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Two Words You’d Not Expect Together: Turkish Assyrtiko

 

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Chamlija winery is known to many in Turkey for its enthusiasm for planting grapes not native to Turkey. In addition to grapes that have become so common as to be passé (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay), Chamlija likes to stretch things by planting uncommon grapes. It is, for example, one of the few wineries cultivating Riesling. It is the only winery growing Albariño, Assyrtiko, Mavrud, Kadarka, and Xinomavro. 

All of these wine are good, because Chamlija undeniably makes good wines. Some of them are even interesting. But they wouldn’t always jump out of a blind tasting lineup as what they are. Regardless, it is always exciting to see how a foreign grape will do in Turkey, especially in the madly diverse soils on the slopes of the Strandja Massif where Chamlija’s vineyards lay.

But Turkish Assyrtiko? Not actually the first Greek grape to make an appearance here. Suvla debuted an Agiorgitiko some years ago (imo one best avoided, but then I also really don’t like Agiorgitiko). But planted Greece’s lauded and possibly most famous grape Assyrtiko was bold. Rumors of the Chamlija Assyrtiko floated around for a couple years but production was low and it wasn’t until the 2022 vintage that it went on the commercial market. Also in 2023, Chamlija revealed it had also been working on Xinomavro and the first Hungarian grape to hit Turkey’s vineyards, Kadarka. 

Chamlija Assyrtiko, 2022

While it took me a while, I finally came around to mainland Greece Assyrtiko wines. This madly fascinating grape takes on different personalities based on where it grows. I even had one recently that was so unusually aromatic, I would swear up and down were a Moschofilero.  And I know there are some interesting experiments with Assyrtiko going on in South Africa, but the Chamlija Assyrtiko would be my first non Greek Assyrtiko. 

Pale, greenish-platinum in the glass, things started out very promisingly with this. The aromas coming out of the glass couldn’t have been more obviously Assyrtiko if the wine had a voice to introduce itself. Bright citrus and lime, white fruits, flowers, and a hint of crushed seashells. Sipping revealed plenty of the grape’s signature texture and firm acidity moderate alcohol (13.8%), with flavors of Rangpur lime, tropical fruits, and banana.

Chamlija Xinomavro, 2021

Similarly to the Assyrtiko, this was my first non Greek Xinomavro. IS it grown elsewhere? According to Wine Searcher, no. But I a) don’t know how often they update and b) know that Turkey often doesn’t get a mention in their pie charts so who knows where else doesn’t rate a mention…

The wine spent 15 months in Hungarian oak before bottling. Red fruits and spice on the nose with cherry compote, black raspberry, brown spices, a kiss of vanilla, and a hint of chocolate.  This famously finicky grape seems to like the Strandja Mountains creating an elegant wine, bright and fresh on the palate with firm acidity, round tannins, and refreshingly low alcohol at just 11.5%.

Chamlija Kadarka, 2022

Take a turn to the east from Greece and now we’re in Hungary (okay that might be an oversimplification but you get it) with one of the country’s most well-known black grapes. Unlike Xinomavro, Kadarka does have a home in several countries including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and now Turkey. 

Interestingly, this grape HAS a connection with Turkey from long before Chamlija started planting it! According to Taste Hungary:

Its origins are somewhat hazy, but it seems certain that it began life in the Balkan-Pannonian region, perhaps around Lake Scutari on the Montenegro-Albanian border when the Turkish variety Papazkarasi was crossed with local Serbian variety Skadarsko. It later ended up in Hungary when Serbs fleeing the Turks migrated northwards bringing their Kadarka vines with them. The Hungarians adopted Kadarka as their own, and by the 19th century, an astounding 60 percent of vineyards was given over to this … vine.

How cool is that? In a way, Kadarka has kind of come back home.

The wine aged for six months in, yup, Hungarian oak. How appropriate! It poured a medium intense ruby, a little darker than it’s Hungarian counterparts would be. Regardless, the nose was all Kadarka with red fruits (lots of currants, a little cherry), dried flowers, and spice.  At 15%, the alcohol was higher than you would see in Hungary where Kadarka wines can have an ABV as low as 11%, but around 12.5-13% seems to be the standard. But the grape’s hallmark bright acidity and fruity – savory spice were all there on the palate with juicy raspberry, currants, poppy flowers, and ras al hanut.