Turkey
2018 Gold 5 Silver 9 Bronze 6 Commended 20
2017 Gold 6 Silver 7 Bronze 10 Commended 22
Turkey’s march from ‘curiosity’ to ‘genuinely interesting wine producer’ has been one of the headline stories of the Sommelier Wine Awards over the past five years. Our tasters are increasingly aware of – and receptive to – the country’s wines and various styles.
And one of the recurring themes in this year’s tasting was the affection for the local grape varieties – particularly the whites. No surprise that only one of our five white medals was an international grape (the Sevilen Sauvignon Blanc), and even less of a surprise that the other four were Narince, which is acquiring something of a cult reputation among our tasters, who genuinely seem to love it.
The message with the reds was slightly different. Our tasters loved most of what came in (while still aware that the tannin levels might not be to the liking of absolutely everyone). But the indigenous grape varieties here are trickier to pronounce and understand; good as the wines are, they’re perhaps more of a hand-sell and require a sommelier with a deft touch. Cabernet et al, in other words, have a place.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘I’m quite keen on Turkish wine. They’re getting better, too. The indigenous whites are the most interesting. I wouldn’t bother with Sauvignon or Chardonnay.’ Simone Fadda, Roka Aldwych
‘There was serious quality in the reds, and really good value. It’s not at a point where you could put more than one of these on a list, but if you included one you’d be happy.’ Andrés Ituarte, Coq d’Argent
‘The whites are a bit easier to sell than the reds. People don’t like to order something they can’t pronounce.’ Andrea Briccarello, team leader
‘I probably like the Kalecik Karası most. For people that look for different varieties, and different countries, those would work. But you’d need to put them in the glass for them to try, or they wouldn’t trust it.’ Janusz Pawel Sasiadek, Bottles & Battles
‘A couple of the white styles here were reminiscent of Mâconnais – ripe, fresh and clean – all the way up to the very aromatic, unique wines, with great winemaking behind them, and decent prices throughout. You can really work with these.’ Mattia Mazzi, Lutyens Bar & Restaurants
‘Some very exciting things going on. The Oküzgözü are rough diamonds, but a bit of dirt doesn’t do any harm.’ Angela Reddin, team leader
‘The most successful reds were made in a more hands-off way, less extraction and colour. Three or four under £10 would work with food and add value to the list.’ Hamish Anderson, Tate Catering