Karas Estate Bottled Red Blend 2022 750ml

ARMENIA : ARARAT VALLEY

Syrah, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Montepulciano, Khndoghni

MED-BODIED, BLACKBERRY, PLUM, SWEET SPICE, CHOCOLATE, NO OAK

Karas sits at up to 1,100 meters in Armenia's Ararat Valley, between Mount Aragats and Mount Ararat, on volcanic and alluvial soils that put serious distance between these vines and anything you'd plant in Bordeaux. Gabriel Rogel — a native of Mendoza brought in to run the cellar — built an approach in collaboration with Michel Rolland, and what he found was that Syrah thrives here in ways that surprised even him.

The blend anchors around Syrah with Tannat and Cabernet Franc, and includes Khndoghni — an indigenous Armenian variety also called Sireni — that adds an earthy thread you won't find anywhere else. At $16, it makes a serious argument for what the Caucasus can do when the right winemaker is paying attention.

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