Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
Style: White Wine
Closure: Screwcap
Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
Camberwell
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Giant Steps
Country: Australia
Region: Yarra Valley
Vintage: 2022
Critic Score: 98
Alcohol: 12.5%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2030
"In true Giant Steps style, the 2022 Single Vineyard release walks the line with swagger and palpable energy. Mel Chester hits it out of the park." Shanteh Wale
Giant Steps is recognized as a global benchmark for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery was established in 1998, one year after founder Phil Sexton arrived in the Yarra Valley in search of ideal sites to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse. The Giant Steps Single Vineyard range is produced from the most site-expressive fruit off the best vineyards in great years.
"This is a magnificent wine and the best Giant Steps chardonnay I've tasted. A stunning bouquet of orchard and stone fruits, grilled nuts, white jasmine and marine scents. Just as complex on the intense yet perfectly balanced palate before finishing spicy, chalky and very long. Worth putting some away and worth every cent and more of the asking price!" Philip Rich
The Applejack Vineyard, named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, is located at Gladysdale in the upper Yarra Valley. It was planted in 1997 by respected viticulturist Ray Guerin and is meticulously managed by his son Mark. This vineyard was purchased by Phil Sexton in 2013. Located at an elevation of 320 metres, the higher altitude results in a cooler and extended growing season (3-4 weeks later than central Yarra Valley) and is ideally suited to growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic, north-east-facing slope with close-planted vines.
"100% hand picked and whole bunch pressed. The juice was then transferred directly to barrel by gravity with no settling, taking full gross lees. Wild fermented in 500L French oak puncheons. No bâtonnage. Maturation for 10 months in new and used French oak puncheons – 15% new, 85% older, Mercurey, Taransaud and Dargaud & Jaeglé." Giant Steps
Expert reviews
"Only 2ha of the Applejack vineyard's 11ha is planted to chardonnay. The vineyard, planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in 1997, is named for the Applejack eucalypts that surround it. Whole-bunch pressed straight to barrel with full solids, matured in 15% new puncheons. This is a magnificent wine and the best Giant Steps chardonnay I've tasted. Bright green gold. A stunning bouquet of orchard and stone fruits, grilled nuts, white jasmine and marine scents. Just as complex on the intense yet perfectly balanced palate before finishing spicy, chalky and very long. Worth putting some away and worth every cent and more of the asking price! Drink by 2027." Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion - 98 points and Special Value Wine ★
"Directly fed to the barrel by gravity and fermented on gross lees in 500L French oak puncheons. 10 months maturation in 15% new french oak and 85% in older oak. Scented white lilies, geranium and apple blossom. Lemon skin, white nectarine and custard apple. A flicker of flint, blue stone and grated ginger. Hemp seed, cashew and oyster mushroom. This is all about the powerful fruit weight supported by generous oak and a tightly compacted flavour palate. There is a lot of Chardonnay for your money here. Acidity is elevated and you can almost feel the fracture of crushed shale and basalt. This is a very impressive Applejack vintage and I’m enamoured. Drink now and put some aside to drink over the next 8-10 years. Drink with Mudcrab linguine." Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot – 98 points
"Well this is apple-like, it’s not just the power of suggestion, it’s like biting into something cold and crunchy, lemonade and frozen meal, backed by nectarines, backed by nuts and stones. This dials back the intensity slightly, lifts the elegance, splays the flavours into a complex carpet, and then stretches its legs fully through the finish. It’s a stunning wine, and my pick of this year’s releases (by a whisker). Drink: 2025-2030+." Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front – 96+ points
"Lifted aromas of melon skin, grapefruit pith, wet stone, nougat, struck flint and just-ripe nectarine. Really complex. Fine and focused flavours of white stone fruit, citrus, minerals and nutty oak. Long and layered, it unfolds on the palate and acidity is pin-point. Very smart gear. Drink: 2023-2033." Aaron Brasher, The Real Review - 96 points
"This is the other leader of the pack, with the Sexton Vineyard. Wow! A near-vertiginous site in the Upper Yarra, underlain by basalt. Tighter, compact and nervous. Wild fermented, albeit, without the subtle application of malolactic that softens the other expressions. Perhaps a little less complex in its youth as a result, despite its mid-weight. As with all of these wines, the oak handling is exceptional. A lesson for others. Pistachio, curry leaf, lime blossom and vanilla accents jitter long. This will age exceptionally well, at which point the wine may be deserved of another point. Drinkable now, but best from 2026." Ned Goodwin MW, JamesSuckling.com - 95 points
Awards
Special Value Wine - Halliday Wine Companion ★
Applejack vineyard
Applejack Vineyard (Upper Yarra Valley)
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. The higher altitude results in a cooler and extended growing season, ideally suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (3-4 weeks later than central Yarra Valley). This vineyard joined the Giant Steps family of Single Vineyards in 2013.
Location: Gladysdale
Elevation: 320 metres
Aspect: East-facing
Size: 12.5 hectares
Planted: 1997
Soil Type: Grey clay loam
Chardonnay Clones: I10V1
Pinot Noir Clones: Abel, MV6, Pommard, 114, 115, D2V5, D5V15
Melanie Chester
Winemaker Melanie Chester at work in the Giant Steps winery
Mel Chester didn’t want to be a winemaker, even though she grew up in a wine family. Her great-grandfather started importing American oak to make wine barrels in South Australia in the 1930s: his first customer was Penfolds.
Wine was always on the Chester dining table in Adelaide, being enjoyed and talked about. But, like most teenagers, young Mel rebelled. "Dad was like, you’ll be a winemaker one day," says Chester, smiling. "And I was like, piss off, Dad, you don’t know me."
Then, when she was 17 her father suggested she could earn some cash working in a winery down in McLaren Vale during vintage. "And I was like, righto, but I’m not going to become a winemaker, so back off." She was, of course, hooked from day one. "Loved it. Moved out of home. Didn’t have a driver’s licence. Hitched lifts to work. So much fun."
She studied Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide, where she was the recipient of both the Wolf Blass Prize for Excellence in Winemaking (2011) and the David Bradley Memorial Prize (2012). It was clear this girl was going to go far. In 2014, Melanie became the youngest ever scholar selected for The Len Evans Tutorial.
In 2015, after three years in a senior role at Seppelt’s Great Western winery in Victoria, the then 26-year-old was offered the role of winemaker-manager at Sutton Grange, a vineyard in the high country south of Bendigo.
Moving to Sutton Grange presented the "right kind of challenge and change" for Chester, as she could be more hands on at a boutique winery. "Up until that point I had spent a good chunk of my career working with Treasury Wine Estates, which was a fantastic ground base for me in terms of learning and exposure to amazing vineyards and incredible winemakers … I was ready to work in a different sized business structure and really missed being a bit more hands on."
Within months she was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. In 2018, she was named people’s choice at the Young Gun of Wine awards.
In 2021, after six years as Head Winemaker at Sutton Grange, Chester joined Giant Steps as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture. "It’s bittersweet to be moving on, but this is such a great opportunity." In addition to her duties at Giant steps, Melanie is a sought-after wine judge and currently is the Chair of Judges at the prestigious Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, the home of the Jimmy Watson trophy.
The following text is taken from an article by Mark Hedley that appeared in Square Mile
Melanie Chester was born for her job. Her family business was importing barrels, and she realised from a relatively young age that the wine industry was for her.
She studied Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide, where she was the recipient of both the Wolf Blass Prize for Excellence in Winemaking (2011) and the David Bradley Memorial Prize (2012). It was clear this girl was going to go far.
She began to build up her experience working across a number of estates in Australia spanning Central Victoria, the Grampians, McLaren Vale, and Barossa, as well as a stint at Quinta do Crasto in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
Awards – and award-winning wines – came thick and fast.
In 2015, she was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine, and in 2018, Melanie was recognized by Young Gun of Wine as the People’s Choice award.
Her love affair with Giant Steps started long before she became Head of Winemaking and Viticulture in 2021, collecting the wines for her personal cellar for many years.
Now general manager of the prestigious Yarra Valley winery, she talks us through her journey in wine.
What was your first experience of wine?
Wine was always a part of our dinner table at home, but my family business was importing barrels, so my earliest memory of the industry was as a school child, on the docks of the Adelaide Port. We had just brought in a container of barrels from France and I can still remember the toasty and rich oak smell of opening that container.
What was the first wine you tasted which really caught your attention?
I was in my late teens, and my uncle, who was an avid collector, opened some iconic Aussie wines around the family Christmas table. That afternoon I tried a 1992 Giaconda Pinot Noir, a 1992 Mount Mary Quintet and a 1994 Henschke Hill of Grace. These wines I can still remember when I think back on them. They were a lighting strike through my brain and it hasn't rewired itself since.
When did you decide 'I want to make wine!'?
After my first harvest as an intern – I loved the energy of the cellar, the smells, and the transformation.
Where and when was the first wine you made? And was it any good?
I studied at the University of Adelaide and you make a "project" wine in third year. I made a very yucky small-batch white wine. But you have to start somewhere!
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt in your career?
Hard work, dedication and not cutting corners are the foundation for making great wine.
What’s your favourite memory from your career so far?
While people would assume it’s winning trophies or travelling to exotic places, for me it’s remembering those days in vintage where it's all just working. We nailed the picking date on something, the juice tastes great, the team are smashing it and the energy is positive, excited and collaborative. Those are the days I do it for.
Which has been your favourite vintage over the last few years – and why?
2022 was my first vintage at Giant Steps so that was a thrill, but the 2023 vintage, cool and mild, has produced some pretty amazing wines of purity. While those vintages are stressful as you're waiting for stuff to ripen, they often deliver incredible quality.
Who is your winemaking hero – and why?
I have a few. Of course, Lalou Bize-Leroy! But closer to home, my mentor and great friend Tom Carson, from Yabby Lake. He’s practical, thoughtful, generous with his time and knowledge, and has a real love of our Aussie wine industry.
If you could only drink one grape for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?
Pinot noir – it’s the most complex and fascinating variety. I would never get bored as there is so much site discovery and expression to enjoy.
What’s your death-row bottle from your own line-up?
Applejack Pinot Noir.
And from another winemaker?
Ooooooh, very hard – either 1989 Chateau Rayas, 2012 Raveneau Les Clos or a 2015 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant!
About the winery
In 1997 Phil Sexton arrived in the Yarra Valley in search of ideal sites to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse. He was looking for sites with altitude, aged soils, slopes of exposure, regular rainfall and cool to cold nighttime temperatures and a gentle breeze off the protecting mountain ranges. The Giant Steps winery was established one year later in 1998.
The focus is on the production of high-quality, single-vineyard wines. The Giant Steps Single Vineyard range is produced from the most site-expressive fruit off the best vineyards in great years. Each single vineyard wine tells a story about the vineyard, vintage and variety. Production of these wines is very limited with some vineyards producing as little as 200 cases.
The single vineyards comprise the Sexton Vineyard in the Lower Yarra and the Applejack Vineyard in the Upper Yarra (both owned by Giant Steps), the Tarraford Vineyard in the Lower Yarra under long-term lease, the Primavera Vineyard in the Upper Yarra under long-term supervised contract and the Wombat Creek Vineyard owned by Hand Picked Wines. In addition, Giant Steps produce a Yarra Valley range of wines made from handpicked fruit from their estate vineyards. They are highly expressive wines, true to the regional characteristics of the Yarra Valley.
The Giant Steps wines have received global acclaim and are now recognized as a global benchmark for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have been awarded 34 trophies and over 100 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by US Wine & Spirits Magazine for each of the last six years.
Giant Step's success is due in no small part to Steve Flamsteed, Chief Winemaker since 2003. Steve had previously worked for Leeuwin Estate (1999 – 2002) and the Hardy Wine Company at their Yarra Burn Winery in the Yarra Valley (2002 – 2003). Steve was named Gourmet Traveller Wine 'Winemaker of the Year' in 2016. "Steve Flamsteed is a man of many talents with a finely tuned palate, an instinctive flair for winemaking and fastidious attention to detail. This shows particularly in the stunning single-vineyard chardonnays and pinots of Giant Steps: distinctive wines that reflect their sites and glow with impeccable finesse." Peter Forrestal, chairman of judges, Gourmet Traveller Wine Winemaker of the Year
Melanie Chester joined Giant Steps as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture in 2021. She came to Giant Steps from Sutton Grange Winery in Central Victoria, where she was Head Winemaker. In 2014, Melanie became the youngest ever scholar selected for The Len Evans Tutorial. In 2015, she was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine, and in 2018, Melanie was recognized by Young Gun of Wine as the People's Choice award winner for favourite winemaker.
Giant Steps was acquired by the Jackson Family in 2020. The Jackson Family own a vast stable of wineries in California (Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Monterey County, Santa Barbara and Oregon), Australia (Yarra Valley and McLaren Vale), Chile, France, Italy and South Africa.
Victoria
Victoria is home to more than 800 wineries across 21 wine regions. The regions are Alpine Valley, Beechworth, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland, Glenrowan, Goulburn Valley, Grampians, Heathcote, Henty, King Valley, Macedon Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Murray Darling, Pyrenees, Rutherglen, Strathbogie Ranges, Sunbury, Swan Hill, Upper Goulburn and Yarra Valley.
Victoria's first vines were planted at Yering in the Yarra Valley in 1838. By 1868 over 3,000 acres had been planted in Victoria, establishing Victoria as the premier wine State of the day. Today, the original vineyards planted at Best's Wines are among the oldest and rarest pre-phylloxera plantings in the world.
Victoria's climate varies from hot and dry in the north to cool in the south and each wine region specialises in different varietals. For example, Rutherglen in the north is famous for its opulent Muscats and Topaque and bold reds, while the many cooler climate regions near Melbourne produce world class Chardonnay and pinot Noir. Victoria is truly a wine lover's playground.