When Neutral is a Good Thing: Barbara Nötr
I’m not going to go into my rant about “natural” wine and why it offends me. Been there, done that. So if I’ve already bought the ticket to that show and walked out of the theater, why am I buying it? That’s a good question. The ‘why’ in this case comes down to the fact that I trust Barbare to bottle a good wine, regardless of what they did (or didn’t do) to it before the cork went in.
Nötr in Turkish means “neutral”, “minimal”, “subtle”. Made with organic grapes, fermented with ambient yeast, and no sulfites added prior to bottling, the Barbare Nötr Merlot seems to follow the very loose definition for “natural” wine. So, I suppose minimal is likely the best definition here.
Barbare Nötr Merlot, 2019
A little on the paler side for a Merlot and slightly cloudy, speaking to the limited filtration. The bouquet was anything but pale though. Boysenberries plucked straight from the bush, freshly-turned earth, leather, and a thread of black pepper. Sipping revealed a softly-textured wine with friendly acidity. I would have liked to see an alcohol lower than 14.4% but it balanced fairly well. The palate delivered everything the nose promised and then some with richer and more black fruit flavors.
This paired really well with, of all things, overly salty deviled eggs. I had a strange craving this day for them and accidentally over salted them (which I’m afraid I do tend to do). The salt and the wine loved each other!
Has this made me change my mind generally about “natural” wines? Nope. But, that doesn’t stop this wine from being pretty good.
Don’t forget to get a copy of The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine for the wine/travel/adventure lovers in your life (or for yourself!) before Christmas! The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine is available globally from Amazon and in Istanbul from TheQuirkyCork.com, La Cave, Comedus, Mahzen 26, Santé Wine & More, Mensis Mahzen, Dekante, Wayana, Homer Kitap Evi, Minoa, and Mephisto.