Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Style: White Wine
Closure: Screwcap
Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Camberwell
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Giant Steps
Country: Australia
Region: Yarra Valley
Vintage: 2023
Critic Score: 98
Alcohol: 13.5%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2032
Nick Ryan Top 100 Wines of 2024
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.
"Right now, this is the most salivating and seductive of Giant Step's superb array of single-vineyard chardonnays from '23. Perfectly ripened white peach, pear and some marine scents lead onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline and structured. The finish is energetic, nutty and long." Philip Rich
The Sexton Vineyard is located at Gruyere in the Lower Yarra Valley and was planted in 1997. The 30 hectare vineyard is at an elevation of 130-210 metres and has north facing slopes on grey clay soils.
"2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities. 100% handpicked and whole bunch pressed. The juice is transferred to barrel by gravity with no settling, taking on full lees. Wild Fermented in 500L French puncheons. A small amount of bâtonnage post fermentation and 20% malolactic fermentation. Maturation for 9 months in new and used French oak – 15% new, 85% seasoned, Taransaud, Mercurey and Dargaud & Jaeglé." Giant Steps
Expert reviews
"The north facing Sexton vineyard planted in late 90’s is Giant Steps home base. In the planted 30Ha of chardonnay, Mel Chester has her pick of the patchwork vineyard pulling from Gingin, Mendoza and Bernard clones. Here we see about 50% Gingin. This wine has character. You cannot or will ever say it’s a wallflower. Driven by its intensity of orchard fruit, nectarine and white peach, backed by some of the spiciest back up singers. Turmeric, curry leaf, dandelion and cumin. It’s muscular, powerful and yet graceful, like the stride of an outside centre in rugby, Mark Ella, perhaps. A hint of churned butter and glace pineapple on the finish. Acidity hums along nicely. There is something for everyone’s palate here and this vintage is singing in perfect harmony. Drink now and will cellar well upwards of 8 years. This would be a belter served with homemade cornbread and fried chicken." Shanteh Wale, Winepilot - 98 Points
"Made from a 50/50% blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted between 100 and 200m in Gruyere. Whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (25% new oak) with 15% mlf. Right now, this is the most salivating and seductive of Giant Step's superb array of single-vineyard chardonnays from '23. Perfectly ripened white peach, pear and some marine scents lead onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline and structured. The finish is energetic, nutty and long. Drink by 2030." Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points and Special Value Wine ★
"Giant Steps has always been an impressive operation, but with Melanie Chester leading a crack crew in the winery and the vineyards they’ve ascended to a whole other level. This wine, from the vineyard that formed the foundation of the label, shows the deft touch that defines the Giant Steps chardonnay program. It’s a wine of balletic balance and high-def detail, intricate layers and crystalline acidity." Nick Ryan, The Weekend Australian - 96 points and Top 100 Wines of 2024
"Pale colour. Fresh lemon curd, grapefruit, nectarine aromas with touch of vanillin. Generous, minerally and supple with pure grapefruit, white peach, nectarine, hint marzipan flavours, fine looseknit lacy textures and fresh long mineral acidity. Some saline/ bitter sweet notes at the finish. More volume than Tarraford with superb clarity, freshness and length. Drink now – 2028." Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 96 points
"There’s genuine intensity of chardonnay fruit flavour here and a keen bite that goes with it. Sweet pear, white peach and citrus characters lead to a finish of green pineapple, grapefruit and brine, every step along the way both deliberate and powerful. No meanderings allowed here. Nougat oak teams it all seamlessly together, the finish long and resounding. General view would be that this is good to drink now but for me it needs at least another year in bottle. Drink: 2025-2032+." Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front – 96 points
Awards
Nick Ryan Top 100 Wines of 2024
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 and Bastard Hill Vineyards 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, up until the 2023 vintage, the Wombat Creek Vineyard owned by Hand Picked Wines. In addition, Giant Steps produces 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.