Giant Steps Yarra Valley, Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Giant Steps Yarra Valley, Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Vintage: 2023

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2023GS209B236 x 75ScrewcapNot Yet Available
Producer

Giant Steps was founded by Margaret River native Phil Sexton in 1997. With the help of winemaker Steve Flamsteed, Giant Steps forged a reputation as one of the Yarra Valley’s most exciting producers, crafting cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from single sites. Since Mel Chester joined as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture in 2021, the winery has reached even greater heights. As a result, Giant Steps received the coveted title of ‘Winery of the Year’ in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, with Campbell Mattinson commenting, “it’s been an outstanding winery for a long time, but the combination of energy and expertise – and no doubt plenty more besides – that winemaker Melanie Chester has brought since she arrived at the winery in November 2021 has frankly been breathtaking.”

Yarra Valley

Rather than focusing on single-vineyard expressions, Giant Steps’ Yarra Valley wines seek to provide exemplary, regional examples of Yarra Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Made using hand-picked fruit from estate vineyards, the wines are produced using indigenous yeasts, gravity-flow winemaking and minimal fining and filtration.

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

The 2023 vintage saw cool and wet conditions throughout the entire growing season, delaying both the start of this tough vintage. Spring was often wet in the Yarra Valley, with record volumes of rain from September until December. The frequent downpours elevated disease pressure but also made access to the vineyards an arduous task from waterlogged earth. A small stretch of warmer conditions dried out the vineyards, followed by well timed rainfall rolling into summer. Much credit of this vintage goes to the appearance of sun in the critical weeks of flowering, allowing a healthy berry set and abundant pristine fruit. The 2023 wines of Giant Steps are light and expressive, with varietal typicity shining through.

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. The wine was then sulphured and kept on lees in barrel until October, prior to blending and bottling.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

Elegant and refined, this delicate chardonnay is surprisingly voluptuous. The nose expresses all the classic Yarra characteristics of fresh melon and intense citrus flavours, with undertones of marzipan and hazelnuts. A wine with crisp acidity ensuring a fresh and lengthy finish.

Alcohol (ABV)

12.8%

Acidity

7.2 g/l

pH

3.25