Giant Steps LDR Pinot Noir Syrah 2023
Giant Steps Wines is a renowned winery that was established in 1997 in the Yarra Valley. The winery has built a reputation for producing expressive wines with purity and finesse. The wines are a direct reflection of their individual vineyard sites, which are located across the Yarra Valley from Tarrawarra to Gladysdale. The founder of Giant Steps Wines, Phil Sexton, is a wine industry pioneer who ventured from Margaret River to Yarra Valley in search of the ideal site to cultivate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse. Phil found his holy grail near Gruyere in the Sexton vineyard, which he planted in 1997 on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges. Being a mad jazz fan, Phil named the winery after John Coltrane’s album and fitting metaphor “Giant Steps.” In 2003, Winemaker Steve Flamsteed joined the team, 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. The winery's Head of Winemaking and Viticulture, Melanie Chester, who joined the team in 2021, is committed to honoring the expressions and diversity of its single sites. This means keeping the winemaking tight and transparent so that the diversity of the site is what you taste. “The wines will never look the same because the vineyards continue to change,” she explains, “but we are committed to ensuring that the quality will be the same if not better.” For more than 20 years, Giant Steps has been advancing Australia’s reputation for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Single vineyard range is sourced from each of the six vineyard sites around the Valley, using the most site-expressive fruit from that year’s vintage. The winery's loyal followers have played a significant role in the success of the winery.
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 lots of rainfall. 2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first pick starting two and a half weeks later than previous average. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities.
Fruit for the LDR is from both the Sexton and Tarraford Vineyards and was 100% hand-picked. Fermented in small open vats with indigenous yeasts. The Syrah fermented using 100% whole bunch carbonic maceration. The Pinot Noir was destemmed and cold soaked for 4 days, and then fermented as whole berries. 3 months maturation in large old French oak barrels. Bottled with no fining or filtration.
56/44% pinot/syrah. Fermented separately with some whole bunches (for the syrah) and a short élevage in seasoned puncheons and barriques. A very bright crimson purple. Springs from the glass with violets, cherries, raspberries and a touch of Sichuan pepper. A juicy yet focused and delicious mouthful with satiny tannins. The bargain red wine in the portfolio. - Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, 95 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir, Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Yarra Valley, Victoria
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%