Winery & Vintage Info
It was the vision of Soumah Wines to make wine with the charm of northern Italy but the provenance of the majestic Yarra Valley – and that they definitely achieved.
Soumah, for those wondering is in fact an abbreviation of ‘South of Maroondah Highway’ and is the venture of Brett Butcher who has been involved in the wine business all his life working in domestic and international five-star hotels, on-premise business and then finally settling into his role at Soumah as a premium wine producer. He says, “We focused on the Yarra for its acclaim in producing cool climate, clear varietal wines with savoury elegance. The Soumah raison d’etre is to support this fame with the definitive vineyard site, nurturing viticulture and a focus on quality over quantity.”
Pinot Noir is a very selective grape. It does not like the heat but does like the sun. It likes to be on well drained soils so not good on flat landscapes. It likes warm days but more importantly, cool summer nights. It is so demanding that only a few regions in Australia can aspire to produce a Pinot Noir of any pedigree. The Yarra Valley has attained that status over the decades, and we have set out to support that reputation with our attention to details and first rate vineyard sites.
The barrel fermentation develops the rich flavour and aroma of the wine and a good portion of new barrels adds classic soft oak characters helping the overall integration of the wine.
Soumah's 2019 vintage Pinot Noir d’Soumah is made with fruit sourced from the wineries own vineyards, along with premium vineyards throughout the Yarra Valley, to produce wines of distinct character and finesse that the Yarra Valley region has become famous for. Pinot Noir is the most famous red varietal from the Yarra Valley and is one of the best regions in Australia for producing new age, linear fresh wines. The d’Soumah range is built to deliver an exceptional price for value proposition.
Situated an average of 120 metres above sea level, the Soumah vineyard is elevated up off the Valley Floor which gives some protection against winter frosts while gentle slopes help drain the soil. The ancient, mountain derived grey sandy clay loams with broken sandstone offer water holding capacity to protect the vines from summer drought stress. Low fertility and lower summer rainfall naturally limit the crop.
A dry winter led into a gentle early spring. A very hot November hastened flowering into an abnormally wet December (5 inches more rain than normal). This rain and heat brought humidity but also delivered an abundant water table for the developing berries. December seemed to rain itself out and late summer was dry (3.5 inches less rain than normal), making for a calm harvest. Picking times were mostly normal, fruit were fleshy and juicy with attractive varietal characters.
