Yarra Valley Chardonnay
2023 Chardonnay
Yarra Valley, Victoria
$50.00
Wine Pilot
"Honeycrisp apple skin, lemon zest and green plum. Winter melon and starfruit. Plumes of talc powder, pomice and honeysuckle. Plenty of white delicate florals and a blush of nectarine. Intoxicating acidity and a kefir creaminess on the finish. A spray of saline and oak appears in its round shapes rather than toasty notes. Alive with energy and creeping unsuspecting power. Drinking well now and will cellar 3-5 years, a great wine for the bite of calamari or richness of abalone." - Shanteh Wale
95 points, April 2024.
Wine Details
- Region Yarra Valley, Victoria
- Vintage 2023
- Type White Wine
- Variety Chardonnay
- Volume 750ml
- Alcohol Volume 12.8%
- PH 3.25
- Acidity 6.40g/L
- Closure ScrewCap
- Bottling Date October 2023
- Harvest Date March 2023
- Background Yarra Valley
- Vintage Notes 2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley. The season was defined by a cool Spring, a mild growing season, cool nights, and medium to high rainfall. 2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first pick starting two and a half weeks later than the previous average. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities.
- Vineyard Notes Sourced from vineyards across the Yarra Valley. 50% sourced from the upper Yarra ranges.
- Winemaking All Giant Steps fruit is 100% hand-picked. The Chardonnay grapes are chilled overnight before they are whole bunch pressed the following morning. The juice is immediately transferred into 500L French oak puncheons. 15% of the oak is new, while the remaining 85% is seasoned. The juice is fermented naturally using indigenous yeast over 10 days, finishing with lots of stirring at the end of ferment. Around 10% of the batches go through malolactic fermentation. The wines are then sulphured and kept on lees in barrel until October, when they are blended and bottled.
- Food Matches BBQ roasted prawns with citrus dressing. Pan seared john dory fish with capers. Roasted asparagus with mustard vinaigrette and slithered almonds. [GS TILE 2024 Smoked Trout.pdf](https://secure.withwine.com/Public/File?fileName=upload%2f1616%2fproduct%2fkI4dy8nw3U6358NJIB3P-Q.pdf&download=False)
Wine Pilot
"Honeycrisp apple skin, lemon zest and green plum. Winter melon and starfruit. Plumes of talc powder, pomice and honeysuckle. Plenty of white delicate florals and a blush of nectarine. Intoxicating acidity and a kefir creaminess on the finish. A spray of saline and oak appears in its round shapes rather than toasty notes. Alive with energy and creeping unsuspecting power. Drinking well now and will cellar 3-5 years, a great wine for the bite of calamari or richness of abalone." - Shanteh Wale
95 points, April 2024.
Wine Details
- Region Yarra Valley, Victoria
- Vintage 2023
- Type White Wine
- Variety Chardonnay
- Volume 750ml
- Alcohol Volume 12.8%
- PH 3.25
- Acidity 6.40g/L
- Closure ScrewCap
- Bottling Date October 2023
- Harvest Date March 2023
- Background Yarra Valley
- Vintage Notes 2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley. The season was defined by a cool Spring, a mild growing season, cool nights, and medium to high rainfall. 2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first pick starting two and a half weeks later than the previous average. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities.
- Vineyard Notes Sourced from vineyards across the Yarra Valley. 50% sourced from the upper Yarra ranges.
- Winemaking All Giant Steps fruit is 100% hand-picked. The Chardonnay grapes are chilled overnight before they are whole bunch pressed the following morning. The juice is immediately transferred into 500L French oak puncheons. 15% of the oak is new, while the remaining 85% is seasoned. The juice is fermented naturally using indigenous yeast over 10 days, finishing with lots of stirring at the end of ferment. Around 10% of the batches go through malolactic fermentation. The wines are then sulphured and kept on lees in barrel until October, when they are blended and bottled.
- Food Matches BBQ roasted prawns with citrus dressing. Pan seared john dory fish with capers. Roasted asparagus with mustard vinaigrette and slithered almonds. [GS TILE 2024 Smoked Trout.pdf](https://secure.withwine.com/Public/File?fileName=upload%2f1616%2fproduct%2fkI4dy8nw3U6358NJIB3P-Q.pdf&download=False)
Kind Words & Accolades
Alive with energy and creeping unsuspecting power.
Shanteh Wale - Winepilot, 95 points, April 20242023 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 
Driven and coiled across the tongue.
Stuart Knox - Real Review, 97 points, January 20242023 Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 
There is something for everyone’s palate here and this vintage is singing in perfect harmony.
Shanteh Wale - Wine Pilot, 98 points, August 20242023 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay
The palate, though, doesn't need much coaxing, and this silken, sappy wine has excellent depth and persistence.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points, April 20242023 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 
A classic Upper Yarra pinot, driven as much by its fine vein of acidity as its silken tannins.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, July 20242023 Giant Steps Bastard Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
It’s a refined wine that makes for heavenly drinking, even for heathens like me.
Shanteh Wale - Wine Companion, 97 points, August 20242023 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir
Densley packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 98 points - Pinot Noir of the year, August 20242023 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir
A great contrast to the more delicate Giant Steps wines such as Bastard Hill and Primavera.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, July 20242023 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir
Concentrated, tightly focused and beautifully balanced. Impressively long on the floral-infused finish. Super wine.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, June 20242022 Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Syrah
This is another superb Yarra cabernet that dispels the notion that you'll have to cellar it for ages to enjoy.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, June 20242022 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Previous
Next
