Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

"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 an absolute bloody cracker. It tastes of cranberry and red cherry with pomegranate and twiggy, peppery spice. It’s lively, perfumed, juicy, complex and complete. There’s crunch here, there’s perfume, there’s difference and yet there’s pure, ripe, juicy, urgent fruit. Great face, great body."  Campbell Mattinson

The Primavera Vineyard is located at Woori Yallock (Hoddles Creek) in the upper Yarra Valley on deep red basalt soils. It was planted  in 2001 by Lou Primavera, whose family have been involved in grape growing for over 40 years. Giant Steps have a long-standing relationship with the Primavera family, and now produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the fruit they source from the vineyard under a long-term supervised contract. The 12 hectare vineyard is located at an elevation of 240 metres on a north and north-east facing aspect. 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. 

"Constructed from clones MV6 and 115. Hand picked, all fruit is chilled overnight to 12 degrees Celsius. Fermented in small oak fermenters and stainless steel open vats. The fruit was sorted to create individual, clonal ferments. The 115 was fermented as whole bunches in a seasoned oak vat, while the MV6 and G clone were fermented as whole berries with an extended cold soak. The ferment spent around 10-14 days on skins, with gentle mixing throughout that time using gravity. All parcels were matured in French oak – 20% new, 80% older – for ten months in 225L barriques and D&J. The wine was not moved and kept in contact with its lees before blending in December. Bottled by gravity with no fining or filtration.."  Giant Steps

Expert reviews

"From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 25% whole bunches on the clone 115 component, while clones MV6 and G were destemmed. Matured in French barriques (25% new). Wonderfully perfumed and vibrant with its aromas of cranberries, wild strawberries, a little Sichuan pepper, fresh citrus oil and musk roses at dusk. A wine of exquisite finesse and excellent depth, the tannins are very fine and long, as is the finish. This will provide much enjoyment over the next decade or so. Drink by 2032."  Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion – 97 points and Special Value Wine  ★

"All separate parcels were fermented in French oak of which 20% was new for a total of 10 months in barriques and demi john. Primavera Vineyard is located in Woori Yallock and farmed by the Primvera family with a solid standing relationship with Giant Steps. Primavera is always a treat for the nose with wild rose, peony and dried cranberry wafting from the glass. In this vintage it’s freshly picked petals and an elegance of fragrance, like a dab of sweetly scented oil on the nape of a neck. Seductive in both scent and form it’s a silky little number that glides across your palate with ease. Bright acidity carries the terra cotta, pine mushroom and red pepper spice. This is a perfect poised wine that sits in the Single Vineyards portfolio like the angel perched on the Christmas tree. Drink now and will cellar nicely 5-8 years. Pair with pork belly and earthy root vegetables."  Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot – 97 points

"This is an absolute bloody cracker. It tastes of cranberry and red cherry with pomegranate and twiggy, peppery spice. It’s lively, perfumed, juicy, complex and complete. There’s crunch here, there’s perfume, there’s difference and yet there’s pure, ripe, juicy, urgent fruit. Great face, great body. Drink: 2024 - 2030+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 96 points

"Medium-deep red-purple, glowing bright colour; bright red and dark cherry aromas too. Reserved nose. Some oak spice. The palate is firmer and more assertive, with abundant tannins and impressive structure. At this stage it would benefit from serving with protein-rich food. Elegant wine that will surely build detail as it ages. Drink: 2024–203."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points

"The Primavera Vineyard is in Woori Yallock in Yarra Valley, down at 230 meters in elevation. The vineyard faces north, but the MV6 clone is planted on an east-facing slope and the 115 and G clones on a more southerly facing slope. This is the perfumed, pretty wine in the lineup, with high natural acidity, planted on red clay loam. In total this year, only 15% whole bunch was used in the cuvée. The 2022 Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir leads with raspberries, pink peppercorn, layers of pomegranate, Boscobel rose and raspberry leaf tea, just loads of luscious flowers and minerals in the mouth. Heaps going on. Svelte and perfumed, it is a beautiful wine. Lovely! Drink: 2023 - 2038."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 95 points

Awards

Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion  ★ 

 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.