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Turkish Island Wine: Corvus Zeleia Vasilaki

 

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How I’ve never posted about this wine before is really beyond me. Sometimes, something is so obvious that you just assume you did it. Better late than never!

When people think about island wines, minds reach out to Greece, the Canary Islands, Italy. As much as ‘wine’ and ‘Turkey’ rarely enter people’s thoughts at the same time, ‘island wines’ and ‘Turkey’ cross paths even more rarely. And yet, Turkey has islands and they produce wine. Wines from Avşa often get overlooked and little makes it off Gökçeada, but Bozcaada is a different story.

While rarely explored in depth, Turkish island wines have made a name for themselves locally. Much of that was due to the early and highly effective marketing efforts of Corvus. 

Corvus

After a busy career as an architect in the city, Reşit Söley decided to direct his meticulousness and hard work in another direction, wine. For this new stage in his life, Söley chose Bozcaada.

Once known as Tenedos, the island of Bozcaada has a vine and wine history going back 4,000 years. Horrified at seeing how the island vineyards were disintegrating and even being ripped up, he founded his vineyards and winery on the island in 2002. Even the name for his winery was inspired by Bozcaada. One of the most recognizable images for the island are the many crows that make it their home. And so Söley chose to name his winery, Corvus, the Latin word for crow.

Most of Corvus’s vineyards are situated on the southern hillsides of the island in an area called Yerebakan Mevkii. Here Söley cultivates a combination of indigenous and international grapes including: Bornova Misketi, Çavus, Karalahana, Kuntra (Karasakız), Vasilaki, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat of Alexandria, Viognier, Muscat Giallo, Petit Verdot, and Syrah.

In addition to these, Corvus wines also feature the indigenous varieties Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Emir. These grapes are not grown on the island, but are brought in from from traditional, non-irrigated vineyards in Elazığ, Diyarbakır, and Cappadocia respectively.

Vasilaki

Vasilaki is one of a handful of grapes grown exclusively on Bozcaada. The grape apparently arrived on Bozcaada in the 1900s from Aleksandrapoli. It’s not unreasonable to assume that some of those original vines might still thrive on the island. The grape does well in the island’s calcareous soil. While bush vines are traditional here, they also serve to protect the grapes. Bozcaada experiences exceptionally strong winds that can strip leaves and flowers from vertically positioned vines. You should see the olive trees here. After decades of wind battering against them, those that survive are permanently bent against the wind.

In the vineyard, Vasilaki tends to lose acidity quickly so wines made from it often include early-picked fruit to retain some acidity and freshness. The grapes are small, thick-skinned, and grow in large, loose bunches. It tends to be a high yielding variety so yields have to be controlled in order to make quality wine. 

The wine has a tendency to oxidize. To combat this, winemakers often let it rest on it lees for even a short time. Lees are able to suck up oxygen, protecting wine from oxidation. Vasilaki does well as a single varietal, usually tank-fermented and aged wine. I do not think there are any oak aged versions around. It can also create sweet wines and is used in the Corvus Passito.

As a wine, Vasilaki’s fresh acidity makes it a great wine for food pairing; especially with the oil-based mezes and seafoods common in island/seaside diets.

Corvus Zeleia Vasilaki

Made with 100% Vasilaki, the Corvus Zeleia ferments in stainless steel tanks with brief lees aging before bottling. This is not a wine meant to age extensively and is best consumed within a few years of its vintage.

The wine takes its name from the ancient Greek city Zeleia (Ζέλεια). Located at the foot of the Kaz Dağları (which apparently is Mount Ida in English), Homer refers in Iliad to Zeleia as ‘a holy city.’

This is a wine that speaks of summer. Its lemony color, a bright as the sun, shines in the glass, making you feel happy before you even get a whiff of the aroma. Quince and Anjou pear flavors hold the wine’s center while Meyer lemon and bergamot jam dance around the core before white flowers emerge on the finish. Fresh acidity and low alcohol (11.5% ABV) help the wine sit lightly.

A wine to lift your heart and transport you to a summer island!

Personally…I rather think that Amadeus MMX’s Vasilaki is bit better. Unfortunately, Oliver’s wines are very difficult to get in Istanbul. 

Don’t forget to check out some other reviews of Corvus wines before you go!