Vinolus Kalecik Karası
Vinolus Winery makes possibly my favorite Kalecik Karası wine. Therefore, it came as a great surprise to me whenI realized that I hadn’t posted about it yet!
A boutique producer in Kayseri, near Cappadocia, Vinolus makes unique wines from organically grown grapes. Oluş Molu and her brother Aziz took over the family farm in the early aughts to create the first ecological farm in Turkey. The project includes 50 acres (20 ha) planted to native Kalecik Karası and Narince as well as international varieties: Chardonnay, Roussanne, Shiraz, and Tempranillo. Here grapes planted on native rootstock grow on a combination of head and trellis trained vines.
Oluş keeps production small, a mere 10,000 bottles annually, in order to not compromise the ideals of the ecological project or harm her ECOCERT organic certification standing.
Kalecik Karası originated in the village of Kalecik near Turkey’s capital Ankara, some 280 kilometers from Kayseri. The two areas, both part of the Central Anatolian wine region, share a similar coll to cold continental climate. What makes Kayseri stand out though is the area’s volcanic soils. This gives all of Vinolus’s wines a distinctive edge but makes it especially easy to pick its Kalecik Karası out of a line up.
Vinolus Kalecik Karası 2015 Tasting Notes
You won’t find any of this grape’s tell-tale cotton candy aromas in the Vinolus Kalecik Karası. Leaning more brick than the bright cherry color seen in other wines, this wine often starts with a hint of reduction. If you don’t mind that go ahead and dive right in. But 20 to 30 minutes of patience will reward you with aromas of red fruits sprinkled with crushed herbs and a whiff of leather like a tack room.
Sipping reveals flavors very similar to the nose with lots of crunchy cherry, dried herbs, and leather. More savory than fruity with an edgy herbaceousness that makes Vinolus’s wine very different from others.
Medium-bodied with 13% abv, the Vinolus Kalecik Karası is elegant and subtle. Many often describe this grape as Turkey’s answer to Pinot Noir. The comparison is particularly apt in this case.
One of the best parts about this wine? The quality to price ratio is incredible. In Istanbul you can usually find it at the larger Carrefour grocery stores for less than 80 Turkish Lira (give or take $13).