2022 Equilibrio Chardonnay
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.
“Rich and Generous.”
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[2022 Vintage] – 88 Points | Bronze Medal National Wine Show of Australia 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 91 Points | Gold Medal London Wine Competition 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 95 Points by Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 2025
[2022 Vintage] – 90 Points | Bronze Medal ANZ Boutique Wine Show 2023
[2022 Vintage] – 91 Points | Silver Medal Sydney Royal Wine Show 2023
[2021 Vintage] – 92 Points by Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 90 Points | Silver Medal at 2023 International Cool Climate Wine Show
[2022 Vintage] – 95 Points by Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, June 2023
[2021 Vintage] – 94 Points by Huon Hooke, The Real Review, November 2022
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2022 ANZ Boutique Wine Show
[2021 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 93 Points at Decanter World Wine Awards 2022
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at European Wine Challenge 2022
[2019 Vintage] – 93 Points by Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com, October 2021
[2019 Vintage] – 93+ Points by Campbell Mattinson, The WineFront, August 2021
[2019 Vintage] – 96 Points by Huon Hook, August 2021 The Real Review
[2019 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2021 Melbourne International Wine Competition
[2019 Vintage] – 93 Points by Amanda Yallop, April 2021 The Real Review
[2019 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2021 European Wine Challenge
[2019 Vintage] – 94 Points by Campbell Mattinson, 2021 Halliday Wine Companion
[2018 Vintage] – 94 Points by Nick Stock for JamesSuckling.com, Oct 2020
[2018 Vintage] – ‘Best in Show’ and Platinum (97 Points) at 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards
[2018 Vintage] – 97 Points by Nick Butler, April 2020 The Real Review
[2018 Vintage] – 97 Points by Stuart Knox, March 2020 The Real Review
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal (90 Points) at 2019 Victorian Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal (90 Points) at 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition
[2018 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2019 Decanter Asia Wine Awards
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 Perth Royal Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – 93 Points by James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2020
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 Melbourne International Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 WineWise Small Vigneron Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Best White Wine, Top Gold Medal (96 Points) at International Cool Climate Wine Show 2019
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Victorian Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Yarra Valley Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Perth Royal Wine Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Best White Wine Trophy & Platinum Medal at 2018 Japan Wine Challenge
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal (96 Points) at 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
[2017 Vintage] – 96 Points by James Halliday, 2019 Halliday Wine Companion
[2017 Vintage] – 95 Points by Huon Hooke, 2019 The Real Review
[2017 Vintage] – 94 Points by Campbell Mattinson, 2019 The Wine Front
[2017 Vintage] – Silver Medal (94 Points) at 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2018 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
“All mendoza clone, barrel fermented and matured in 25% new oak. A very bright green gold. With its complex nose of stone fruits, orange blossom, acacia honey and grilled nuts, this is a step up on the 2021. The palate is saline, chalky textured and long and while it can be enjoyed now, this will continue to evolve and open up over the next 12 months or so. 95 Points.”
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2024 [2022 Vintage]
“Complex aromas of melon skin, grapefruit pith, just-ripe peach, nuts, mineral and struck match. The palate has real poise, richness and precision, nectarine and white peach, grapefruit, punchy acidity, textured, layered and long. Sophisticated, pure and precise. 95 Points.”
Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, June 2023 [2022 Vintage]
“Light yellow hue with a smoked-chicken reductive overtone on the nutty bouquet, spicy oak and stone-fruits too, while the taste is intense and rich, with amplitude as well as refinement, crisp acidity and a dry follow-through that lingers on. A smorgasbord of flavour here. 94 Points.”
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, November 2022 [2021 Vintage]
“A special occasion wine. One to keep for a few years as it develops further. Those who cannot wait will still be rewarded with pristine and fine elegance. Classic white peach, light melon, citrus fruits and grilled nuts fill the nose and reward the palate. It has tempered oak as well as a savoury dimension to the palate. A very well put together Yarra Valley Chardonnay with potential, plus in the next few years until 2025. Try this with duck leg confit with roast potatoes. 94 Points.”
Paul Ippolito, November 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“A complex chardonnay that sits in the modern Yarra lane with intense lemon and peach fruit aromas as well as gently flinty notes, tropical nuances and fresh cream. The palate has fine acidity that slices through elegant fruit flesh, delivering an elegantly resolved impression. 93 Points.”
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Oct/Nov 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“A modern style with vivid lemon and peach fruit, framed in clotted cream, lime and other tropical fruit. Fine-cut palate, thanks to well-pitched acidity. The creamy texture is delicious and the mouthwatering lemon and peach flavors hold fresh. Drink now. 93 Points.”
Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com, October 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Chardonnay from the Hexham Vineyard. The 2018 version was a wine of note. Straw-yellow in colour with the slightest tinge of green. Full aromatics, effusive, complex, inviting. The palate then. Ok. Flint, lime, pure peach, a fleshiness, a core of apples, a steeliness through the finish, custard powder. Class act for sure. It’s still finding its way, still building. But there’s plenty of sizzle to this sausage, so to speak. On its way. 93+ Points.”
Campbell Mattinson, The WineFront, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Light, bright yellow colour, with a super-complex bouquet showcasing stylish oak, smoky smallgoods aromas, hints of nougat, while the palate is very intense and tightly composed, with elegance and persistence, subtle yet powerful. There’s a core of ripe-fruit sweetness, countered by acidity and tannins that cleanse and extend the finish. An explosive and multi-layered chardonnay of the top echelon. A ripping wine. 96 Points.”
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Here is an outstanding wine… Elegant, sophisticated bouquet of creamy citrus. The palate is bursting with steely, minerally, yet slightle creamy citrus and stonefruit flavours leading to a delightful refreshing zipping finish. TRULY DIVINE!!”
Dan Traucki, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“This is a Chardonnay I always enjoy. Soumah are clever operators and rarely fail to impress. Here is another cracker. Sure, the price point may be out of reach for many, but their entry labels are well worth embracing to get a sneak peek into the delights which await further up the chain.
Tang! That lemony tang! So delicious and I just want to keep going back. Wonderful aromas of flint, figs, cashews, lemon juice and barbecued peach reach out and tug at the heartstrings. Well, they’ve got mine – again. White nectarines surge through the mouth. There is some weight here, and I love it. Licks of lime cordial and a considered nuttiness. Such a layered wine with a soft vanilla creaminess. Give me more. Nah, give me it all. Drink to five years. 95 Points.”
QWine, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Vivid lemon colour, pronounced aromas of stone fruit, oatmeal and struck-match. Supple texture and expressive palate, white peach, quince, clove and gingerbread supported by savoury oak. Still knitting together, a quality wine that needs a bit more time to show its best. 93 Points.”
Amanda Yallop, The Real Review, April 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“It’s a soft chardonnay with creamy, leesy characters as the palate’s main calling card before its zestier, zippier side takes over through the finish. Mellifluous for the most past, rushed with energy thereafter. Elegant. Price the main challenge. 94 Points”
Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion, August 2020 [2019 Vintage]
“A selection of the Hexham Vineyard in Gruyere, this is effectively a selection of the best barrels in a vintage. The nose has a very striking, reductive edge that sits in the right zone, all wet stones and flint. There’s lemon and white peach, as well as clotted cream. The palate is powerful with intense lemon and peach-cream flavors and some gently toasted nuts through the finish. 94 Points.”
Nick Stock for JamesSuckling.com, October 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“This is flinty but there’s quality fruit behind. It comes dripping with fresh-cut pear and stone fruit, quince paste, meal and cedarwood but all these characters purr their way through the palate; it’s not a big wine but it has good intensity and a clear, charming elegance to its flow. Indeed it’s one of those wines that lingers on the finish for longer than it fairly should; it just carries that something extra. 94 Points”
Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront, October 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“Among all of the different regions where Chardonnay has impressed in Australia, the Yarra is perhaps the one where the fruit itself charms most readily from the off. This steel-green wine carries its oak very lightly, and the fruit sings out: nectarine, peach and dessert apple all draw the drinker into the glass. On the palate, the wine is soft, tender, almost juicy: its perfect ripeness apparent in that limpidity of expression, and in the seamless incorporation of vibrant and rounded acidity into a natural and succulent poise. The oak, once again, is almost invisible: a swelling of tone rather than flavour. The only danger with deliciousness of this order is that you might be tempted to drink it all too quickly. Fine quality raw materials suggest there’s no hurry here. ‘Best in Show’ 97 Points.”
Decanter World Wine Awards, September 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“A complex, instantly striking nose of smoky sulfides, lemon rind, white nectarines and lovely, nutty oak. There’s a mineral glide to the palate, it’s softly-textured, ethereal and brisk, with cool-climate acidity driving the finish. A stunning wine. 97 Points”
Nick Butler, The Review Review, April 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“Touch of smoke over crisp apple fruit. That crispness carries across the palate with great acid drive, layers of smoke, roast nuts and a touch of ripe pear keeping interest high. Line and length carry long and a pleasing nuttiness lingers long afterwards. 97 Points”
Stuart Knox, The Review Review, March 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“An attractively complex chardonnay showing custard apple notes with hints of sulphidic funkiness. The palate offers good weight and balance.”
Winewise, September 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“Sweeter riper fruit and more obvious oak in this vintage and that accentuates the florals, poached quince and stone fruit. Creamy lees and lots of texture add to the richness and it’s ultimately a satisfying drink. Best in its youth. 93 Points.”
Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion, August 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“Wow what a cracker wine- big blousy bouquet with nectarines & a hint of peach, on the palate it is sumptuous, creamy, beautifully balanced with masses of tight flavours 7 a crispy refreshing finish- TRULY DIVINE!!”
Dan Traucki, August 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“This smells extremely smart: tight peel, some reserved matchstrike, gentle pistachio nuttiness, and white peack kernel. So pure: and correct without being in any way formulaic. Attacks with tight, tangy white nectarine white and baby pines, and gets wide rather than long. Excellent depth through the middle and pink Murray salt acidity which gently breaks away. Certainly has style this: so fine and gentle, with subtle oatcake oak adding another subtle component. Mouth-sucking, and perfectly weighted. 92 Points.”
Tim White, Sept 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“Soumah’s first-release Equilibrio sits at the plush end of the chardonnay spectrum, offering no beg-pardons for hugely opulent fruit and assertive barrel-derived flavours… Soumah provides pure, sensuous drinking pleasure way beyond the everyday. The maker says the wine’s blended from the best barrels of chardonnay made from the Mendosa clone, noted for its richness.”
Chris Shanahan, Sept 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“Ultra-elegant and refined, this quietly complex wine opens with nectarine and grapefruit aromas, almond brittle and hard toffee notes, a smoky hint of sulfide. It’s an elaborate nose, but harmoniously so. The palate is juicy and seamless with a lingering smoky finish. Lovely wine. 96 Points.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review, May 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“2017 Soumah of Yarra Valley Equilibrio Chardonnay Aromas of white peach and grapefruit are enhanced by a touch of funky complexity, and the palate is long and structured, with a very pleasing textural quality. ($77.00) ★★★★☆”
2018 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards [2017 Vintage]
“Fonts of a tiny size running every which way on the large, busy front and back labels allowed me to ascertain the clone is Mendoza. This whinge to one side, the wine does full justice to the excellent vintage, with white peach and grapefruit a familiar but ever-enjoyable repartee between them.”
Halliday Wine Companion 2019 – ‘James Halliday’s Wow Factor Whites’ [2017 Vintage]
“Pleasantly nutty bouquet, with a trace of toast: gunflinty and youthful. It’s tight and medium-bodied, firm and dry, the finish clean and refreshing, very long and more-ish. A wine of excellent concentration which is very young and will improve greatly with a little cellar-time. A smashing chardonnay.”
Huon Hooke – ‘2019 The Real Review’ [2017 Vintage]
“This isn’t the first SOUMAH wine released under the Equilibrio name but I suspect that it’s the first Equilibrio Chardonnay. It’s not the most flamboyant of chardonnays but it’s cool, textural length is most impressive. It’s straw-coloured, blessed with nectarine and white peach flavour, shows hand-in-glove spicy oak and carries the odd crackle of both flint and mineral. It feels juicy and well-ripened throughout, without being pushed. It has tension without being overtly tense. In short it’s in a very good place.”
Campbell Mattinson – ‘2019 The Wine Front’ [2017 Vintage]
2022
Winter was half a degree warmer than the 25-year average. Although vines were still dormant, bud burst was earlier than average. Spring saw 100mm more rain than normal and unsettled weather around Melbourne Cup saw poor flowering and fruit set. This significantly lowered the crop by reducing bunches and making them smaller. Even though summer was hotter than normal high rainfall in January meant no excessive heat spikes. Overall, a wetter and hotter year, with low yield meant a small but high-quality crop.
[2022 Vintage] – 88 Points | Bronze Medal National Wine Show of Australia 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 91 Points | Gold Medal London Wine Competition 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 95 Points by Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 2025
[2022 Vintage] – 90 Points | Bronze Medal ANZ Boutique Wine Show 2023
[2022 Vintage] – 91 Points | Silver Medal Sydney Royal Wine Show 2023
[2021 Vintage] – 92 Points by Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 2024
[2022 Vintage] – 90 Points | Silver Medal at 2023 International Cool Climate Wine Show
[2022 Vintage] – 95 Points by Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, June 2023
[2021 Vintage] – 94 Points by Huon Hooke, The Real Review, November 2022
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2022 ANZ Boutique Wine Show
[2021 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 93 Points at Decanter World Wine Awards 2022
[2021 Vintage] – Silver Medal at European Wine Challenge 2022
[2019 Vintage] – 93 Points by Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com, October 2021
[2019 Vintage] – 93+ Points by Campbell Mattinson, The WineFront, August 2021
[2019 Vintage] – 96 Points by Huon Hook, August 2021 The Real Review
[2019 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2021 Melbourne International Wine Competition
[2019 Vintage] – 93 Points by Amanda Yallop, April 2021 The Real Review
[2019 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2021 European Wine Challenge
[2019 Vintage] – 94 Points by Campbell Mattinson, 2021 Halliday Wine Companion
[2018 Vintage] – 94 Points by Nick Stock for JamesSuckling.com, Oct 2020
[2018 Vintage] – ‘Best in Show’ and Platinum (97 Points) at 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards
[2018 Vintage] – 97 Points by Nick Butler, April 2020 The Real Review
[2018 Vintage] – 97 Points by Stuart Knox, March 2020 The Real Review
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal (90 Points) at 2019 Victorian Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal (90 Points) at 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition
[2018 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2019 Decanter Asia Wine Awards
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 Perth Royal Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – 93 Points by James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2020
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 Melbourne International Wine Show
[2018 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2019 WineWise Small Vigneron Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Best White Wine, Top Gold Medal (96 Points) at International Cool Climate Wine Show 2019
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Victorian Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Yarra Valley Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at 2018 Perth Royal Wine Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Best White Wine Trophy & Platinum Medal at 2018 Japan Wine Challenge
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal (96 Points) at 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards
[2017 Vintage] – Gold Medal at Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
[2017 Vintage] – 96 Points by James Halliday, 2019 Halliday Wine Companion
[2017 Vintage] – 95 Points by Huon Hooke, 2019 The Real Review
[2017 Vintage] – 94 Points by Campbell Mattinson, 2019 The Wine Front
[2017 Vintage] – Silver Medal (94 Points) at 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show
[2017 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2018 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
“All mendoza clone, barrel fermented and matured in 25% new oak. A very bright green gold. With its complex nose of stone fruits, orange blossom, acacia honey and grilled nuts, this is a step up on the 2021. The palate is saline, chalky textured and long and while it can be enjoyed now, this will continue to evolve and open up over the next 12 months or so. 95 Points.”
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2024 [2022 Vintage]
“Complex aromas of melon skin, grapefruit pith, just-ripe peach, nuts, mineral and struck match. The palate has real poise, richness and precision, nectarine and white peach, grapefruit, punchy acidity, textured, layered and long. Sophisticated, pure and precise. 95 Points.”
Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, June 2023 [2022 Vintage]
“Light yellow hue with a smoked-chicken reductive overtone on the nutty bouquet, spicy oak and stone-fruits too, while the taste is intense and rich, with amplitude as well as refinement, crisp acidity and a dry follow-through that lingers on. A smorgasbord of flavour here. 94 Points.”
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, November 2022 [2021 Vintage]
“A special occasion wine. One to keep for a few years as it develops further. Those who cannot wait will still be rewarded with pristine and fine elegance. Classic white peach, light melon, citrus fruits and grilled nuts fill the nose and reward the palate. It has tempered oak as well as a savoury dimension to the palate. A very well put together Yarra Valley Chardonnay with potential, plus in the next few years until 2025. Try this with duck leg confit with roast potatoes. 94 Points.”
Paul Ippolito, November 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“A complex chardonnay that sits in the modern Yarra lane with intense lemon and peach fruit aromas as well as gently flinty notes, tropical nuances and fresh cream. The palate has fine acidity that slices through elegant fruit flesh, delivering an elegantly resolved impression. 93 Points.”
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Oct/Nov 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“A modern style with vivid lemon and peach fruit, framed in clotted cream, lime and other tropical fruit. Fine-cut palate, thanks to well-pitched acidity. The creamy texture is delicious and the mouthwatering lemon and peach flavors hold fresh. Drink now. 93 Points.”
Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com, October 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Chardonnay from the Hexham Vineyard. The 2018 version was a wine of note. Straw-yellow in colour with the slightest tinge of green. Full aromatics, effusive, complex, inviting. The palate then. Ok. Flint, lime, pure peach, a fleshiness, a core of apples, a steeliness through the finish, custard powder. Class act for sure. It’s still finding its way, still building. But there’s plenty of sizzle to this sausage, so to speak. On its way. 93+ Points.”
Campbell Mattinson, The WineFront, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Light, bright yellow colour, with a super-complex bouquet showcasing stylish oak, smoky smallgoods aromas, hints of nougat, while the palate is very intense and tightly composed, with elegance and persistence, subtle yet powerful. There’s a core of ripe-fruit sweetness, countered by acidity and tannins that cleanse and extend the finish. An explosive and multi-layered chardonnay of the top echelon. A ripping wine. 96 Points.”
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Here is an outstanding wine… Elegant, sophisticated bouquet of creamy citrus. The palate is bursting with steely, minerally, yet slightle creamy citrus and stonefruit flavours leading to a delightful refreshing zipping finish. TRULY DIVINE!!”
Dan Traucki, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“This is a Chardonnay I always enjoy. Soumah are clever operators and rarely fail to impress. Here is another cracker. Sure, the price point may be out of reach for many, but their entry labels are well worth embracing to get a sneak peek into the delights which await further up the chain.
Tang! That lemony tang! So delicious and I just want to keep going back. Wonderful aromas of flint, figs, cashews, lemon juice and barbecued peach reach out and tug at the heartstrings. Well, they’ve got mine – again. White nectarines surge through the mouth. There is some weight here, and I love it. Licks of lime cordial and a considered nuttiness. Such a layered wine with a soft vanilla creaminess. Give me more. Nah, give me it all. Drink to five years. 95 Points.”
QWine, August 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“Vivid lemon colour, pronounced aromas of stone fruit, oatmeal and struck-match. Supple texture and expressive palate, white peach, quince, clove and gingerbread supported by savoury oak. Still knitting together, a quality wine that needs a bit more time to show its best. 93 Points.”
Amanda Yallop, The Real Review, April 2021 [2019 Vintage]
“It’s a soft chardonnay with creamy, leesy characters as the palate’s main calling card before its zestier, zippier side takes over through the finish. Mellifluous for the most past, rushed with energy thereafter. Elegant. Price the main challenge. 94 Points”
Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion, August 2020 [2019 Vintage]
“A selection of the Hexham Vineyard in Gruyere, this is effectively a selection of the best barrels in a vintage. The nose has a very striking, reductive edge that sits in the right zone, all wet stones and flint. There’s lemon and white peach, as well as clotted cream. The palate is powerful with intense lemon and peach-cream flavors and some gently toasted nuts through the finish. 94 Points.”
Nick Stock for JamesSuckling.com, October 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“This is flinty but there’s quality fruit behind. It comes dripping with fresh-cut pear and stone fruit, quince paste, meal and cedarwood but all these characters purr their way through the palate; it’s not a big wine but it has good intensity and a clear, charming elegance to its flow. Indeed it’s one of those wines that lingers on the finish for longer than it fairly should; it just carries that something extra. 94 Points”
Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront, October 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“Among all of the different regions where Chardonnay has impressed in Australia, the Yarra is perhaps the one where the fruit itself charms most readily from the off. This steel-green wine carries its oak very lightly, and the fruit sings out: nectarine, peach and dessert apple all draw the drinker into the glass. On the palate, the wine is soft, tender, almost juicy: its perfect ripeness apparent in that limpidity of expression, and in the seamless incorporation of vibrant and rounded acidity into a natural and succulent poise. The oak, once again, is almost invisible: a swelling of tone rather than flavour. The only danger with deliciousness of this order is that you might be tempted to drink it all too quickly. Fine quality raw materials suggest there’s no hurry here. ‘Best in Show’ 97 Points.”
Decanter World Wine Awards, September 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“A complex, instantly striking nose of smoky sulfides, lemon rind, white nectarines and lovely, nutty oak. There’s a mineral glide to the palate, it’s softly-textured, ethereal and brisk, with cool-climate acidity driving the finish. A stunning wine. 97 Points”
Nick Butler, The Review Review, April 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“Touch of smoke over crisp apple fruit. That crispness carries across the palate with great acid drive, layers of smoke, roast nuts and a touch of ripe pear keeping interest high. Line and length carry long and a pleasing nuttiness lingers long afterwards. 97 Points”
Stuart Knox, The Review Review, March 2020 [2018 Vintage]
“An attractively complex chardonnay showing custard apple notes with hints of sulphidic funkiness. The palate offers good weight and balance.”
Winewise, September 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“Sweeter riper fruit and more obvious oak in this vintage and that accentuates the florals, poached quince and stone fruit. Creamy lees and lots of texture add to the richness and it’s ultimately a satisfying drink. Best in its youth. 93 Points.”
Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion, August 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“Wow what a cracker wine- big blousy bouquet with nectarines & a hint of peach, on the palate it is sumptuous, creamy, beautifully balanced with masses of tight flavours 7 a crispy refreshing finish- TRULY DIVINE!!”
Dan Traucki, August 2019 [2018 Vintage]
“This smells extremely smart: tight peel, some reserved matchstrike, gentle pistachio nuttiness, and white peack kernel. So pure: and correct without being in any way formulaic. Attacks with tight, tangy white nectarine white and baby pines, and gets wide rather than long. Excellent depth through the middle and pink Murray salt acidity which gently breaks away. Certainly has style this: so fine and gentle, with subtle oatcake oak adding another subtle component. Mouth-sucking, and perfectly weighted. 92 Points.”
Tim White, Sept 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“Soumah’s first-release Equilibrio sits at the plush end of the chardonnay spectrum, offering no beg-pardons for hugely opulent fruit and assertive barrel-derived flavours… Soumah provides pure, sensuous drinking pleasure way beyond the everyday. The maker says the wine’s blended from the best barrels of chardonnay made from the Mendosa clone, noted for its richness.”
Chris Shanahan, Sept 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“Ultra-elegant and refined, this quietly complex wine opens with nectarine and grapefruit aromas, almond brittle and hard toffee notes, a smoky hint of sulfide. It’s an elaborate nose, but harmoniously so. The palate is juicy and seamless with a lingering smoky finish. Lovely wine. 96 Points.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review, May 2019 [2017 Vintage]
“2017 Soumah of Yarra Valley Equilibrio Chardonnay Aromas of white peach and grapefruit are enhanced by a touch of funky complexity, and the palate is long and structured, with a very pleasing textural quality. ($77.00) ★★★★☆”
2018 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards [2017 Vintage]
“Fonts of a tiny size running every which way on the large, busy front and back labels allowed me to ascertain the clone is Mendoza. This whinge to one side, the wine does full justice to the excellent vintage, with white peach and grapefruit a familiar but ever-enjoyable repartee between them.”
Halliday Wine Companion 2019 – ‘James Halliday’s Wow Factor Whites’ [2017 Vintage]
“Pleasantly nutty bouquet, with a trace of toast: gunflinty and youthful. It’s tight and medium-bodied, firm and dry, the finish clean and refreshing, very long and more-ish. A wine of excellent concentration which is very young and will improve greatly with a little cellar-time. A smashing chardonnay.”
Huon Hooke – ‘2019 The Real Review’ [2017 Vintage]
“This isn’t the first SOUMAH wine released under the Equilibrio name but I suspect that it’s the first Equilibrio Chardonnay. It’s not the most flamboyant of chardonnays but it’s cool, textural length is most impressive. It’s straw-coloured, blessed with nectarine and white peach flavour, shows hand-in-glove spicy oak and carries the odd crackle of both flint and mineral. It feels juicy and well-ripened throughout, without being pushed. It has tension without being overtly tense. In short it’s in a very good place.”
Campbell Mattinson – ‘2019 The Wine Front’ [2017 Vintage]
2022
Winter was half a degree warmer than the 25-year average. Although vines were still dormant, bud burst was earlier than average. Spring saw 100mm more rain than normal and unsettled weather around Melbourne Cup saw poor flowering and fruit set. This significantly lowered the crop by reducing bunches and making them smaller. Even though summer was hotter than normal high rainfall in January meant no excessive heat spikes. Overall, a wetter and hotter year, with low yield meant a small but high-quality crop.
Accolades
Accolades
Experience This Wine
Bright aromatics of grapefruit, quince and white peach complimented by hints of vanilla and struck match. On the palate its youthful racy acidity provides perfect support to white peach and grapefruit nuances. Wine finishes long and fresh. This wine will evolve over many years to come.
A succulent Chicken Piccata coated in a mouth-watering, zesty, lemon, butter, and caper sauce.
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.
Bright aromatics of grapefruit, quince and white peach complimented by hints of vanilla and struck match. On the palate its youthful racy acidity provides perfect support to white peach and grapefruit nuances. Wine finishes long and fresh. This wine will evolve over many years to come.
A succulent Chicken Piccata coated in a mouth-watering, zesty, lemon, butter, and caper sauce.
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.
