This fabulous wine is the top cuvée from Zorah, and 2012 is its inaugural release. Yeraz fittingly means "dream" in Armenian, as well as being the name of the wife of Zorah founder Zorik Gharibian. This wine represents the dream of reviving an ancient wine culture and rediscovering forgotten places and lost native grapes.
The pinnacle of high-altitude viticulture, the grapes for Yeraz come from semi-abandoned bush vineyards planted well over a hundred years ago at altitudes of 1600m above sea level. Raw and remote, these vines reflect the resilient and tenacious spirit of this land and its people.
Fermentation occurs in rough concrete tanks using only natural yeast. Drawing inspiration from ancient local traditions, Yeraz is then aged for a prolonged period in local amphorae of varying sizes, some of which are dug deep in the ground and sealed with wax to conserve the intense flavours and varietal purity of the wine. In addition to the amphorae, large untoasted casks are also used to soften the tannins. After very light filtration the wine spends a further year in bottle.