Located in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, Giant Steps is recognized as a global benchmark for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery was established in 1998, one year after founder Phil Sexton arrived in the Yarra Valley in search of ideal sites to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse. Enlisting the help of Chief Winemaker Steve Flamsteed who joined the winery in 2003, the two set to create a range of wines that personify the Yarra Valley. Today, the winery is regarded as one of the most progressive in Australia and is recognized globally for its pursuit of site expression. The wines are among the most anticipated releases from Australia and are considered benchmarks for the Yarra Valley.
Giant Steps contributes significantly to the swift resurgence of Australian Chardonnay, ushering it back to its former reign as the unrivaled monarch among white varietals. In this grand orchestration, masterminded by Phil Sexton and his adept team, emerges a Chardonnay that epitomizes elegance.
Within this bottle, a symphony of stonefruit, melon, and butterscotch notes harmonize seamlessly, bolstered by the gentle embrace of vanillin oak. The palate, endowed with remarkable length and texture, culminates in a pristine, crisp finish that refreshes the senses. This rendition stands as a testament to the artistry and dedication at play, a true embodiment of style and finesse.
I like this release. Indeed I love it. It's all flint and smoke and long legs of fruit flavour. Green apple, yellow stonefruits, lime, lactose. Toasty oak glitters through the wine. It's exquisitely delicious. A champion chardonnay.
Light straw-green; the Sexton Vineyard is estate-owned, planted on the slopes of the Warramate Hills (also known as Steels Range) with a northern aspect. It is a wine of intensity and complexity, the flavours rising in steps rather like the topography of the vineyard, each sip revealing a new flavour sensation.