Maker:
Since 1997, Giant Steps has built a reputation based on expressive wines with purity and finesse out of Yarra Valley. These are wines that reflect individual vineyard sites, located across the Yarra Valley from Tarrawarra to Gladysdale. Giant Steps was founded by wine industry pioneer Phil Sexton, who journeyed from Margaret River to Yarra Valley looking for the ideal site to cultivate pure and finessed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Eventually, Phil found his hallowed ground near Gruyere in the Sexton vineyard, which he planted in 1997 on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges. The name comes from John Coltrane's album "Giant Steps", which felt like a fitting choice given the steep slopes of the vineyard and Phil's love of jazz. In 2003, Winemaker Steve Flamsteed came aboard, another muso, and the two set about producing a range of iconic Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express a profound sense of place from six finite sites in Yarra Valley.
Melanie Chester, became Head of Winemaking and Viticulture at Giant Steps in 2021, her long-held admiration for the winery comes with an intrinsic pressure to honour the expressions and diversity of its single sites. Mel, says she is "committed to ensuring that the quality will be the same if not better.” This means keeping the winemaking tight and transparent, so that diversity of site is what you taste. Giant Steps has been advancing Australia’s reputation for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the past 20 years, the addition of Mel's craft and energy will ensure this legacy continues.
The proof in the pudding. Giant Steps was awarded 2025 Halliday Winery of the Year and Pinot Noir of the Year. A huge achievement that's been years in the making. Of course Mel takes none of the credit (the best seldom do), instead she props up everyone involved until now, founder Phil Sexton, winemaker Steve Flamsteed, grower Lou Primavera and respected viticulturist Ray Guerin.
True, there's much to celebrate at Giant Steps, and it's impossible not to mention the new(-ish) Bastard Hill Vineyard release among them. Wine journalist, Campbell Mattinson paints a colourful gist of the site, "the Bastard Hill vineyard, named for obvious reasons, has been left to sleep out there on its steep mountain slopes as the bastard child of the companies formerly known as Hardy’s. As a result this should-be-great vineyard has been left out there in the cold, hidden away, myth-like, talked about but not seen, and rarely tasted, like a giant, an unlikely giant, a sleeping one." This vineyard of untapped protentional, is in the upper reaches of the Yarra Valley, planted in 1986, a vineyard too ahead of its time. Until now this nearly 40 years old vineyard had only shown glimpses of greatness, contributing to Eileen Hardy's chardonnay in the 90s and top Yarra Burn releases, only glimpses but more than enough to know the 'Bastard' would be worth the effort.
Vineyard:
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 their 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. Chardonnay from Applejack needs lots of attention to detail in the vineyard, a big emphasis on crop loads and fruit exposure to ensure even ripeness and acid levels.
Applejack Vineyard is a special site, located on a dramatic slope in the upper Yarra Valley and is closely planted and fastidiously managed. It was planted by respected viticulturist Ray Guerin in 1997. The basalt based underlying volcanic soil and rock produce a characteristically fine yet extended, spicy and firm palate. Gladysdale Vineyard's higher altitude (180 - 260m) results in a cooler and extended growing season, ideally suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (3-4 weeks later than central Yarra Valley).
Nose - Stonefruits, Lemon Verbena, Crushed Rock Minerals
A pure and gently reticent bouquet of stone fruits, lemon verbena and crushed rocks.
Palate - Tightly Wound Stone Fruits, Acid Fruit Tension, Almond Cream
The palate is tightly coiled, steely, saline and focused.
Finish - Savoury, Lemon Rind, Grilled Nuts
Savoury, with lovely notes of lemon rind and grilled nuts. Excellent ageing potential.
Anything Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir can do, Applejack Chardonnay can do just as well. This is a ripping chardonnay. It has fruit power up its sleeve and in its wrist bands and everywhere else. And yet it’s tight. And stony. Shot with white peach. And run with apple, sweet cedar, brine and the wet leaves of a lemon tree. There’s some dare to the acidity but it brings flavour with it; it took the risk and it turned out, the reward was worth it. This is an advanced level wine. You drink it, and you know all you need to know. - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 96 Points.
Applejack vineyard was planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in 1997, and only 2ha of its 11ha is planted to chardonnay. It is named for the Applejack eucalypts that surround it. Whole-bunch pressed straight to barrel with full solids and matured in mainly second use puncheons. A very bright green gold. A pure and gently reticent bouquet of stone fruits, lemon verbena and crushed rocks. The palate is tightly coiled, steely, saline and focused. A wine with excellent potential. - Halliday Wine Companion, 95 Points.
