This is a blend of Chardonnay and Voskehat from the Kotayk highlands in Armenia. Voskehat is an indigenous variety and one of Armenia’s flagship white wines. It’s referred to as the “golden grape”, not only for its color but also for its importance to the local wine industry.
The wine is pale straw in color with lemony aromas. It is full-bodied and fruit-forward on the palate, and pear and golden apples, light acidity. This wine reminded us of Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris. Interestingly, the blend is 65% Chardonnay and 35% Voskehat. Ken decided to take this one home to have with roast chicken or pork. I could also imagine pairing with scallops, with the White Cuvee supporting the full-bodied nature of that seafood.
Winegrower Adam Kablanian describes this wine as a dance between east – the Voskehat grape, and 6,000 years of Armenian winemaking history – and West – Franc, where Chardonnay thrives. Find out more by reading Adam’s Wine Characters interview here.
Note: this wine was reviewed by a two-person panel, including myself and Ken Collura – Somm at Large – and former Wine Direct/Somm at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, the largest wine list in the U.S., with over 500,000 bottles, and Andina in Portland.