This $15 red from Turkey tastes like a young Bordeaux without the price tag

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Rey Lopez for The Washington Post

FROM LEFT: Selendi Green Label 2020, Selendi Sarnic 2019, Protos Verdejo 2020, Les Hauts d’Acantalys Lirac 2019, Domaine Thibert Miranda Mâcon-Fuissé 2020.

This week’s selections highlight two affordable wines from western Turkey, where wine grapes flourished in biblical times. We also have a delightful Spanish verdejo and two wines from France: A white burgundy that punches above its pedigree and a savory red from the southern Rhône Valley made by one of the region’s most accomplished cooperative wineries.

GREAT VALUE

Selendi Green Label 2020




 (Excellent/Extraordinary)

Aegean Region, Turkey, $15

Selendi is a line of wines made primarily with international grape varieties in a region of western Turkey where wine grapes have grown for four millennia. The Green is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot, and it tastes like a brash young Bordeaux before it learns it belongs to aristocracy. The wine has warmth — without alcoholic heat — and spice underneath a lot of dark berry fruit. There’s also a Rhône-style blend with a purple label and a more expensive “artist series” Bordeaux blend with some shiraz added in. All are delicious. Alcohol by volume: 14 percent.

Imported and distributed by Stefano Selections: Available in the District at Agora, Ala, Cafe Divan, Calvert Woodley, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, MacArthur Beverages, Meze, Potomac Wine & Spirits, Sheffield Wine & Liquor Shoppe, Zaytinya. Available in Maryland at Rudy’s Mediterranean Grill in Columbia; Cazbar (Baltimore, Columbia). Available in Virginia at Anatolia Bistro in Herndon.

Selendi Sarniç 2019




 (Excellent)

Aegean Region, $15

This white blend from Selendi combines the familiar chardonnay and viognier with narince, a native variety. Rich and full-bodied, the wine smells of jasmine and apple blossoms, while flavors lean toward Bosc pear and star fruit. ABV: 14.5 percent.

Imported and distributed by Stefano Selections: Available in the District at Agora, Ala, Cafe Divan, Calvert Woodley, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, MacArthur Beverages, Meze, Potomac Wine & Spirits, Sheffield Wine & Liquor Shoppe, Zaytinya. Available in Maryland at Rudy’s Mediterranean Grill in Columbia; Cazbar (Baltimore, Columbia). Available in Virginia at Anatolia Bistro in Herndon.

GREAT VALUE

Protos Verdejo 2020




 (Excellent/Extraordinary)

Rueda, Spain, $16

A medium-bodied white wine with zip, this beauty tastes of quince, peach and apricot. The finish is quick but the smile lingers. Drink this by itself or with lighter seafood, poultry or pasta dishes. ABV: 13 percent.

Imported and distributed by M. Touton: Available in the District at Bodega, Cork & Fork, Estadio, Eye Street Cellars, Grand Cata (Shaw), Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Open Door Market, Rodman’s, U Street Mini Mart, Wagshal’s Deli. Available in Maryland at Allview Liquors, Jason’s Wine & Spirits, Petite Cellars in Ellicott City; Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda; Chesapeake Market & Deli in North Beach; Corner Market in Silver Spring; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg; Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store in Hyattsville; Hop N Grape in North Bethesda; Marker Five in Tilghman Island; Rodman’s in White Flint; Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington; Spirits of Mt. Vernon, Wine Source in Baltimore; T&T Wine Shop in Rockville; Village Pump Liquors in College Park; Woodmore Wine and Spirits in Glenarden. Available in Virginia at Brut Champagne & Wine Bar, Slaters Market in Alexandria; Crozet Great Valu in Crozet; Dominion Wine and Beer in Falls Church.

GREAT VALUE

Les Hauts d’Acantalys Lirac 2019




 (Excellent/Extraordinary)

Rhône Valley, France, $16

Savory and lush, with deep flavors of black cherry, plum, smoked meat and wild herbs, this is a classic southern Rhône Valley red wine. The alcohol is a bit high from the ripe 2019 vintage, but the wine holds together well. Drink this while waiting for your 2019 Châteauneuf du Papes to mature. It’s produced by Les Vignerons de Tavel, a prolific and talented cooperative winery. ABV: 15 percent.

Imported and distributed by Dionysos Imports: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Rodman’s. Available in Maryland at Balducci’s, Capital Beer & Wine, Cork 57 Beer and Wine in Bethesda; Wine Source in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balducci’s (Alexandria, McLean); Unwined (King Street) in Alexandria.

Domaine Thibert Miranda Mâcon-Fuissé 2020




 (Extraordinary)

Burgundy, France, $22

Fans of white burgundy should seek out this beauty. Fans of chardonnay who wonder what the fuss is about in Burgundy should also try this, which packs mouth-filling flavors of ripe orchard fruit, bulked up by seven months in oak barrels. The producer specializes in Pouilly-Fuissé, so think of this as an affordable introduction to that style. ABV: 13 percent.

Imported and distributed by Dionysos Imports: Available in the District at Cork & Fork, Rodman’s. Available in Maryland at Balducci’s, Bradley Food & Beverage, Cork 57 Beer and Wine in Bethesda; Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring; Hop N Grape in North Bethesda. Available in Virginia at Balducci’s (Alexandria, McLean); Great Bottles in Suffolk; Pagan River Wine Merchant in Smithfield; Wine Gallery 108 in Alexandria.

Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.

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Source: WP