Due to the hectic and eventful agenda in Türkiye during March 2025, we had skipped sharing our “best of” list at the beginning of the month. Before April comes to a close, we wanted to share March’s list as well to keep the series intact.
*The highlighted photo is from our trip to Uyuni, Bolivia, in November 2023. Watching the sunset while sipping local Bolivian wines, surrounded by the endless white landscape of the world’s largest salt flat, remains one of our sweetest wine-and-sunset memories.
Here are our top picks from March 2025:
Local Wines of Türkiye
2023 Kastro Tireli Hermos Naturel – Turkey, Ege Bölgesi (3/9/2025)
The color leans towards orange. On the nose, aromas of orange peel, peach, cinnamon, clove, and mango are present. On the palate, it carries the sensation of a natural wine, full-bodied and sharp. The flavor profile is well-balanced, with an intense mouthfeel. It has a lightly tannic structure, combining floral and fruity notes. The wine is full-bodied with a long finish. A complex wine that we enjoyed a lot—curious to see how it will evolve with aging. One of the best natural wines made in Turkiye, just great. (94 points)
2022 Chamlıja Papazkarasi CUVÉE MARCEL BIRON – Turkey, Thrace (3/5/2025)
The nose is much more fruit-forward compared to the 2020. It also has notes of earth, clay, and brick on both the nose and palate. It resembles Papaskarası much more than the 2020. On the palate, the flavors are black olives, smoked meat, black pepper, spices, cinnamon, muscat, tea, light herbal notes, and mushroom. The oak integration is excellent and doesn’t dominate. It’s balanced, full-bodied, with a long finish and medium complexity. It has aging potential, though I’m unsure how long it will last. (92 points)
2014 Chamlıja Papaskarası – Turkey, Thrace (3/3/2025)
Tasted as part of the Tadında Dünya tasting group on March 2, 2025, within the concept of Papaskarası varietal tasting.
The color shows slight haziness with hints of browning. On the nose, the intensity is excellent, dominated by red fruits such as raspberry, cranberry, and tea. The palate mirrors this aromatic richness, with a beautifully softened profile. There are no prominent aging aromas yet, but additional layers emerge, including licorice, subtle clove, and the delicate white part of a pomegranate. Earthy notes are also present. Acidity and tannins are medium, and the alcohol is well-integrated. The body is medium. It drinks beautifully and has aged exceptionally well. Drink now. (91 points)
Wines from Abroad
2011 Oenogenesis Deka X – Greece, Macedonia, Drama (3/22/2025)
On the nose, tomato paste, dried tomato, dried pepper, smoked meat, and mushroom. The nose is wonderfully developed and quite complex. On the palate, it has softened beautifully, with the tannins mellowed and an incredibly long finish. The finish features caramel and herbal notes. It’s a superbly developed, extremely enjoyable wine to drink. (94 points)
2022 Diemersfontein Pinotage The Original – South Africa, Coastal Region, Wellington (3/5/2025)
The wine has a deep garnet color. On the nose, notes of dried meat, ribs, smoked meat, and black olives. The aroma intensity is remarkable. On the palate, high acidity, high but softened tannins. Medium bodied with a medium-plus finish. The meat aromas have added an incredible depth to the wine. It is exceptionally flavorful, a kind of wine you never want to end.
Balanced, highly intense aromas, with a medium-plus finish and medium-plus complexity. (93 points)
2014 Oenogenesis Feggites – Greece, Macedonia, Drama (3/22/2025)
Stunning aromas on the nose—intensely expressive with notes of stone, mushroom, herbs, honey, and dried fruits like apricot and pear. On the palate, it has significantly softened, yet the acidity remains strong. The body has lightened, and the finish is medium. The perception of aromas has intensified over time, making it a beautifully aged and complex wine. Well-balanced with a medium finish. The fact that it’s unoaked is a big plus. Thanks to the lees aging process of 7 months, it has aged wonderfully. (93 points)
2018 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (3/26/2025)
On the nose, it is beautifully developed with high aromatic intensity, dominated by dark red-black fruits, rosehip, sour cherry, and licorice. The oak is well-integrated, with notes of vanilla and a very subtle hint of smoke. On the palate, acidity is strong, tannins are nicely softened but still present, accompanied by flavors of red and black pepper. Medium-bodied with a long finish. A highly satisfying, well-aged, and complex wine. (92 points)
2021 Masseria Li Veli Primitivo – Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria (3/5/2025)
On the nose, notes of coffee, chocolate, sour cherry, smoked meat, and dried fig within a level of medium intensity. On the palate, strong acidity, intense but velvety tannins. Flavors of coffee, chocolate, and sour cherry. A full-bodied wine, well-balanced, complex, with a long finish. Medium intensity on the nose but rich on the palate. Extremely enjoyable to drink, flawless. (91 points)
For more tasting notes:
Cellar Tracker Profile – Özgür: Link
Cellar Tracker Profile – Gülfiye: Link