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Narince Taking Wing with Arda Kuşlu

 

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Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample but all opinions are my own.

Narince is such a fantastically flexible grape. We’ve seen it in on its own, in blends, no oak ages, too much oak aging, skin contact, sparkling, and semi-sweet. It makes a wine for every palate. 

For years, Arda has made a Reserv Narince. It’s a beautiful wine, one of my favorites. But, I’ve always wondered why the grape wasn’t a regular part of its Kuşlu lineup. I am thrilled that now there IS an Arda Kuşlu Narince! And, after an email exchange with Arda’s winemaker Şeniz, while I still don’t know the answer to why it hasn’t been before. 

Arda Bağcılık

Arda Bağcılık is a small, family-run winery tucked near the historic town of Edirne in Turkey’s Thrace region. Founded in 2007 by Ilyas Saç, this small production winery is a family affair tended to by Saç’s children. Wine lovers all, his daughter Şeniz oversees the wine production while his son Yavuz, a wine scholar manages the winery (and attached restaurant and guest bungalows). 

Situated in the north western tip of Turkey, winters here are cold and snowy, and summers are dry with constant northern winds. Stratas of sand and stone over terra rosa and clay ensure that drainage is not a problem in the fields and helps with Arda’s efforts to cultivate low yields and high-quality grapes. Arda has doubled its capacity since opening and now can produce up to 100,000 bottles a year spread across native and international grapes. They cultivate or cooperate with growers of Narince and Papazkarası alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Gamay, and Merlot. 

Narince

Narince is probably the most widely grown native white grape in Turkey. It originally comes from the Tokat region near the Black Sea, where it thrives in rich, alluvial soils. But over time, it’s made its way into vineyards all across the country—from the Aegean coast to Thrace.

Harvest usually happens in the second half of September, but that timing can be tricky for winemakers. Most of the vineyards in Tokat are owned by independent growers rather than wineries. These growers often sell the grapes to winemakers and the leaves to other buyers. In fact, Narince leaves are a traditional choice for making yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leaves). The problem is, the leaves are picked when they’re at their best—well before the grapes are ripe—leaving the fruit exposed to disease and damage from sun and wind. This disconnect in timing and quality control may explain why Narince has found homes in other parts of Turkey, where winemakers can better manage the entire growing process and create a variety of styles with this terroir-expressive grape.

One of those other parts of Turkey, Thrace, has been a great move for the grape. It is incredibly different from the Black Sea’s moderate and kind of maritime climate. Yet, Narince has thrived in the colder Thracian landscape and varied soils the Strandja Massif gives wines here an expression that at once is Narince…but also something else. 

Arda Kuşlu Narince, 2024

Arda has always grown Narince in its “home” vineyards – those surrounding the winery. In the early years, they experimented with different styles to understand the grape better before settling on making the Rezerv wine. But why not make both the Rezerv and the Kuşlu? Essentially, they just didn’t have enough grapes! Arda had four decares of Narince on site, but that was only enough to made one of the wines. About five years ago, they planted an additional eight decares which is what allowed them to make the Kuşlu Narince!

But this is about more than just making better wine. By growing Narince in Edirne, Arda is helping expand the grape’s terroir footprint. And now, Arda has expanded its own footprint with this wine.

The Arda Kuşlu Narince used whole bunch pressed grapes, fermented in stainless steel tanks. Unlike the Rezerv, there’s not oak at all. I’d have known this was Narince without looking at the label as soon as I put the nose in my glass. The characteristic aromas of white flowers, tree and stone fruit, and notes of orange floated out of the glass. Sipping revealed a generous palate with a weighty finish giving a nod to Black Sea Narince’s weight and slight oiliness. The fruit and flower flavors wrapped around a strong, acidic backbone, balancing the 13% ABV. 

Not only is this a delicious wine, like all those in Arda’s Kuşlu series, its quality punches way above its price category. And GE IT NOW! My email exchange with Şeniz also revealed the sad news that next year there won’t be a Kuşlu Narince! Not because Arda has lost interest. But, because they had a rough spring and frost and cold weather damaged many of the young vines used for this label which means that 2025 won’t give enough grapes.