Aragatsotn

Aragatsotn means “the foothill of Aragats”. It includes the Aparan valley, Talin heights and the volcanic areas of Arteni, Irind and Tsakhkasar. Across the region, the terrain rises from roughly 950 to 4090 metres, with large changes in climate. Vineyards have dry, gravelly and stony ground, and the region contains tuff, basalt, pumice and limestone. Grapes include Voskehat, Kangun, Rkatsiteli, Haghtanak, Karmrahyut and Areni Noir, alongside Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Viognier. Voskehat whites can have stone-fruit, pear, melon and floral aromas. Styles range from fresh and unoaked to wines fermented with the skins or made to develop with age. Some wines use karas, Armenian egg-shaped clay vessels. Terraced vineyards were widespread during the twentieth century, though some were later abandoned for lack of irrigation water.