Turkey

This is a blend of Laecik Karasi and Syrah from western Turkey.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, some black raspberries, a bit of funk and earth.  Great texture; rich but juicy.  On the palate, there is a nice complexity.  Black raspberries, plums and black cherries with some earthiness underneath.  Long finish.  This is tasty.  It may get better but should mature for a bit and drink well for another ten to twelve years.  It would work well with Yaprak Dolma (stuffed grape leaves).  

This is a blend of 47% Merlot, 33% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc from Turkey.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, pine and salinity.  Nice texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has tight layering.  Notes of black cherries, milk chocolate, black pepper and slight bell pepper.  Reasonably good balance although a bit more acidity would be nice.  Seems to be at peak or slightly past.  Drink now.  This would work better with food.  Eggplant such as Imam Bayildi might be a nice choice.  

Made from the Karalahna grape which is found almost exclusively on Bozcaada Island.  Light ruby in color with a bit of browning, clear and bright.  Very light in color.  The nose has cherry cough syrup, some raisins, cloves and a bit of sweaty horse.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries, raspberries with some underlying earthiness.  Kind of funky.  Fascinating.  Moderate acidity.  Hard to describe this in terms of western grapes, but enjoyable and it grows on you.  Seems to be getting on in years, so it probably should be consumed sooner than later.  It probably will work better with fo

This is a sample from a winery that is not yet in commercial production.  It is 65% Öküzgözü and 35% Alicante.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is interesting with black cherries and pomegranate.  Medium tannins, yet a soft texture.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries.  Clean.  This drinks easy but lacks a bit of structure.  No idea on the barrel regimen but perhaps some new oak would be a good thing.  The fruit seems pure and it is delicious.  It seems like it should drink well for the next seven to ten years.  

This is a project of a developing winery, not yet in commercial production.  It is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Alicante from Turkey.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, pine, and black cherries.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, tart cherries.  Nice acidity.  It is somewhat a trade off in getting the Cabernet ripe without losing the acidity, but in this case a touch more ripeness would have been better.  Still, it drinks easy for a first effort.  The Alicante does seem to add some plushness to the wine.  It will work better with food.  It is

This is a blend Öküzgözü (60%), and Boğazkere (40%), indigenous grapes of Turkey.  The name of the winery means Magical Winery.  Garnet in color, ruby at the edges, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherry fruit.  Also some raisins and black pepper.  Full bodied.  A nice complexity.  Slightly ripe/sweet on the palate.  The black cherries and raisins carry thru.  Light tannins.  Moderate acidity.  Long finish.  This seems to be about at peak.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  It would work well with Manti (Turkish Ravioli).

The name of the winery means Magical Winery.  This is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot from  Turkey.  Garnet in color, purple at the core, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, slight black olives and char.  Very tasty.  Complex.  On the palate, slight black raspberries, cassis, black cherries, black pepper.  Slight acidity.  Long finish.  This is a delicious fruit forward wine that seems to be at or close to peak.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  This would work well with Iskender Kebap or other meaty dishes.  

This is a a Rosé from the Çalkarası grape made in the western part of Turkey.  Very pale pink in color, clear and bright.  The nose has watermelons and strawberries.  On the palate, this is refreshing and tasty.  Strawberries and tart cherries with slight acidity.  Good finish.  Nothing really distinguishable about the grape varietal in this format, but a very good, solid rose.  Nice energy, it probably should be drunk in the next year or so to enjoy that aspect as well although it should drink longer.  This will match with a wide variety of foods.  It ould work well at brunch with Menemen.

Yapıncak is a grape variety native to Şarköy – Tekirdağ on the European part of Turkey. Golden with a light pinkish hue, clear and bright.  The nose is different with scents of linden and slight citrus.  On the palate, this is a bit flabby with little acidity.  The linden comes thru.  clipped on the finish.  This is different.  Probably better with food.  Gözleme would be a nice choice.  Drink now.  

This is the largest selling white wine in Turkey.  It is a blend of 35% Narince, 35% Emir, 30% Sultaniye grapes.  Light gold in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is tight at first but eventually opens to show some lemons.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this has nice honeydew notes with slight lime.  Moderate acidity.  This drinks very easy, dry, but with a perception of sweet.  This is an excellent value in inexpensive white wine and would be great for a party.  Drink over the next couple of years.  This would go well with sea food such as Balik Ekmek.