01 April 2015

Turkish Wine of the Week - Gordias Kalecik Karasi

Tuesday morning while sitting in the local tax office when the power wet out. I was hoping it was just a flicker but we soon learned that it was all of our neighborhood. Then we heard that it was all of Istanbul...then 50 cities across Turkey. Dude. What could we do but drink wine?

Earlier I'd stopped in Solera, the wine house just up the street from my apartment, where they offer 25% discount on bottles that you buy for take away, and picked up a couple new reds. Country-wide power outage, candle light, and Turkish homework seemed a great excuse to break out one.

I was thrilled to discover a new Kalecik Karasi. An award winning (Decanter Bronze) no less. The Gordias 2012 is actually not a 100% varietal but a blend of 85% Kalecik Karasi, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Franc.


Against the romantic glow from my Carrefour tea lights, the Gordias was the pretty red of sweet cherries just before they're fully ripe. One the nose it was lovely: all red berries with strong cherries, undertones of strawberry, and for the first time ever I actually smelled the cotton candy.

Is someone working on alcoholic cotton candy? Shouldn't someone be?

The flavor followed the nose nicely with cherries being the strongest and most obvious flavor. Soft with very low tannins, medium high acid, and a long finish rounded out the delightful flavor.

Gordias 2012 Kalecik Karasi is for me a real winner and I think it'll become a regular in my cellar (i.e. the half-case wine box I keep all my reds in. classy, I know). And at 45TL with the Solera to-go discount won't break my bank. Which is great since I kind of owe the Feds some money.

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