20 Jun Chardonnay Success!
In a continuation of a long line of award-winning Chardonnays, we have attained some great results in recent wine shows for our brand new 2017 vintage Chardonnays. This varietal has attained great recognition in the Yarra Valley for its cool climate representation, and at Soumah we aim to continue this legacy by produced Chardonnays of premium calibre, so it is rewarding to receive such great acknowledgement of our efforts.
2018 Decanter World Wine Awards – 2017 Equilibrio Chardonnay
Now in its 15th year, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. Judged by the top wine experts from around the globe, the DWWA is trusted internationally for its rigorous judging process.
We are ecstatic to announce that our 2017 Equilibrio Chardonnay has received a Gold medal from this prestigious wine show, attaining a score of 96-points. This is our first vintage of Equilibrio Chardonnay, and this result indicates to us that we are on the right track! A Gold medal is earned from a score between 95-100 points, and is described as: “an excellent wine of great complexity and character”.
Our 2017 Equilibrio Chardonnay is made strictly from Mendoza clone from our Hexham vineyard – identified as the best performing clone from the vintage. This Mendoza clone creates a rich, elegant Chardonnay embodying opulence and generosity. Our Chardonnays ferment in barrel with wild yeast in a temperature controlled cool environment. This allows complex autolytic characters such as ‘struck match’ to develop. Suspension of lees in barrel adds to the rich, complex mouth feel and a brioche-esque character.
2018 International Cool Climate Wine Show – 2017 Upper Ngumby Chardonnay
The ICCWS is internationally recognised as Australia’s foremost show for inspirational cool climate wines. Each year the show attracts more than 600 wines in 25 competition classes from around the world, which are judged by a highly experienced 12-member team of judges.
Our brand new 2017 ‘Upper Ngumby’ Chardonnay has taken a trophy at the 2018 ICCWS – Best Chardonnay in Show! This is a significant result, and a feather in the cap of this brand new product. The Upper Ngumby vineyard is situated near Yarra Glen, and sits at the base of the Christmas Hills, ensuring the vines are protected from the harsh late afternoon sun sets beyond the foothills.
This wine is barrel fermented with wild yeast, with 21% of the barrels being new French oak. Some malo-lactic fermentation is allowed to create depth and finesse. The clonal selection from this vineyard is primarily I-clone, with additional Dijon clones 227, 95 and 96. These clones produce a Chardonnay with a distinctly tropical fruit spectrum. These sweet melon and ripe nectarine characters are supported by the flinty minerality the vineyard terroir provides. This, coupled with subtle new oak and a creamy texture, ensure a Chardonnay of elegant structure and intensity, finishing long and fresh. This wine will reward cellaring for up to 10 years.