Giant Steps Yarra Valley, Pinot Noir

Giant Steps Yarra Valley, Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2024

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2024GS210B246 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

Fruit for this wine is sourced from estate vineyards across the Yarra Valley, with 50% of the fruit sourced from the Upper Yarra ranges.

Vintage

The 2024 vintage in the Yarra Valley was characterised by a classic season. A cool start to spring and ideal flowering conditions resulted in good fruit set and moderate yields. December experienced cool and mild weather, with significant rainfall at New Year and during the first week of January, providing the vines with ample hydration leading into the warmer month of February. Mid to late February was drier and warmer than usual, creating excellent ripening conditions with no disease pressure and a rapid harvest. In 2024, all Pinot and Chardonnay grapes were ready in quick succession, leading to a compressed harvest period of three weeks, compared to the usual six weeks. This expedited harvest resulted in wines with exceptional flavour, bright acidity and balance.

Vinification

All Giant Steps fruit is 100% hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard. Pinot Noir is handled in one of two ways at Giant Steps; it is either fermented semi carbonic with 100% whole bunch or destemmed and fermented with whole berries. The whole bunch batches are fermented warm with minimal mixing for 14 days. The destemmed whole berry parcels are cold soaked for 3 days before they are allowed to warm up and start fermentation naturally. All cap management is done using gravity drain and returns, allowing for gentle extraction before pressing. Each parcel is then transferred by gravity to French oak barriques for malolactic fermentation and is kept on lees for the duration of its maturation. Parcels are matured in French oak (10% new, 90% older) for eight months. This wine is then blended in October and bottled by gravity without fining or filtration in November.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

Vibrant red fruits, cocoa, earthiness, truffles and savoury spice leading into an elegant and viscous finish.

Alcohol (ABV)

13.5%

Acidity

5.9 g/l

pH

3.49