{"product_id":"giant-steps-yarra-valley-chardonnay-2025","title":"Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2025","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce42974 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ce42974\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"elementor-widget-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-id=\"ce42974\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce42974 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"elementor-widget-container\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe focus at Giant Steps is on the production of high-quality, single-vineyard wines. However, they also produce a gorgeous Chardonnay \u003cspan\u003eboth estate grown and from growers, \u003c\/span\u003esourced from vineyards across the Yarra Valley (a\u003cspan\u003en even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit). \u003c\/span\u003eThe 2025 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay was w\u003cspan\u003ehole-bunched pressed and wild fermented in 19% new French puncheons.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Brightly coloured. An immediate and attractive bouquet of white nectarine, lemon verbena, a little flint and salted almonds. Brightly fruited, with vibrant acidity that gives the wine freshness and energy. Drink now and over the next three to four years.\"  Philip Rich\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eAn even split of Upper and lower Yarra fruit; both estate grown and from growers. 20% new oak. Brightly coloured. An immediate and attractive bouquet of white nectarine, lemon verbena, a little flint and salted almonds. Brightly fruited, with vibrant acidity that gives the wine freshness and energy. Drink now and over the next three to four years.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cb\u003ePhilip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points and Special Value Wine  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #f9e00c;\"\u003e★\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAwards\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #f9e00c;\"\u003e★ \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #f9e00c;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the wine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Giant Steps winemaker Melanie Chester\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Giant_Steps_winemaker_Melanie_Chester_1024x1024.png?v=1715497139\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following article by Jancis Robinson appeared in jancisrobinson.com in June 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eA fine alternative to white burgundy that shouldn't be too difficult to find.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI don’t think I have ever chosen a wine of the week that is so well distributed, which was a real surprise because when I tasted both the 2021 and 2022 before researching availability, I was struck by how non mass-market they seemed. Hats off to Phil Sexton’s operation, acquired by Jackson Family Wines in 2020, for managing to combine quality and quantity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHere’s a wine that would deliver something pretty close to the white burgundy experience for a fraction of the price of a white burgundy. The Yarra Valley, outside Australia’s food-and-drink capital Melbourne, has long been proud of its Chardonnays (and Pinot Noirs). I was at a festival devoted to Yarra Valley Chardonnay back in 2019 and as a result wrote 'All change in the Yarra'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThese two vintages are, respectively, the last made by talented winemaker Steve Flamsteed and the first by his successor Melanie Chester, pictured above, who describes the winemaking involved as 'embarrassingly simple'. All the fruit, which comes from various vineyards all over the valley, at least half from the higher Yarra ranges, and many of them good enough to provide fruit for Giant Steps’ range of single-vineyard Chardonnay bottlings, is hand-picked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt’s cooled overnight and then whole-bunch pressed, slowly and cool, the next day before being put into barrel that same day with full solids. Spontaneous fermentation in puncheons (15% new) follows, with a little SO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e added after about seven days, 'but our house style is not that reductive', according to Chester. Only about 10% of the wine is allowed to go through malolactic conversion and the wine is blended and bottled in October, seven months after the last grape was picked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe weather in 2021 was cooler and wetter than usual, which encouraged slow ripening and yielded quite a generous crop. The yield in 2022 was much lower thanks to a difficult flowering in stormy weather. A dry December further reduced quantities and reduced average bunch weights by up to 40% of the usual. According to Chester’s notes, 'the mild summer meant long, slow ripening and flavour concentration throughout summer, with some well-placed rain in January refreshing the vineyards at just the right time. The strong canopies and low fruit load meant we sailed neatly into picking with very little disease or weather pressure affecting our picking decisions. The grapes from 2022 came off the vine with lovely concentration and flavour and great natural acidity.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe wines are just 12.5% alcohol but are packed with delicate fruit, refreshing acidity and, like all Giant Steps wines, are characterised by extremely long finishes. The 2022 vintage is screwcapped as usual but the first to be bottled in a lightweight bottle – weighing just 1,286 g full (the 2021 weight is 1,334 g) and it looks quite smart. Nothing cheapskate about this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAlthough the 2021 is obviously 12 months older than the 2022, I thought the wines were at very similar stages of evolution, both of them delicious to drink now but with another four or five years’ development ahead of them (a pretty good prospect for this price level). I tasted both within days of tasting Giant Steps’ single-vineyard Chardonnays and, while I think the latter will have a longer life than these less expensive blends, the regular Yarra Valley Chardonnays seem absolutely brilliant value to me.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eChester, incidentally, was last year made the first female and youngest chief judge of the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, the show at which the influential Jimmy Watson Trophy is awarded, succeeding Matt Harrop of Curly Flat. Her mentor, she told me over a recent lunch in London, has been Tom Carson of Yabby Lake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI should stress that both Sexton and Flamsteed are still very much around, in line with JFW’s policy of leaving the founders of the wineries they acquire in place whenever possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eGo find these highly recommended wines. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMelanie Chester\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cimg alt=\"Winemaker Melanie Chester at work in the Giant Steps winery\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Giant_Steps_Melanie_Chester.png?v=1723799261\" style=\"margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; float: none;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker Melanie Chester at work in the Giant Steps winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eMel 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWine 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThen, 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe 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. \u003cspan\u003eIn 2014, Melanie became the youngest ever scholar selected for The Len Evans Tutorial.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIn 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eMoving 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWithin 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIn 2021, after six years as Head Winemaker at Sutton Grange, Chester joined Giant Steps as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture. \"\u003cspan\u003eIt’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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article by Mark Hedley that appeared in Square Mile\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eMelanie 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAwards – and award-winning wines – came thick and fast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHer 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNow general manager of the prestigious Yarra Valley winery, she talks us through her journey in wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat was your first experience of wine?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWine 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat was the first wine you tasted which really caught your attention?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhen did you decide 'I want to make wine!'?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAfter my first harvest as an intern – I loved the energy of the cellar, the smells, and the transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhere and when was the first wine you made? And was it any good?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI 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!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt in your career?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHard work, dedication and not cutting corners are the foundation for making great wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat’s your favourite memory from your career so far?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhile 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhich has been your favourite vintage over the last few years – and why?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e2022 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWho is your winemaking hero – and why?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIf you could only drink one grape for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003ePinot 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat’s your death-row bottle from your own line-up?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eApplejack Pinot Noir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnd from another winemaker?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eOoooooh, very hard – either 1989 Chateau Rayas, 2012 Raveneau Les Clos or a 2015 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant!\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/GiantSteps_1024x1024.jpg?v=1670278917\" alt=\"Giant Steps Yarra Valley Range\"\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe single vineyards comprise the Sexton Vineyard in the Lower Yarra and the Applejack Vineyard in the Upper Yarra (both owned by Giant Steps), the \u003cspan\u003eTarraford Vineyard in the Lower Yarra under long-term lease, \u003c\/span\u003ethe Primavera Vineyard in the Upper Yarra under long-term supervised contract and the Wombat Creek Vineyard owned by Hand Picked Wines. \u003cspan\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Giant Steps wines have received global acclaim and are now recognized as a global benchmark for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. \u003c\/span\u003eSince 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 \u0026amp; Spirits Magazine for each of the last six years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiant Step's success is due in no small part to Steve Flamsteed, Chief Winemaker since 2003. \u003cspan\u003eSteve 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. \"\u003c\/span\u003eSteve 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\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelanie 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. \u003cspan\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGiant 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47601289330929,"sku":null,"price":35.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Giant-Steps-Yarra-Valley-Chardonnay-2024_110f8c3f-0498-4216-a888-8c19b246923d.jpg?v=1769054685","url":"https:\/\/canterburywines.au\/products\/giant-steps-yarra-valley-chardonnay-2025","provider":"Canterbury Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}