Soumah Chardonnay d’Soumah 2022 (Yarra Valley)

Winter was half a degree warmer than the 25-year average, so although vines were still dormant, bud burst was a few days earlier than average. Spring saw 100mm more rain than normal, and unsettled weather around Melbourne Cup saw a poor flowering and fruit set. This significantly lowered the crop by reducing bunches and making the remaining much smaller. Summer was significantly hotter, one degree more than the 25-year average, although high rainfall in January meant no excessive heat spikes. Overall, a wetter and hotter year with low yield resulted in a small but high-quality crop.

Soumah pick Chardonnay as early as they can to ensure we retain a fresh line of citrus fruit and crisp natural acidity on the palate. Soumah develop structure in the wine by predominantly barrel fermenting the juice and allowing it to mature gracefully for eight months before bottling a wine with balanced weight and silky texture.