MMG ŞatoMet Syrahs
Such is the scarcity of MMG Şarapçılık’s wines that the only two vintages of their Syrah I’ve had were made seven years apart!
One of the Urla Bağ Yolu wineries, MMG Şarapçılık clings to the side of Urla’s mountains. The view from the restaurant terrace is incredible, looking over the valley formed by the mountainous region where the winery’s steep and terraced vineyards lay. I visited a few years ago and I do recommend it (although take care as parking is a wee hazardous!). During my visit I purchased all of their wines knowing they’re not in İstanbul. Fast-forward a few years and you can find the wines here. But not easily. Beppe Pizzeria in Moda carries a good selection of them. On the European side, the only place I know is Santé Wine & More where I picked up the new Syrah. 
Huge different between the two vintages I drank! Both vintages aged in 300 liter French oak for an undisclosed amount of time (wild stab in the dark-minimum 10 months). And both vintages managed to have the same moderate alcohol of 13.5% abv. Beyond that, wildly different.
ŞatoMet Syrah, 2011
Brick red on the pour already showing a little age. Coincidentally, I drank this 2011 in 2018 while the below wine (which I drank February 2021) was still in its infancy.
I found this such an interesting wine. In fact all of the MMG red wines I picked up during my visit had a common umami thread that I find Turkish reds often lack. This Syrah showed a very, almost aggressive, savory nose with aromas of roasted meat and bacon, soy sauce, dried herbs, and roasted tomato.
Sipping revealed firm tannins and medium acidity. Combined with the moderate alcohol it presented overall as a medium-bodied wine. More fruit revealed itself on the palate than had done on the nose. Prunes and cooked black fruits joined by dried herbs. The palate had hints of that savory umami goodness but in a more restrained and balanced way.
ŞatoMet Syrah, 2018
The 2018 was much more typical Syrah-y. Opaque ruby on the pour with a rich bouquet of black fruits like dates and figs, black pepper, clove, and a whiff of vanilla. Round and fluffy tannins filled the mouth and blue-black fruit flavors. Blackberry and fresh, Mission figs framed by medium acidity and black pepper.
This had none of the savory notes that I enjoyed in the 2011. However, I did play with pairing a few nibbles with this wine that brought out some of the umami. Bacon jam and rosemary fig jam especially did the trick.
MMG makes a couple wines with interesting native grapes which I covered in a previous post. I hope to start seeing more of those in İstanbul (hint hint wine shops!).