Emir is one of my favorite grapes in Turkey. My favorite white grape full stop. High acidity, distinct minerality, clean citrus and green fruit aromas, history
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While neither new nor lost, Karasakız has long been underappreciated. For a long time, there was only Suvla (which still explores the most expressions of the grape, Paşaeli, and the producers on Bozcaada making wine under the grape's alternate name, Kuntra. Recently, something seems to have changed and love for Karasakız fills the air. Also called 'Kuntra' the Karasakız (kar-ah-sah-kiz) grape is the oldest grape variety grown on the island of Bozcaada. Records show it growing here for at least 500 years. It likes a warmer climate and, in addition to Bozcaada, also grows on the southern part of the Gallipoli Peninsula, in the Bayramiç District of the Çanakkale
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I've written about a couple few wines now from Akberg. This winery emerged from less than savory "fruit wine" origins to create interesting (grape) wines. In cooperation with Gülçin Akçay, one of our best winemakers, Akberg sources native grapes from across the country. Some, like Narince, Bornova Misketi, and Papazkarası are grapes we know well. Others, like Osmanca and Erçis Karası are specific to them/emerging grapes. Only recently had I been able to try the Akberg Büyük Bağ Bornova Misketi. Kind of a funny story about how that happened. If you have no desire to read through my rambling story, feel free to skip down to the notes below! We lose power
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It's a little strange for me to post about wine today in Ash Wednesday. Today is a fast day which means I will not be drinking any wine at all. Sad for me. And yet, it is #WineWednesday so, here we are! I've flirted with some of Kastro Tireli's other low intervention / "natural" wines. My favorite still being the Hermos Bornova Misketi. I recently realized that I had not yet tried the Kalecik Karası though so I moved to immediately rectify that! Kalecik Karası hails from Central Anatolia, just outside the capitol Ankara, in Kalecik. Whence the grape's name. You can read more about the grape here! Kastro Tireli
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In the September 2023 Turkish Wine Horoscope post, I promised a review of this wine and here it finally is! Yaban Kolektif is a group of wine professionals and enthusiasts dedicated to reviving some of Turkey's rarer grapes. Not having a winery of their own, they cooperate with other wineries (mostly Vinolus lately) and winemakers to release their wines. From Yaban's Instagram: Yaban is a step taken to reunite viticulture and winemaking in Turkey with its past and forgotten values. We lost our rich viticulture culture, winemaking techniques, traditions, festivities and rituals in a short time after the natural disasters and forced population exchanges in the last century. It will perhaps
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Over the last several years, 7Bilgeler has slowly released a series of wines, the Vindemia series, made with native grapes. Some have been more successful than others. I'm very excited to try the Karasakız, which I really really hope they haven't managed to mess up. But in the meantime, the Öküzgözü. 7Bilgeler Vindemia Toprak Öküzgözü, 2021 Like many (if not all) of the native grape wines 7Bilgeler has released, the grapes for the Vindemia Toprak don't come from the winery's Aegean vineyards. Owner Bilge Yamen sources them from the home of Öküzgözü, Eastern Anatolian district Elazığ, specifically Karaçavuş Köyü. The vineyard sits at 1540 meters in clay and limestone soils, and
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Normally I quite like the wines from Büyülübağ. Other than his Adakarası wines, I don't tend to drink them often because I don't really need or want more Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah
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It came as a great surprise to me that I never seem to have posted about the Suvla Blush Karasakız. This is one of the few Suvla wines and rosé wines that recommend. So how have I not posted it? Well, no time like the present! Advent day 19 Suvla Blush Karasakız, 2022 Ballet slipper pink with aromas of thyme, lemon, grapefruit, cranberry, and currant. Nice bright acidity is the first thing to greet the palate. Medium-bodied with 13% abv and a mid and back palate weight. Flavors start out with lemony-grapefruit citrus before transitioning to red fruits with a connecting thread of white pepper. Decent linger.
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To begin, I must admit that I'm cheating a little on this one. I actually opened this wine ages ago but never got around to posting about it. Kastro Tireli's first, and for a long time only white wine was a Viognier-Narince blend. In the spring of 2022, the winery released a two new wines, a Narince Reserve and this Viognier Reserve as varietal wines. [caption id="attachment_19742" align="alignright" width="333"] Even Dr Watson was curious![/caption] Advent day 12 Kastro Tireli Viognier Reserve, 2018 Warm lemon color on the pour. Aromas of pear compote sprinkled with brown spice and a dash of vanilla cream floated out from the glass. Pure silk texture glided over the
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My love of Ma'Adra's Pinot Noir and Carbonic Maceration Öküzgözü (one of the only Öküzgözü wines I like), I have document well and thoroughly. Most of their other wines I explored in my early Turkish wine days and haven't revisited. Until now. Advent day 11 Ma'Adra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018 Sigh. Ma'Adra went with the heavy format bottle for this one. Heavy bottles does not mean quality wine, people. I don't harp on about the environment but, come on. This one is easy. The wine filling the unnecessarily heavy bottle, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 24 months in French Bordeaux barrels. Deep, opaque ruby color that was initially very tight in
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