Paşaeli "Naif" Pet Nat Çalkarası 2025

"Naif" means natural, genuine, innocent — and that's exactly the spirit of this joyfully drinkable, old bush-vine bubbly from the Denizli highlands.

Grape Varietals & Region: 100% Çalkarası, grown on old bush vines in the Çal district of Denizli, Turkey. All of Paşaeli's wines are single-vineyard, terroir wines — the vineyards are spread between Thrace and the Aegean, allowing each grape variety to represent its own "homeland." Çalkarası can make complex red wines with a hint of spice, and the grape is often used to "rescue" local blends in the hottest years to add freshness on the palate — its ability to retain acidity and low tannins results in fresh, summery character

Taste Profile: Loads of red fruits like currants and pomegranate come first, followed by aromas of caramel and bananas foster — dry, with a soft and playful mousse, and flavours of pomegranate vinegar, amber honey, and sesame peanuts. The wine greets the nose with intense fruit aromas — strawberry, raspberry, and cherry — alongside a banana pudding note that arrives on the back palate, creating a lovely balance. The alcohol runs slightly higher than expected for a Pet-Nat, but it's medium, very enjoyable to drink, and a thoroughly successful wine. A special experience — the bubbles feel completely different from other pet-nats, thanks to a less aggressive, gentler mousse

Winemaking Process: Grapes were destemmed, and after gentle crushing, macerated for 15 hours on the skins to extract colour and flavour, then pressed and fermented in stainless steel tank. Processed with low intervention, the wine was bottled while still fermenting, with no fining or filtration. Alcoholic fermentation finished in the bottle, trapping CO2 as bubbles to make it naturally sparkling. It remained in contact with the lees for 7 months, then was manually disgorged