“Voskì” 2019 – Zorah

To produce the “Voskì” Zorah the hand-picked grapes were destemmed and crushed before fermentation took place in large temperature-controlled concrete tanks with no epoxy resin lining and using only natural yeast. The wine was then aged in rough concrete tanks for 11 months and a further six months in bottle prior to release.

Zorah has 15 hectares of vineyards, surrounded by mountains, at 1,400 metres above sea level and only a little over a kilometre from a 6,100 year old winery. The vineyards are situated in the small rural village of Rind, in the heart of Vayotz Dzor. Long dry summers with plenty of sunlight and high daytime temperatures that contrast with cool nights encourage a lengthy growing season. The phylloxera-free soils are rocky and rich in limestone, helping maintain moisture for the vines during the intense summer heat. These conditions enable the ancient native varieties, Voskèak and Garandmak, to reach their full potential.

Zorik Gharibian planted six hectares of the native Areni grape variety in the Yeghegnadzor Valley in south-eastern Armenia in 2006, under the guidance of Italian viticulturalist Stefano Bartolomei. The vineyard is situated at an altitude of 1,370 metres, close to Mount Ararat and two kilometres from what archaeologists say is one of the oldest wineries in the world, dating back 6,100 years. Because of the area’s isolation, the vines are ungrafted, as phylloxera has never reached this part of Armenia. The wines are made under the guidance of Alberto Antonini. “I was struck by the superb conditions when I first visited the area”, says Alberto. “The altitude gives cool nights and a long growing season, so we don‘t harvest until the end of October. It is very dry with intense sunlight and stony, low-vigour soils. It is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved with.”