Awards, Ratings & Reviews
95/100 — Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion · 2024 Vintage · Published: 3 March 2025
“An even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit; both estate grown and from growers. Less mlf than last year. Smells fleshy with aromas of stone fruits, together with a little pink grapefruit and light citrus notes. It's both approachable and gentle, even as a young wine, but the balance for drinking now or cellaring in the short to medium term is absolutely spot on.”
93/100 — Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front · 2024 Vintage · Published: 15 May 2025
“I’d sit down and hook into this in a heartbeat. It’s a chardonnay with drinkability written all over it. Stonefruit, tonic water, lemon sherbet, musk and smoky bacon notes come drenched in nashi pear and cream. It’s dry, lively, well-fruited and flavoursome, but the finish has that slightly briny, slightly grapefruity edge that makes you want more. Yes please to this one. 93+”
About This Wine
The 2024 vintage is a classic Yarra Valley season, with a cool spring, ideal flowering, and moderate yields. Rainfall around New Year supported vine health before a warm and dry late February delivered excellent ripening conditions and a compressed harvest.
All Pinot Noir and Chardonnay parcels were harvested within a three-week window, contributing to consistency and fruit quality.
Hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed and fermented in French oak puncheons (15% new), with full solids. Approximately 10% underwent malolactic fermentation, followed by maturation on full lees in a reductive environment until blending and bottling.
Producer Notes
Great flavour, bright acidity and balance.
About the Producer
Giant Steps produces wines focused on expressing individual vineyard sites across the Yarra Valley, with an emphasis on minimal intervention, low yields and detailed winemaking.
The winery is recognised for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, crafted with restraint and precision, and has received multiple accolades including Halliday 5-star winery status and Wine & Spirits “Top Wineries of the Year”.
Specifications
- Vintage: 2024
- Grape Variety: Chardonnay
- Region: Yarra Valley / Victoria / Australia
- Alcohol: 12.8%
- Acidity pH: 3.08
- Acidity TA: 7.7 g/L
- Closure: Screwcap
- Winemaker: Melanie Chester
