils. I rarely remember to say this about Emir because I forget that not everyone knows, but as this grape and oak are not friends, the wine fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel.
A light gold in the glass, this is one of the most deeply colored Emirs I’ve seen. The nose displayed some of the citrus (grapefruit), apple, and mineral aromas I often look for in this grape but also boasted some tropical fruit. The palate had a linear quality (one I look for and love about Emir) and lively, zesty acidity. Quince fruit and splashes of freshly squeezed lemon joined the grape’s hallmark minerality. That raciness gave the impression of a lower body weight than its 13.3% abv would otherwise indicate.
Nice, food friendly, it complemented the Bang Bang salad I made, but a little on the pricey side given the general cost of Emir.
Hus Syrah Öküzgözü Rosé, 2019
Some of my favorite Turkish rosé wines come from Öküzgözü. Sadly (for me in any case) few actually make Öküzgözü rosé but it does turn up in a few rosé blends as well. It’s the Öküzgözü that gives this ballerina pink wine its tinges of orange. At 14.5% abv it’s got high alcohol for a rosé. Unfortunately, high alcohol is rather the norm for Turkish wine of any color. But I doubt these grapes were grown specifically for rosé production. Very few wineries here do that.
Fresh and bright red fruit (cranberry, raspberry) aromas jumped out of the glass. Notes of white pepper, herbs (bay leaf), and black currant leaf found harmony with the fruit in the nose. On the palate I found the acidity a tad aggressive for my taste. Medium-bodied and initially very citric, like the coating on a Sour Patch Kid. This one needed to come up closer to room temperature. At a slightly warmer temp I finally got some of the crunchy cranberries from the nose along with sour cherry and herbs.
Hus Öküzgözü Boğazkere, 2019
The bottle noted that grapes for this wine came from Çal. I assume that means the Öküzgözü for the rosé likely also originated there. Çal is an area in the Denizli district of İzmir and its high elevation (950 meters) lime and red clay soils are home to a lot of grapes. The blend aged briefly in 500 liter French oak.
On the pour the wine resembled blackberry juice with a deep purple ruby and bright purple rim. Really nice bouquet on the nose with notes of blue-black fruits, plum, spice, pink pepper, and menthol revealing themselves. On the sip, tannins rose like a wave but receded pretty quickly leaving behind juicy fruit flavors of black cherry and tart berries. Overall medium in body, acidity, alcohol (13.7% abv), and finish.
Hus Syrah, 2019
Hus Şarapçılık sourced the Syrah for this wine from a single parcel at 850 meters in Denizli. Many wineries in Turkey source grapes from this area, either from their own vineyards or from contracted growers. A plateau surrounded by mountain peaks, Denizli has a hot growing climate-but the secret to success here is that it is a plateau. Its high elevation makes for advantageous diurnal temperature swings that allow grapes to ripen while retaining acidity.
Like the blend it aged for a time in large, new, French oak barrels. It certainly looked like a Syrah in the glass with its inky purple tones. Sweet-spicy cinnamon greeted my nose first before peeling back to showcase plum, blackberry, tobacco, purple flowers, coffee, and bitter chocolate. The palate started with bitter tannins, date, and syrupy carob. High alcohol (14.4%) contributed to a medium plus body with juicy acidity and a medium finish.
Unlike the Öküzgözü Boğazkere blend, which I drank in one go to help me get through my weekly Greek class (which is taught in Turkish), the Syrah I drank over a couple days. I had the opportunity then to go back to it after it opened more. The nose gave up some spicy black pepper and the palate showed a greater harmony to the nose and the palate released floral notes along with earthy tobacco and rich coffee.