SOUMAH Crescent Moon Methode Traditionelle 2020

Named in honour of the belief that vineyard work attuned to the cycles of the moon produces superior results, this is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay that spent four years on lees with a ‘light’ dosage. Pear, walnut, green apple, and lemon quickly sink into autolytic notes of brioche, salted cracker, and cookie dough, making for a lovely, complex, and inviting perfume. The palate opens with a fine bead, adding alluring texture along with tightly wound notes of green apple skin bitterness and lemony tang before being similarly softened and filled out by leesy complexity – cashew cream and salted cracker again. There’s good drive through the palate, lovely cooling acidity, and some fine-grained, chalky phenolic grip to the sides, leading to long, citrusy length. I like the crystalline linearity and focus here, with some breadth of flavour and texture brought about by the lees. Nicely done.