With the arrival of two top-end limited releases, it feels like the perfect time to shine on a light on the wines of fan-favourite Yarra Valley house Soumah! Tucked in the picturesque Warramate foothills in the Victorian town of Gruyere, this team harness their cool climate and ancient soils into wines that always fly off our shelves, week on week. In their own words - 'we set out to make wine with the charm of northern Italy but the provenance of the majestic Yarra Valley' (indeed, their terroir grants them the chance to work with more unique grape varieties that are typical of Italy and south-eastern France!)
Savoury and silky creations are always a consistent characteristic for Soumah, making it easy to see why so many newcomers are turned towards the beauty of Australian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay by first coming across these wines! With these last bottles of 2021 Equilibrio (all gone once sold), you'll find some additional power and length, with the Chardonnay bringing in toasty oak and welcome creamy touches, while the 96-point Pinot Noir holds some strength and structure through its fusion of juicy red fruits, forest mushroom, and herbacious hints. We recommend anyone who loves this estate to take the chance and grab some before they disappear for good!
Elsewhere, you'll find their regular movers down at even finer price points - the d'Soumah Pinot Noir, Hexham Vineyard Syrah, their totally unique Marzemino and textural Savagnin/Savarro, and possibly our pick for the best value Pinot Grigio from last year ?
Limited Single Vineyard Releases - Just Arrived!
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Equilibrio Chardonnay 2021 - $69 on special this week ; $80 RRP
*Limited availability
"The concept behind our Equilibrio range is to promote the very best barrels, clonal mix and new oak integration to create a few cases that will benchmark the potential of each vintage. Some would call it Reserve but we call it Equilibrio as great wine is all about harmony and balance. The Mendosa clone creates rich, elegant Chardonnay with bright acidity and it is generally these barrels that are selected for our Equilibrio. The wine is opulent, generous and composed with good oak integration all wound together with a citrus and nectarine, creamy freshness. Tight aromatics of grapefruit and nectarine are supported by hints of toasted oak and struck match. A focused and complex palate shows freshness and youth with restrained elegance. This wine will evolve over many years to come. This wine will evolve over many years to come." - Winemaker Notes
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Equilibrio Pinot Noir 2021 - $69 on special ; $80 RRP
*Limited availability
// 96 Points from Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion 2024
"The concept behind our Equilibrio range is to promote the very best barrels, clonal mix and new oak integration to create a wine that will benchmark the potential of each vintage. Some would call it Reserve but we call it Equilibrio as great wine is all about harmony and balance. Yields for this wine are kept notably low by our pruning technique and shoot thinning, while a final green harvest at veraison ensures the vines do not carry too much weight. This exacting viticulture safeguards the fruit and acid balance during the picking window. The grapes are then cold soaked and fermented using wild yeast and aged in 500l puncheons, 25% new, for nine months. The wine displays elegant Pinot Noir structure with the red fruits fusing with forest mushroom and wild herbs. A good spicy lift at the back of the palate leads to length and persistance on the finish." - Winemaker Notes
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More Favourites from Soumah - Value Whites & Reds!
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Pinot Grigio 2023 - $24 on special ; $27 RRP
"Due to our cooler climate, the Yarra Valley is one of the better locations in Australia to produce Grigio with the same zesty characters as from its origin. A cool tank fermentation and constant lees stirring creates an aromatic wine with taste and texture. Aromatics of ripe pear, quince and floral notes are supported by a fine natural acidity. The finish is long and fresh with expressive minerality." - Winemaker Notes
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Single Vineyard Savarro 2023 - $26 on special ; $30 RRP
"An ancient green-skinned, tight-bunched variety that was first recorded in the 10th century. Over the millennia it travelled to all corners of Europe and was then extensively used to create many of today’s modern varieties. The cool climate of the Yarra Valley is perfect for the variety, which was gently picked, then cool tank fermented to retain fresh aromatics and aged on lees for good texture. Straw colour with lemon curd and white flowers on the nose. A textured palate of citrus zest is balanced by lengthy mineral finish." - Winemaker Notes
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d'Soumah Select Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 - $28 on special ; $33 RRP
"Our Pinot Noir has an attractive garnet colour and delivers a cherry and raspberry fruit profile along with savoury fleshiness. The barrel fermentation develops the rich flavour and aroma of the wine and a good portion of new barrels adding classic soft oak characters helping the overall integration of the wine. Serving the wine cool (around 15 degrees) will ensure the flavour profile which suits pairing with Mediterranean dishes, chicken, duck and light meats." - Winemaker Notes
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Single Vineyard Marzemino 2022 - $30 on special ; $34 RRP
"Marzemino is native of Trentino in Northern Italy and is genetically a cousin of Syrah. It has large bunches and ripens very late. It was Amadeus Mozart’s favourite so that gives it quite a nod! This late ripening variety was hand picked towards the end of the season and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The excellent natural acidity in the fruit created a foundation for a smooth fermentation with minimal intervention. Once pressed off skins, we transferred the wine to barrel for maturation for one year with 10% new oak to create structure and definition. The aroma and flavour profile show bright cherry, plum and crunchy red fruit characters. The acid is well balanced and the palate is soft with smooth underlying tannins. It is a great wine to share with friends on a summer’s afternoon with antipasti and lighter meals." - Winemaker Notes
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Hexham Vineyard Syrah 2022 - $35 on special ; $40 RRP
"Cooler climate growing regions like the Yarra Valley are heralding an elegant style of Syrah (Shiraz) and our elevated, welldrained site, coupled with two Victorian heritage clones (Tabilk R6WV28, Bests Old Clone) create a graceful yet powerful wine. Our fruit was gently picked mid-March before being separated into whole berry or whole bunch ferments. It was then racked to puncheons (25% new) for maturation. Lifted aromatics of spice with red and black fruit leads to a savoury palate highlighting intense cherry, blackberry and plums. Some hints of leather and tobacco coming from the new oak while finishing with fine grained tannins and good length." - Winemaker Notes
"This wine starts of tight, savoury and spicy but it unfurls beautifully in the glass is pretty much a class act from start to finish. Nuts, white pepper, succulent red cherries and even plums. There’s a fragrant, lively, herbal/bunchy side, and a smoky/reductive aspect with it, the finish then dry, spicy and sinewy. It’s very good." - 93+ Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above ? Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Wednesday the 24th of January