2020 Zorah Heritage Chilar Skin-Contact White

Zorah Heritage Chilar Skin-Contact White features an ancient grape variety endemic to Armenia and present in the highlands of Vayotz Dzor. Chilar clusters are elongated and cylindrical with medium-sized berries which tend to be oval in shape with a greenish colour but more yellowish on the sunny side. The skin has a thin, waxy coating and is hardy, which protects the berry from disease and substantial day/night temperature variations.
It’s grown at the pinnacle of high-altitude viticulture, with elevations ranging between 1400 and 1500m. There are no vineyards dedicated to Chilar. The grapes are gathered from among random rows of 30- to 40-year-old vineyards surrounding the Zorah estate in the Vayotz Dzor region. It’s a phylloxera-free terroir, with all vines planted on their own roots. The soils are low vigour, sub-alkaline and rich in limestone and large stones with a first layer of sand.
This wine is naturally fermented and aged in old, large traditional Armenian clay amphorae, known as Karasì, with around 60 days’ skin contact. Aging continues in the local clay amphorae for around nine months, before a further 10 months in the bottle. It receives a very mild filtration before bottling.
It’s a beautifully balanced, textural white wine with rounded but fresh flavours of pear and white peach. It has a slightly grainy structure and a long, pure, linear citrus finish. – Zorik Gharibian, Zorah