Could This Be Turkey’s Best Fumé Blanc?
Kuzubağ, part of the Çal Bağ Yolu, is located in the Çal district of Denizli in Turkey’s inner Aegean. The winery’s vineyards sit at an elevation of 850 meters in clay-loam and calcareous soil. Given the elevation, there’s a great difference between day and night temperatures allowing grapes to ripen over a longer period while retaining their freshness. Here they grow a range of native and international grapes, including of course the local Çal Karası.
Recently, I had the pleasure of finally visiting Kuzubağ! I can say without a doubt that it is one of the most beautiful wineries in the country. No surprise they’ve won several architectural awards! A great pity there is not yet a hotel in Çal (I stayed an hour’s drive away in Pamukkale). Were there a more convenient hotel, it would be worth the flight to Izmir then the three-hour drive to hang out at the winery for a few days. Certainly, you wouldn’t want for wine while there. Kuzubağ has (in my opinion) the best wines of any of the Çal Bağ Yolu wineries with winemakers Semri Zorlu and Merve Gürcanoğlu knocking them all out of the park.
Including the Kuzubağ Fumé Blanc the winery debuted last year.
Kuzubağ Fumé Blanc, 2022
I loved the Kuzubağ Sauvignon Blanc since its first release and I possibly love the Fumé Blanc equally as much.
Aged partially in French oak barrels then blended with wine aged in stainless steel, the Kuzubağ Fumé Blanc pours a medium-pale lemony color. Tropical passion fruit and grilled pineapple hit the nose first followed by more mellow aromas of golden apple wrapped around a flinty core with spicy nutmeg and marzipan notes. On the palate the wine presented round but with good acidic structure and flavors that highlighted the excellent oak integration. Flavors similar to those sensed on the nose like brown spice (nutmeg and allspice) decorated grilled pineapple were accompanied by a squeeze of fresh tangerine, more tropical fruit, and a splash of vanilla cream and pastry.
I have for a long time thought that Sevilen’s 900 (now well out of the price range of what I’ll pay for an international grape in Turkey) was the pinnacle of Turkish Fumé Blanc. But now, the far more reasonably priced Kuzubağ Fumé Blanc just may have taken the title.