Sevilen Plato Narince at Long Last
I like Sevilen. Yes, it’s one of Turkey’s larger wineries and makes a slightly eye-popping amount of wine every year. But most of their wine is pretty solid. And I think that the winemaker, Sibel, is a rock star. The biggest argument I’ve always had with Sevilen is the less than top billing native grapes receive. Sure, Sevilen puts out some native grape wine, but not generally as part of the higher quality category.
An exception has been the Plato series which included three wines: Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, and a Syrah-Öküzgözü. But no white wines. Until finally…Plato Narince*!
Sevilen Plato Narince, 2020
Grapes for this (likely) came from vineyards around Tokat in the Black Sea region. In the winery, Sibel fermented them in oak barrels then aged the wine on the fine lees in oak for eight months.
Tantalizing aromas of pomelo, baked golden apple and quince, white blossoms and a waft of smoke danced under my nose. On the palate, the wine’s silky text glided lightly across my tongue with just enough alcohol (13%) and acidity to say, “hello, we’re here but we’re not making a grand entrance”. Flavors echoed those presented on the nose with a medium intense combination of baked fruit and a splash of crème anglaise with a twist of clementine peel.
I’ve had not only this wine but this vintage a few times since it came out and it has evolved quite a lot. The newly released vintages show more citrus and energy while just a few years in the bottle round it out and deepen the fruit profile.
*Note: this is not a new wine. Sevilen debuted this at least two years ago but I only recently realized I hadn’t posted about it!