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Advent Wine Challenge Day 1: Kavaklidere Misket

 

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Several years ago, I tried to blind taste wine every day during Advent. That was a challenge. Partially logistically. I only thought about it a few weeks before Advent began and, even though I disguised all the bottles, I remembered what at least several of them were. Plus drinking and posting in a day was hard!

This year, I’m taking an easier route. Simply posting about one wine every day. These mostly won’t be long posts with lots of background information about wineries and grapes. More like quick and dirty reviews! So, let’s get to it!

Advent, Day 1

Kavaklidere Misket, 2022

I’ve seen this wine around for ages and ages, one of the first I recall seeing here bottled in a Hock bottle. But, I’ve always avoided it. However, a while ago Kavaklidere was having a campaign and I decided to order a bunch of the Kavaklidere Emir that I hate to love and thought I should throw in one of these too. 

What I have missed out on all these years!

I assume this is Bornova Misketi (the label is unspecific). Since it comes from the winery’s Pendore Bağları in the Aegean, it’s a pretty reasonable assumption. 

Can something smell dry? Because this DID. Roses, yes, but lots of tangerine fresh from the tree. It’s not especially aromatic, not in the bombastic way Muscat wines usually are, but quite nice. More subtle. DRY, medium-bodied with 14% abv, lively acidity wrapped around flavors of tangerine, lemon peel, very much more citrussy than floral, and notes of apricot.

Another Kavaklidere that I hate to love.