Our informal survey of Armenian winemakers predicts an Above Average 2018 vintage, with a normal sized harvest producing above average quality grapes. This is good news for wine lovers, as 2017 is also expected to be an Above Average vintage.
After very cold winters in 2015 and 2016, the 2017-2018 winter was mild, leading to an early spring. While a few spring frosts lowered yields in some regions, spring was followed by another hot dry summer across Armenia that evenly ripened the grapes. Most importantly, the devastating hail storms that can cause so much trouble in the summer were largely absent. Autumn was mild and dry through the harvest, leading to above average grape quality.
Most winemakers felt the 2018 grapes were harvested with good sugar levels and average acidity. In particular, very good results are predicted for Voskehat and Haghtanak wines. As always, the quality of wine in the bottle will depend on the winery’s grape selection prior to fermentation and how skillfully the winemakers bring out the best from the grapes during the winemaking process.
In summary, it looks like Armenian winemakers were given good material to work with in 2018. We hope this will translate into great wines. Look forward to our tasting reports when the first wines from the 2018 vintage are released this spring.
For our evaluations of prior vintages, click here.