Kavakalidere’s Sade Sultaniye Emir
I’ve had the Sultaniye grape a few times now but haven’t experience the Emir. And, frankly, because Kavakalidere’s 2012 Sade Sultaniye Emir was a less expensive wine I went for it. I won’t make this mistake again.
The Sade Sultaniye Emir was very pale in color, almost colorless really until the light hit it showing a pale yellow color with hints of green. The nose was rather pleasant. In fact it smelled green, not in a grassy way but in a kind of green apple way. I also caught some floral and oak tones in the nose.
It was in the flavor where the Sade Sultaniye Emir lost me. It was buttery and oaky. It wasn’t so much Chardonnay adjacent as it was very much almost just exactly like a Chardonnay. Shudder. It was also tingly on the tongue which, looking back, was probably some of the Emir’s characteristic minerality showing through. While that may be an interesting flavor aspect in another wine, in the Sade Sultaniye Emir it really just created a feeling of acidic effervescence.
It did win points for having a screw cap though! I love me a screw cap wine. That alone didn’t save it though. This is the first wine I’ve reviewed so far that was just all the way a no for me. Trust me; let me take this hit for you and don’t drink this.