Kuzubağ Çal Denizli Haziran 2022

Known as Mossyna in Ancient Greece, the region of Çal is situated in the inner Aegean part of Turkey on a plateau 850-1100 metres above sea level. With the Büyük Menderes River (named after the river-god Maiandros) flowing nearby, the terroir is defined by its distinctive clay-loam and calcareous soil and wide ranging temperatures between day and night, with average fluctuations of 19°C. All four seasons can be experienced in Çal which helps to grow a wide range of grape varieties. All 50 hectares of the estate’s vineyards are within the borders of Çal, Denizli planted with 35 year old vines. Grapes are harvested by hand before sunrise. Emphasis is placed on the health of the vineyard, using only Bordeaux mixture (copper, sulphate and quicklime), permitted in organic viticulture. Each grape variety is pruned according to its needs, aiming for a very low yield such as 500-600 kg of grapes per 0,1 hectares to achieve concentration and balance.

The winemaking process is done entirely by gravity. Before fermentation starts, cold maceration took place for 3 days minimum. During the maceration and fermentation phase, different stirring techniques were used depending on the must's condition twice a day, such as punch down, delestage and pumping over. Fermentation temperatures were around 23-25C° using commercial yeast in stainless steel tanks. 20% of the wine was matured in French oak barrels for 7 months, 8% first use and the rest second use oak. The rest of the wine was matured in stainless steel tanks.