2021 Giant Steps, Yarra Valley Chardonnay, 6x750ml

2021 Giant Steps, Yarra Valley Chardonnay, 6x750ml

Vegan / Vegetarian

Wines from the Yarra Valley range are produced using indigenous yeasts, gravity-flow winemaking and minimal fining and filtration. All the fruit is 100% hand picked and fermented in 500 litre French oak puncheons, of which 15% are new and 85% older oak. 10% of the blend underwent malolactic conversion, and no lees stirring took place. The wine was then aged for eight months in 15% new and 85% used French puncheons.

Availability: In stock

Case size: 6 / Bottle size: 750ml

Duty Status
From £97.00

Critics Score: 95

Publication: Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

Whole-bunched pressed into older French puncheons. Natural fermentation and zero mlf. A super-bright green gold. Vibrant aromas with perfectly ripened stone fruits, grapefruit pith and an attractive touch of lemongrass and ginger. Gently textured, balanced and satisfying. A class act from beginning to end.
Producer
Giant Steps was founded by Phil Sexton in 1997. It has since forged a reputation for making some of the Yarra Valley’s most consistently exciting wines from estate-owned vineyards. The Giant Steps Single Vineyard wines are produced from their best sites in great years. Head winemaker Steve Flamsteed and his team aim to express the character of the vineyard, grape and vintage in each wine, through meticulous work in the vineyard and minimum intervention in the winery. Giant Steps was acquired by Jackson Family Wine Estates in 2020. According to Phil Sexton, “this partnership brings us the relationships and careful resources of a great wine family who are committed to vineyards, sustainability and faithful expression of site.”

Vineyards
Producing a range of Giant Steps wines using fruit blended from across the estate vineyards has been a topic of discussion for many years. These wines were born from a desire to produce a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of Giant Steps quality, which are expressive of the regional characteristics of the Yarra Valley rather than a single site. Fruit for this wine is sourced from the Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack and Wombat Creek vineyards.

Vintage
2021 was a terrific vintage for both vineyard quality and quantity. A wet spring was followed by a healthy amount of sunshine and some well timed rain in January, leading to large green healthy canopies. The overall temperature during the growing season was lower than average which led to a long slow ripening period and great concentration of flavours and natural acidity.

Vinification
Wines from the Yarra Valley range are produced using indigenous yeasts, gravity-flow winemaking and minimal fining and filtration. All the fruit is 100% hand picked and fermented in 500 litre French oak puncheons, of which 15% are new and 85% older oak. 10% of the blend underwent malolactic conversion, and no lees stirring took place. The wine was then aged for eight months in 15% new and 85% used French puncheons.