SOUMAH Mezzaluna Single Vineyard Nebbiolo 2022

Translucent, ruby at the core giving way to garnet at the rim. Oak dominates the initial perfume — clove, old leather — but a swirl opens things up: sautéed mushroom, red liquorice, dried rose, red cherry, fennel and spiced plum. There’s levity to the palate, but it’s firmly grounded by stacked, chalky tannins — the defining feature of this release. Plum, cherry, blood orange, red liquorice, cinnamon and tar are quickly bound up in that structure, and the finish lingers with persistence. There’s genuine complexity here and serious bones, though the sensibility leans brooding and ripe over ethereal, with oak playing a material role. One for the cellar.