Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021/22

Accolades:
96/100 – James Halliday Wine Companion
94/100 – Wine Spectator
93/100 – James Suckling

“60/40% upper/lower Yarra Valley fruit. Hand picked and open-fermented with 60% whole berries, the remainder whole bunches. A very bright, light–medium crimson red. A gentle waft of fresh raspberries and cranberries, with just the right amount of spice-rack spices. Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too. The perfect introduction to modern Yarra pinot.” – Phillip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

“Stunning, with terrific focus and intensity to the core of Earl Grey tea, firm, juicy cherry, raspberry and white pepper flavors. Notes of clove and green cardamom linger on the finish, with a touch of salted caramel. Drink now.” – Wine Spectator

“This shows a spicy and chocolaty character with an array of ripe red and dark berries, dried herbs and orange jam. Medium-bodied and silky with dusty tannins and vibrant, juicy fruit flavors that lead to a supple, savory finish. Drink now.” – James Suckling

Vintage Note: 2021 was a terrific vintage for both vineyard quality and quantity. We had a wet spring 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 tannin structure.

Winemaking Notes: Sourced from vineyards across the Yarra Valley. 50% sourced from the upper Yarra ranges. All Giant Steps fruit is 100% hand-picked. Our grapes are then chilled overnight before processing. The Pinot is either fermented as 100% whole bunches or 100% destemmed with whole berries. The whole bunch treatments have a warm start to fermentation, with minimal mixing throughout the start of fermentation to promote carbonic maceration. These ferments are then left for up to 21 days on skins before pressing. The destemmed and whole berry batches are held cold at 4℃ for four days before the ferment is allowed to heat up and start fermentation naturally with indigenous yeasts. Cold soaked for 3 days, then allowed to warm in small open fermenters in order to kick start wild fermentation. Parcels are matured in French oak (10% new, 90% older) for eight months. Blended in October and then bottled by gravity without fining or filtration in November.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:

Giant Step’s wines are a homage to the Yarra Valley’s cool climate, and our celebrated vineyards of Sexton, Applejack, Bastard Hill, Tarraford, Primavera and Wombat Creek produce wines with delicate restraint and focused energy.

From the complex and earthy Applejack or the floral and perfumed Primavera Pinot Noir to the confident Sexton Chardonnay or new linear Bastard Hill Chardonnay, each of our wines express the best of their site and the vintage.

Phil had planted the Sexton site at Gruyere in 1997, but when they got hold of fruit from the Tarraford Vineyard and then Applejack and Primavera Vineyards in the upper Yarra, that’s when things got really interesting as they begun to develop the single vineyard wines.

In 2021, Melanie Chester joined the team as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture to continue the journey to produce wines from distinctive vineyards that showcase the very best of the Yarra Valley region. From the first vintage over 20 years ago, Giant Steps is proud to be known as one of Australia’s best producers of single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.