2017 Yacoubian-Hobbs Dry White Wine Armenia 750 ml

100-point Napa legend Paul Hobbs has made wine around the world, and today has his pick of vineyard sites to cultivate, from Chile to Campania and more. But it was the jagged, tree-dotted hillsides of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor that inspired the globetrotting winemaker to start an altogether new endeavor in the Fertile Crescent, and the result is astonishing. 

This ancient terroir has yielded incredible results, none more inspiring than this 2017 Yacoubian-Hobbs dry white, from the sub-zone that sommeliers are beginning to call Armenia’s Napa Valley. In this vibrant, refreshing white wine, Hobbs zeroed in on the kaleidoscopic complexity of the native Voskehat variety, which translates to "golden berry," and is considered the flagship white grape of Armenia. 

Known for its longevity, with vines living well past 100 years, Voskehat thrives in the 4,000-foot high altitude and rocky soils that bore this 2017. Its thick-skinned berries yield complex and expressive aromatics, and locals can always detect a hint of fresh Armenian Snowdrop flower as a giveaway for this classic native staple.

Delicate aromas of magnolia and lilac dance around fresh apricot, quince, and satsuma while savory white pepper and exotic spices evoke another era. Bright and beautifully lifted, there is enough breadth and complexity to make an evening out of this wine alone. Juicy nectarine and apple blossom expand with hints of nuttiness, but it’s the mouthwatering spiced citrus on the finish that stays with you well after the bottle’s been drained. 

We simply cannot get enough of this rare golden beauty. Helmed from four indigenous white grapes in vineyards just a stone’s throw away from the 6,000-year-old Areni-1 cave—the oldest known winery in the world—this 2017 Yacoubian-Hobbs Dry White manages to transcend the noble pedigree of its ancient terroir as a crisp, mineral-laden wine we crave daily here in 2020.