Online Kalecik Karası Taste Along
After the Bornova Misketi taste along went so well I moved on to one of my favorite Turkish black grapes, Kalecik Karası. Not only is this purported to be the most age worthy grape, it’s also one of the most flexible. In addition to making great reds that reflect their terroir, Kalecik Karası can also be used for blanc de noirs, rosé, and even sparkling wines.
While I miss having people physically present for the tastings (if not all the dishes after!) I am really loving doing this online. Now I can reach so many more people! I had people from Athens and Belgium in the Bornova Misketi tasting and this one included a number of people in the US, from DC and Las Vegas. I’m going global!!
Vino Dessera Blanc de Noirs, 2017
From Vino Dessera in Kırklareli, Thrace is one of the two still blanc de noirs style wines made with Kalecik Karası. Kayra also makes one but its color really leans pink.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Color: more of a “grey” wine it’s not quite the color of a traditional white wine but it’s not in the pink family either
Nose: Tropical fruits and white strawberries tinged with lemon blossom and citrus.
Palate: A fresh and silky texture slipping across the tongue carrying tropical fruit and white peach flavors. Pleasing, non aggressive acidity combined with the moderate alcohol make this a great easy drinking wine.
Ezel Rosemingo, 2017
In the depths of the Denizli district in Turkey’s Aegean, in Çal, family run bulk winery Ezel Family Winery makes a rosé with one of the country’s most adorable labels. And the name, Rosemingo? Sales gold.
Alcohol: 13%
Color: intense, candy pink
Nose: Crushed red berries like strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry and candy.
Palate: On the palate the wine is dry with lively acidity and flavors reflective of the nose. Simple but fun for summer.
Vinkara Minoj, 2018
Vinkara‘s story begins with Kalecik Karası. Owner Ardıç Gürsel opened the winery specifically to promote Turkish grape varieties. Neighboring Tomurcukbağ (below) in Kalecik, Vinkara sits smack in the center of Kalecik Karası territory and uses the grape for a variety of wines. When it came time to make a rosé, Gürsel named the wine (Minoj) after her mother.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Color: medium-pale salmon
Nose: Smashed red berry with peach skin notes, fresh herbs like bay leaf, sage, thyme.
Palate: Dry with bright and lively acidity. Palate reflects similar flavors hinted at by the nose with elevated herb flavors, particularly the bay leaf and thyme. Great on its own or with food. Try with herbed, grilled vegetables, poultry, or meaty fish.
Tomurcukbağ Gülcihanlı Yıllar, NV
Prof. Dr. Y. Sabit Ağaoğlu, founder of Tomurcukbağ is also the godfather of Kalecik Karası being largely responsible for rescuing the grape from the brink of extinction. At his boutique winery in Kalecik outside Ankara, Prof. Dr. Ağaoğlu works organically with native yeasts, and does everything including filling, corking, and labeling bottles by hand. His wife Gülcihan, with whom he established the winery, sadly passed several years ago. This wine, one of the very few non vintage wines in Turkey, he made in her memory.
Alcohol: 13.6%
Color: medium, slightly cloudy (unfined and unfiltered) garnet
Nose: Cherry and cranberry fruits with complex stable and herb (mostly thyme, a little bay leaf)
Palate: The palate is dry with a medium body and medium high acidity, showcasing many of the aromas sensed on the nose. Elevated dried herb, leather, and savory earthy flavors with a silky texture slip across the tongue in a medium long finish.
Vinolus, 2018
Based in Kayseri, Vinolus‘s Kalecik Karası grows in volcanic soils resulting in a wine with all the Kalecik Karası hallmarks but incorporating a nerviness and edginess from the local terroir. The winery recently won a very well-deserved Silver Medal at Mundus Vini for its 100% Kalecik Karası.
Alcohol: 15%
Color: Medium plus intense garnet
Nose: Sour and black cherry mingled with leather, sage, and thyme.
Palate: An elegant wine showing a largely savory character with earthy and herb details. High, mouthwatering acidity brightens the fruit flavors on the palate blending a little cranberry with the cherry. Dry with a medium plus body and silky tannins, the wine balanced very well with the high alcohol and lingered elegantly.
Vinkara Yaşasın, 2016
I finished the online Kalecik Karası tasting the only way I could, with VInkara’s Yaşasın. When Gürsel opened Vinkara her number two goal was to be the first to make a traditional method sparkling wine with a native Turkish grape. And that’s exactly what she did.
Alcohol: 12%
Color: pale straw with lavish bubbles
Nose: Freshly baked brioche, apple, and mimosa aromas.
Palate: Dry, persistent tight bubbles, crunchy apples, flaky pie crust, scented with lemon blossom, fresh lemon, and grapefruit pith. For me, this is the best sparkling wine Turkey has to offer.