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Apologies for the clichéd title, but it's an example of the kind of
prejudice Turkish wine producers might have to overcome to get people to
take their wines more seriously. I've posted my tasting notes below on most of
the wines (leaving out a couple of stinkers) discovered on a fascinating trip to Turkey's
vine-lands and their extraordinary city of Istanbul (must go back
sometime...) in
September 2004. We visited the coastal wine area of Marmara, west of
Istanbul in Thrace region, and wineries in central Anatolia, Turkey's
rocky Asian heartland nearer to Ankara. I never did get around to writing up my
full thoughts on vineyards, wineries
and potential for export; with some nice people, restaurants and carpet
salesmen thrown in too. Perhaps one day when I unearth my notes again. During the meanwhilst,
click here
to read an extended version (I've since added a bit more info and opinion) of the news report I did for
Decanter.com; or click there to view the published piece on Decanter's site.
Doluca
www.doluca.com
DLC Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot
2002, Anatolia
(12%) - Fairly
attractive berry and currant aromas, a bit lean on the fruit v tannins and
acidity, and a little reduced again; not terrible but no chance against
similar wine from elsewhere.
70-75
DLC Kalecik Karasi 2002, Anatolia (12%) - Not bad rustic cherry
fruit, again a touch of sulphide on the nose, but it does have a better
finish of savoury fruit, even if the acidity's a little bitter.
75-80
Sarafin Merlot 2002, Thrace -
Interesting nose, gamey with a touch of oak and lightly leafy edges;
reasonably fruity palate rounded out by vanilla oak, fair acidity gives it
a fresher finish without being tart. Try with grilled aubergine paste.
85-87
Sarafin Fumé Blanc 2002, Thrace -
Light citrus and honey notes with just a touch of oak on the nose, oakier
palate but shows a little crispness and mineral character too, a touch
unclean/sulphury on the finish but it's basically sound and a reasonable
example of this style (take it or leave it). I prefer the straight
Sauvignon Blanc. Local retail price approx. £8! 75-80
Sarafin Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Thrace
- Not bad aromatic & crisp, slightly clumsy Touraine Sauvignon style;
better with chargrilled aubergine paste or feta cheese.
80-83
Eurasia Two Continents NV (Öküzgözü Cabernet Sauvignon) - Blend
of grapes from the European and Asian parts of Turkey. Spicy blackcurrant
fruit touched up with light oak, rather bitter finish though; nice idea
but... UK £4.99 77-80
Karma Gamay/Bogazkere
2001, Anatolia - Karma means blend (man). Toasty nose and palate
with richer rustic side, quite firm but also has riper dried fruit
characters; not bad but once again I detected sulphide off-notes.
75-80
Karma Merlot/Bogazkere
2001 (13.5%) - Also a touch unclean on the nose or is it me?
However, this has much better fruit and depth than most of the others with
nice dry yet rounded tannins without any of that bitterness, and the oak
is well done. 83-85
KAV 2001, Anatolia (Öküzgözü Bogazkere) - Slightly burnt/cardboard
flavour but has nice developed rustic fruit with dry tannins and bite;
kind of northern Italian style that works better with all that Turkish
lamb. 80-85
Riesling 2003, Thrace (12%) - Too
much sulphur on the nose but it does have a nice zesty mineral palate and
length; could have potential if handled a bit better.
80-85
Safir Muscat 2001, Thrace (12%) -
Lovely grapey nose and fruity palate, elegant balance of acidity and light
sweetness (just 13 g/l residual sugar). Nice aperitif.
85-87
Sarafin Cabernet Sauvignon 2001,
Thrace (14.5%) - Rich dark colour showing attractive cassis and black
fruits, good concentration and weight, very grippy tannins but not overly,
get that high alcohol but it works within this framework; still a little
reduced though. 87+
Sarafin Chardonnay 2002, Thrace
(13.6%) - Attractive light butter and toast aromas yet nice aromatic fruit
too, toastier palate but it's quite well done showing buttery richness v
fresh acidity; just a tad too toasty on the finish (for me). Try with
swordfish steak. 87+
 Kavaklidere
www.kavaklidere.com
Altin Köpük Brut NV,
Anatolia (Emir) - Not bad nutty Cava style
with reasonable bready fruit and bubbles, could be a bit drier on the
finish (for me anyway). Acceptable apero or with pud.
80+
Inci Damlasi Brut NV (Emir Narince Semillon
Muscat Sultana) - Actually a Thracian/Anatolian/Aegean blend pumped
up with CO2, it's not bad in a cheap Cava way showing a bit of cakey fruit
and residual sugar set against fresh acidity. 80
Ancyra Kalecik Karasi 2003, Anatolia
- Attractive easy drinking cherry and redcurrant fruit, perhaps the
acidity's a bit high but nice simple stuff nevertheless.
80+
Angora red 2003, Anatolia (Cinsault Gamay
Cabernet Sauvignon) - Appealing soft cherry fruit,
Teroldego-esque attractive style.
80+
Angora Sultaniye 2003, Anatolia -
Fresh and clean aromas, quite zingy with a touch of crisp acidity plus
some weight and length aided by quite high (but integrated) alcohol (14%).
Nice quaffer / fishy wine. 80+
Bogazkere 2000, Anatolia - Resin &
balsamic aromas with mixed dried fruits, attractive enough style but has
very dry firm tannins so needs to go with hearty food like lamb or
chicken. 80+
Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
2002, Anatolia - Rather herbaceous and bitter, a bit oxidised too...
70
LAL rosé 2003, Anatolia - Dry crisp
elegant Provencesque style, shows fair weight (of alcohol) too and a
little fresh acidity; the fruit's perhaps beginning to fade a bit on the
finish. Try with spicy grilled peppers soaked in olive oil.
83
Narince 2002, Anatolia - Tank sample
(why not bottled already?) as the 99 was a bit oxidised and passed it
(what a surprise). The 2002 was much livelier and more interesting (so why
keep it in wood and tank for so long?) with rounded oaked character
freshened by good acidity and some zingy fruit. 83-85
Öküzgözü 2000, Anatolia - The grape
with the most accents. Rather thin in colour, mature dried red fruits with
a touch of oak on the nose; has a bit of grip in the mouth, at/past its
peak really but reasonably attractive in that old fashioned way.
75-80
Sauvignon Blanc/Sultaniye
2002, Anatolia - Yeasty gooseberry nose, delivers a little juicy
fruit contrasting with an oilier side and fair acidity; quite nice but
better to drink the 2003 now. Good seafoodie. 80
Selection Narince/Semillon
2000, Anatolia - Rounded honeyed fruit, quite nice depth of fruit
and style to start, but it dies on the finish; needs to be drunk younger.
79+
Selection Öküzgözü/Bogazkere
2001, Anatolia - Lovely Pinot Noir-esque fruity nose, quite silky
palate rounded out by a touch of vanilla oak; the fruit's at its peak, but
drinking nicely now. Try with spicy kebab. 85+
Kocabag
Cabernet Sauvignon
2002,
Anatolia - Displays reasonable creamy blackcurrant fruit, pretty tangy in
a cheap Chilean CS kind of way, but it's OK. 77-80
Kalecik Karasi 2002, Anatolia -
Perfumed cherry fruit, stylistically a sort of Pinot Noir/Garnacha cross;
light dry tannins on the finish yet fruity enough to please.
80-83
Misket 2003, Anatolia - Aromatic and
grapey, clean and fresh, nice quaffer and promising too.
80+
Narince 2002, Anatolia - Oily nutty
characters, it's a bit oxidised but does have a touch of freshness left
holding it together. 75+
Melen Winery
-
Marmara, Thrace
Gewurztraminer
2003 - Light lychee character, zesty and quite elegant with zingy
fresh length; nice enough in a leaner style despite a tad of bitterness on
the finish, which is overcome by seafood. 80-83
Kalecik Karasi 2003 - Lovely aromatic
sour cherry nose, shows lively fruit with rustic edges, quite fresh
acidity to finish but still attractive. Reminds of Blaufrankisch or
Cabernet Franc style. 85+
Melencik Rezerve 2003 - A touch reductive/SO2 on the nose plus some
sweet oak too, quite silky palate to start with reasonable fruit and fresh
acidity, finishes a little bitter and toasty. 77-80
Merlot Rezerve 2003 - A bit samey with
those black cherry and spicy oak characters and rounded oaky palate;
decent wine but too similar to the Shiraz. 80-83
Mistell NV (19% fortified) - 55 year old 'sweet sherry' aged in
mulberry wood barrels. Interesting walnut and dried fruit nose, mature
oxidised (not surprisingly) and quite rich with woody vanilla notes, quite
fiery yet complex and long. 87+
Muscat Reine de Vin 2003 - Another
seafoody dry white. Clean and lean style, better on the finish in terms of
grapey Muscat character with crisp mineral length.
80-85
Narince 2003 - Fresh clean mineral nose
with similar profile on the palate, refreshing acidity and aromatic fruit
on the finish; attractive if not very characterful, better with seafood
though. 80+
Shiraz Rezerve 2003 - Hint of oak with
peppery black cherry fruit, light herbal notes too; shows reasonable
weight and concentration with some coconut oak rounding out the good grip
and acidity. New wave-ish style, goes well with all that lamb.
87+
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