SOUMAH of Yarra Valley — Attraction in Melbourne

As a man of precision, logic, and an unwavering demand for excellence, I approached my visit to Soumah of Yarra Valley with a level of scientific curiosity. After all, wine, much like physics, is governed by fundamental principles—acidity, tannins, fermentation, and the ever-important balance of flavors. And yet, what I encountered was not an oenological masterpiece but rather an uninspired exercise in uniformity that left me questioning whether my palate had been rendered obsolete or if the establishment simply lacked the ability to produce wines with any discernible variation.

Let us begin with the most egregious offense—the tasting itself. I sampled multiple wines, each presented with an air of grandeur that suggested I was about to embark upon a transformative journey through the finest viticulture that Yarra Valley has to offer. Instead, what I experienced was a repetitive cycle of déjà vu in liquid form. Every wine tasted exactly the same. The color varied, the descriptions were verbose, and yet, with every sip, my taste buds were met with the same unremarkable composition—a tedious, monotonous parade of fermented grapes that lacked complexity, depth, or even the slightest hint of excitement. If I had wanted an indistinguishable lineup of beverages, I could have saved myself the trip and poured various brands of bottled water into identical glasses.

Now, before the enthusiasts sharpen their metaphorical pitchforks, let me clarify: I do not typically consume alcohol. Thus, my judgment is unclouded by bias or the false sense of superiority that many self-proclaimed wine connoisseurs wield like a badge of honor. My observations are rooted in pure, unadulterated sensory analysis. And that analysis yielded the unfortunate conclusion that, save for one particular selection, this winery has mastered the art of producing indistinct, uninspired liquid that barely warrants a second sip, let alone the poetic reverence that wine culture so often demands.

Ah, but then came the final wine—one with residual sugar. At last, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise abyssal tasting experience. This particular offering, unlike its predecessors, had a detectable personality. The residual sugar lent it a balance that was sorely missing from the others, a whisper of complexity that suggested—if only briefly—that Soumah is, in fact, capable of producing something worthy of intrigue. This, of course, leads me to question why they do not apply this level of effort to the rest of their offerings. Is it an oversight? A cruel joke played upon those who dare to expect more from their wine? Or simply an indication that their winemaking process is as formulaic as the predictability of an Avengers movie plot?

Beyond the wines themselves, the overall atmosphere was nothing remarkable. The service was passable—neither exemplary nor disastrous—but certainly not infused with the level of enthusiasm one might expect from a place that so confidently charges patrons for an allegedly premium experience. The presentation of the wines was, for lack of a better word, obligatory. It felt less like an educational journey through viticulture and more like a script recited by individuals who had long since abandoned any semblance of passion for their craft. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so too is apathy, and it was the latter that lingered in the air like the aftertaste of an ill-conceived wine pairing.

In summation, Soumah of Yarra Valley is a textbook case of unfulfilled potential. The wines—aside from the last one—blurred together in an indistinguishable haze of mediocrity, the experience lacked the level of engagement I would expect from an establishment of its supposed caliber, and overall, I left with the impression that I had wasted precious time that could have been better spent engaging in far more stimulating activities, such as watching doctor who or calculating the probability of intelligent extraterrestrial life.

Three stars—one for the final wine, one for not actively ruining my day, and one because I am feeling...

We had lunch, the 4 of us at Soumah in the dining room yesterday. It was quite pleasant but I need to point out some things we felt detracted from the experience. When we arrived the service staff kind of brushed us off a bit or it felt like that, it didn't feel very welcoming. Setting up tables seemed to be more their priority even though we had arrived at our arranged booked time. Anyway, perhaps they were a bit under the pump. But the dining room was pretty empty at that point. We ordered the winery's Blanc de Blanc and also our meals. No wine was forthcoming. Then our meals arrived and we were a bit taken back that our wine wasn't there and the server didn't take note of that. So we start our meals and then another server comes and says you haven't got your drinks yet? She seemed a bit surprised. No we don't have them and she had to change the wine glasses as well as we still had the wrong ones. Obviously, this had been overlooked which was a bit annoying as it wasn't a cheap bottle of wine. The mains were in the high 30 and mid 40 dollar range. I ordered the beef ragu with pasta. The portion size was, (for a mains) more the size of an entree and the flavour was a bit lacking for a slow cooked beef rib. I believe I could make a better one myself. My husband ordered grilled barramundi and it was unfortunately over cooked. The pizza was definitely the stand out dish. We had planned to get dessert but decided to miss it as felt we were likely to be disappointed and with the pricing didn't want to be further let down. We had a large group right behind all the smaller tables and it made the whole atmosphere very loud. I am sorry, but I don't think we will be back and we live locally so...

Had the pleasure of staying in one of Soumah's newly finished accommodation cottages. The whole stay was great. We got a late lunch booking, did a full tasting, shared a bunch of starters and a main (simple tasty food without contrivance), didn't hold back on lunch wines and then strolled back to watch the sun go down over the vines with a bottle of the highly excellent rose and a charcuterie board from lunch. Woke up refreshed and ready for a day in the Yarra Valley.

The rooms have been really well thought out and have the appeal of a contemporary modern building. Quiet, warm and full of light. Warm your toes with the outdoors fireplace. Can't wait to see how the garden space around the buildings will develop.

What a great base for a night or two exploring.

Update 30/9/24 We signed up for a Spring lunch tasting and winery tour. The tour was a brilliant experience. If you have the opportunity to go through the vineyards as part of one of these experiences, grab it! Could not recommend highly enough. Entertaining and really informative. What is clear, is that the attention to quality and investment in standards, Soumah's wines have a brilliant future. Enormous thanks to Lucy for organizing and Dimitri for showing us through the vines and then tasting afterwards. Lunch was of course...