Pink, It’s My New Obsession
In high school one of my favorite songs was Aerosmith’s Pink. And while pink anything, let along wine, is not my obsession, I’m no longer so obsessed with hating it.
In my previous post about Turkish rosé, I covered a handful of pink wines I’ve had here which have helped (slowly) change my mind about rosé. As winemakers respond to the global trend that has popularized rosé as serious wine so too has the quality increased. There’s still more than enough plonk available. However, one can find a few gems out there ranging from the fruity and simple to more complex and savory. Maybe the next time you reach for something pink you’ll give a Turkish rosé a try!
Doluca Sarafin Rosé 2017 Tasting Notes
When Istanbites and I sat down with Sibel Kutman Oral, part of the current generation behind Turkish wine giant Doluca, she asked if we’d had the 2017 Sarafin rosé. According to Sibel, this was the best rosé to come from the lauded Sarafin line. At the time we hadn’t, but I kept my eyes peeled until I came across a bottle. A different blend than the previous vintages, the 2017 combined Merlot with Cabernet France to make an intensely pink, round, medium-full bodied with with considerable (14%) alcohol and non-aggressive acidity. This is no insipid pink wine to be dismissed lightly. Big and complex enough to pair with a lot of different foods, this is a serious wine.
It began simple enough with summer fruits before opening to included fresh notes of smashed cucumber, garden herbs, cotton candy, and mineral. Fruit and herb flavors find as much balance as the wine with raspberry, peach, and thyme. Structured, mouth-watering, and well-balanced this is a wine I would happily drink again.
Urlice Rosé 2017 Tasting Notes
Urlice’s 100% Syrah rosé was super interesting and just so many things. I was expecting less delicacy on the nose given the vibrancy of the color. Açai berries, blueberries, dried cranberries, and candy. It was in the mouth the wine really opened up. The first sip was fruity but the wine slowly revealed cotton candy, lavender, and a startling splash of sassafras. Round, medium-bodied, 13% abv, and zippy acid.
Urlice makes some really interesting and this was definitely one of them. 
Selendi Gülpembe 2016 Tasting Notes
Selendi’s rosé, called Gülpembe (pink rose) is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Shiraz. Making it very similar in both blend and style to Provence rosés. As delicate and pale as the color, the nose revealed hints of peach, nectarine, and white rose. But really only hints, the nose was very shy. Happily it was slightly less so on the palate with stone fruit, melon, currants, and white flowers. This was definitely an aperitif wine though. While some nice flavor came through, the overall fragility of flavor, structure, and the short finish would find it difficult to hold up to anything other than the mildest of foods.
Karnas Rosé 2017 Tasting Notes
So-called “white Zinfandel”, that notorious, sei-sweet rosé has given many of us a poor impression of 
rosé in general. It wasn’t until I visited Karnas that I’d ever tried, let alone heard of, serious rosé being made with Zinfandel. Karnas cultivates only two grapes; Zinfandel and Syrah. Karnas was in fact the first Zinfandel producer in Turkey and has carved out a beautiful existence in the limestone desert of Bodrum. Happily, its wine is a completely different animal than the white Zin of my memory.
This pretty little number opened with fresh, crushed berries and grapefruit sprinkled with black currant leaf. Racy acid carried the flavors of sun-soaked, just picked berries and newly chopped herbs that gave a nice savory kick on the finish. Crisp and easy with 13.5% abv, this was far too easy to drink on its own. Happily though, also very food friendly. It’s tricky to find in Istanbul sadly. I absolutely bought two bottles while at the winery!
Ma’Adra Floral Series Rosé 2016 Tasting Notes
Pic by Istanbites
Included in Ma’Adra’s Floral series is the winery’s only rosé. This series, created to be fresh and easy (with a matching price point) but still balanced is the perfect home for this charming wine. Aromas of fresh herbs dominated this 85/15% Syrah-Pinot Noir blend and accentuated the flowers and strawberry jam aromas that followed. Delicate and savory with zippy acid and a clean palate this was very easy to drink. Happily it also had a fairly low alcohol level of only 12.5% so I didn’t feel too bad about finishing off the bottle!
Vino Dessera Entrika Rosé 2017 Tasting Notes
Vino Dessera has this year debuted a new series: Entrika. It includes as red blend, a varietal Viognier, and this rosé which is an unusual blend of Viognier and Kalecik Karası. So incredibly pale peach in color I wonder if the Kalecik Karası weren’t already a rosé before it was blended with the Viognier. Despite 
the delicacy of the color there was nothing pale in the bouquet. The wine was beautifully expressive with aromas of peaches, apricots, and anjou pears with touches of fruit blossom and white flowers. Super dry; despite the fruity aromas and flavors no one could mistake this for having any sweetness! Once I got over the surprise of how dry it was I enjoyed the red berries, stone fruit and underlying salinity. With a mere 12.8% abv, Vino Dessera’s Entrika rosé surprised me with more than its dryness as the feeling of the wine in my mouth outlasted the flavors.
And good thing it did have a relatively low amount of alcohol as I downed all but a small sip (saved for a friend) as I danced around the kitchen belting out Pink Martini tunes while making dinner.
Barel Rosé 2015 Tasting Notes
In Tekirdağ at Barel the rose is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Bright watermelon pink in the glass with a nose as summery as watermelon itself. Wild strawberries and floral aromas reminded me of the summer garden at my parents’. Nice acidic structure weighing in at 13% abv with flavors of summer berries and hints of green pepper. A very nice rosé for food pairing, particularly the somtimes tricky oil-based mezes here in Turkey.
Çamlıbağ Ayapetro Tasting Notes
Çamlıbağ has produced its triptych Ayapetro line for a number of years now but it’s only been this year that the wines have shown up in Istanbul. Like Ma’Adra’s Floral series and Vino Dessera’s Entrika, the Ayapetro line includes a red, a white, and a rosé. Although Çamlıbağ bills its rosé as a kırmızı’dan beyaz (white from red) rather than as a pembe (pink).
Made from 100% Kuntra, a grape native to the Aegean island Bozcaada, this Ayapetro began with currant, white mulberry and freshly chopped herbs. The palate revealed similar flavors with a nice earthy finish. Slightly aggressive acid meant that I probably wouldn’t drink this on its own but it was very food friendly. As Istanbites and I proved by making our way through two bottles while eating Turkish mezes, sizzling butter shrimps, and friend fish dishes.