Because of its geographic position, north west of Izmir, Çanakkale has a very similar climate. Soils vary from clay loam to calcareous at altitude. There is a mix of indigenous and intentional grape varieties grown here.
Grape varieties include Boǧazkere, Bornova Misketi, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Çalkarası, Grenache, Kalecik Karası, Karasakız, Malbec, Merlot, Montepulciano, Mourvèdre, Narince, Öküzgözü, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Syrah, Sultaniye, Tannat, Tempranillo, Trebbiano and Viognier.
I have chosen the Corvus Winery to focus on and three of their wines. As Turkey produces far more red than white wine, I have selected 2 Corvus reds and 1 white for review. They do not make rosé wines. The winery is owned by Turkish architect Reşit Soley. After taking it over in early 2004, he set about a major investment programme. This has resulted in the vineyard today using modern wine making techniques and vineyard husbandry plus state of the art equipment from processing the grapes after harvesting through to bottling.
Red – Blend No 5
NOSE: Blackberries and plum with cedarwood notes
PALATE: A rounded full bodied wine with soft tannins and a slow lingering finish.
FOOD PAIRING: Roasted beef, venison, pork or lamb. Mature hard cheeses.
SUMMARY: Made from a blend of 47% Merlot, 33% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. Merchants are offering this wine at between £25 and £30 a bottle.
Red – Cabernet Sauvignon Kuntra
NOSE: Dark fruits and with hints of coffee, tobacco and oak.
PALATE: A full bodied wine that has a good balance between dark fruit flavours with soft tannins with a long finish
FOOD PAIRING: Roast duck, goose, lamb, casseroles or stews, lightly spiced dishes and hard cheeses.
SUMMARY: Made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and the Turkish Karasakız grape. Expect to pay from £10 to £15 a bottle.
White - Karga
NOSE: Red apples and ripe pears
PALATE: A good balance between the fruit flavours and acidity delivering a smooth wine with a clean finish
FOOD PAIRING: Simply grilled fresh fish or seafood, light pasta dishes and meatballs with herbs.
SUMMARY: Made from a blend of Çavuş and Moscato grapes. This dry white wine will cost between £12 to £15.
