End of véraison and 2010 vintage

In Zeynep vineyards (Ürgüp) our Cabernet-sauvignon finished its véraison. It ran quickly and uniformly which is a good sign and this year it is pretty rare in Turkey.

Indeed, many vineyards have been hit by hail. I haven’t seen any totally lost harvest, but according to the date on which it hailed, the consequences are more or less serious. On many plots there is a big difference in maturity between the clusters. The vine has flowered twice which means that on the same vine, some clusters will be ready to be harvested while others would need another 15 days of maturation ... If this problem hasn’t been detected and resolved early, the impact on wine quality will be very important.

I heard that most of the Turkish wineries have already begun harvesting. This is not our case but it will not delay. Grapes ripen very quickly.

Weather is warm and dry. On good terroirs as Cappadocia and Güney nights are cool. The day/night temperature differences (15°C at least) that we have are very good for maturation, synthesis of flavors and anthocyanin (color).

The red grapes I've tasted so far are not yet ready to be harvested but the juices are already well-colored and fruity.

To be continued soon...

Visit to Güney

Late June / early July, I went to Güney, near Denizli. Since 2008, we closely work with some growers in this region and it is a real pleasure.

Located 900 meters above sea level, this plateau has a magical “terroir”! The influence of the Aegean Sea is very strong. Days are warm but with dry air. Upon nightfall, the temperature drops rapidly due to sea breezes. The soil is composed of red clay and limestone, whose depth is quite variable. The secret of this region comes mostly from the sub-soil; a thick stratum of limestone which has two major qualities. A good water retention capacity and the fact that this rock is friable, which means that the roots can penetrate it easily. Therefore vines have the water immediately available but it's hard to extract ... In summer, it does not rain in this region and the vine has to force to extract water. This put the vines in moderate water stress what is an absolutely essential condition for a good grape ripening.

Additionally, growers of the Güney region are very interested in their culture and always want to improve their work. They ask many questions and work very well. The result : beautiful vineyards, high quality grapes and exceptional wines : Seneler Cabernet-Sauvignon/Merlot/Syrah 2008 Gold Medal in Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2010!

Güney soil profile :

Soil composed of red clay and limestone

 

The top stratum of clay and limestone whose thickness varies



Sub-soil consists of a friable chalky rock where the roots can penetrate deep