19 January 2015

Turkish Wine of the Week - Vedat Milor 2012 Büyülubüğ

Since my Carrefour has remodeled and renamed itself a Carrefour Gourmet (which as far as I can tell means that it simply has a less well designed interior and higher prices) I have found a few new wine labels. I was thrilled when I saw Vedat Milor Büyülubüğ (30-ish TL if I recall) was one of the new options. When asked which country I think produces the best wine I will always say Spain first (Italy second and Argentina third) so seeing a Turkish wine blend that includes Tempranillo and Grenache made me do a little happy dance right there in the Carrefour Gourmet wine section.


Unfortunately the happy dance ended when I got it home and tasted it. Crushing disappointment from its murky garnet color to its syrupy finish.

While the nose held the promise of berries the palate was a sad imitation of what Tempranillos and Grenaches should be. I've happily owned up to my love of a jammy wine in the past but in this instance I understand why 'jammy' is a four letter word to wine experts. I was surprised by the lightness of the tannins the way this wine stuck to my tongue, coating my mouth with its cloying flavor.

Happily Carrefour has not renovated away its selection of Turkish mezes as the spicy acili ezme and icli kofte made the Büyülubüğ far more palatable. However for the first time in a long time I found myself pouring the remainder of the bottle down the sink.

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