In the “Sommeliers Selection” event held at The Marmara Taksim on November 24-25, 2018, besides 187 different wines, there was also the opportunity to taste beer, cheese, bread olive oil and various cookies. The event is actually divided into two parts: Master Class and Walking Around Tasting. In Walking Around Tasting, you can visit the booths of the wine producers and taste the wine you want and ask the questions you are curious about. I think it is a pleasure to have access to many wines that you cannot find in the market widely. In the Master Class, Isa Bal and Matt Wilkin, the world famous Master Sommelier, make their own selections by making blind taste evaluations among the wines offered.
When you enter the event, you are given a booklet and a pen with the wines exhibited at the stands. The aim here is to taste wines rather than drinking wine… but be careful otherwise, tasting may lose its purpose after somewhere.
The prepared booklet was really successful. You can not only write wine names, but you can also find detailed information about the properties of the wine (grapes, yield, pH, sugar ratio, type and duration of the barrel). This guides you. The way I followed was to understand which producer is where and the order of the wines (champagne, white, rose, red) rather than entering the field and tasting the wines immediately. Afterwards, I examined the booklet in my hand and planned which wines to taste. This was a very effective way. When you make a tasting without taking notes, you can mix and forget what are the wines you try and which ones you like.
I am starting to list the wines I recommend without further ado:
Clarendelle Rouge: An enjoyable wine with an easy-to-drink coupage, medium tannin and acidic, bodied, red fruits and blackberries in the nose, with a 13% alcohol content, with a mix of 67% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Souvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux vineyards.
Nif Vineyards Montepulciano & Shiraz: Although shiraz grapes do not suit my taste, I can say that it has a good harmony with Montepulciano. The tanned and fullness of Shiraz grapes seems to be balanced with the velvety feature of Montepulciano. This wine consists of 60% Montepulciano and 40% Shiraz grapes from the 2016 harvest of the Kemalpaşa vineyards. There are notes of coffee and spices on the nose and the tannin structure made from Shiraz grapes makes you feel. A light sweetness is present in wine. It has a slightly more acidic structure than Clarendelle Rouge. Since Montepulciano is my favorite grape.
Shiluh Monastery: This wine of 2016, made from 100% Diyarbakir Bogazkere, is one of those that surprised me at the event… It has a 13% alcohol rate. Bogazkere’s unique strong and tanned structure makes it difficult to drink from time to time, but this wine is well rounded and easy to drink. An acidic and full wine with vanilla tones on the nose.
Likya Vineyards: A successful wine made from 100% Acıkara grape from 2017 harvest of Antalya Elmalı vineyards. The first harvest was taken in 2012 as a result of the discovery and reproduction of a 200-year-old vine by a shepherd in 1993. The world famous Master Sommelier Ronn Wiegand made by the tasting over 100 wines that have managed to get 92 points perhaps to a place of its own in the coming years as Turkey’s best grapes. Cherry and blackberry on the nose, chocolate on the palate. A strong and tanned wine with a 15% alcohol content.
Santa Chateau Murou: This rose wine produced from 100% Cinsault grapes belonging to the 2017 yield of Tekirdağ region has been successful in my opinion with a lively and slightly sweet feeling. Usually this type of grape yields average wines, which is satisfying by looking at it.
Vinkara Yasasin: A 13% alcoholic sparkling wine produced from 100% Kalecik Karasi of 2015 harvest from the vineyards of the Kalecik region of Ankara. Bread tones are felt in the sweet and lively fruity nose and palate. it presents a very enjoyable drinking.
Diren Mahlep Wine: Alcohol, also referred to as vermouth wine, can be defined as a semi-sweet wine aromatized with raised spices. It is an 18% alcoholic wine made from horozkarasi, okuzgozu and shiraz grapes. It blends well with desserts and coffee. A wine that won a gold medal from the Sommelier Wine Awards competition held in London.
Here is another selection made by Master Sommelier
- Kocabağ brand, Kocabağ Emir product, % 100 Emir grape variety, 2017 (white)
- Nif brand, Private Collection Chardonnay product, % 100 Chardonnay, 2017 (white)
- Vino Dessera, Vino Dessera Blush, % 80 Kalecik Karası % 10 Shiraz, % 10 Cabernet Franc üzümleri, 2017 (blush)
- Büyülübağ, Büyülübağ Vedat Milör Okuzgozu Bogazkere, % 50-50 Okuzgozu Bogazkere , 2017 (red)
- Santa, Chateau Murou, % 100 Caberne Franc, 2015 (red)
- Doluca, Kızılcaterzi Merlot, % 80 Merlot, % 15 Cabernet Sauvignon, % 5 Cabernet Franc, 2014 (red)
- Catena Malbec, Alamos, % 100 Malbec, 2017 (red)
- Arcadia, Finesse Kırmızı Blend, % 55 Cabernet Sauvignon, % 23 Cabernet Franc, % 22 Merlot, 2013 (red)
- Barbare, Barbare Prestige, % 67 Cabernet Sauvignon, % 33 Merlot, 2014 (red)
- Selendi, Akhisar Blend, % 35 Cabernet Sauvignon, % 31 Merlot, % 25 Shiraz, % 9 Cabernet Franc, 2016 (red)
