Soumah Wild Savagnin Solero No. 3

An interesting project from the Soumah team. Since 2015, they’ve been layering vintage over vintage (2015, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023) to start a Solero system. The fruit has been handpicked and foot stomped with fermentation taking place in clay eggs with 100% solids and no stirring. It shows attractive briny salinity and macadamia nuttiness to start before lemon pith, cheesecloth and mandarin skin. The salinity builds with air along with green apple skin and sourdough notes adding complexity, and there’s a subtle sweet pop of jasmine in the mix, too. It’s tangy and fresh rather than a more overtly oxidative Jura style, and works brilliantly. The palate is a bitter and saline affair with a white vermouth bite. Citrus preserves, green almond, cheesecloth, tart green apple, orange citrus peel. There’s some subtle bitter chew through the finish and a piercing acid line that slices everything up and provides a lovely saline wash to good length. This evolves and unfurls magically in the glass with the result being a Savignan of complexity, structure and huge interest. A great release.