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Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay is a pure elegant Chardonnay with pronounced though not over-blown stone & citrus fruit flavours, mineral notes and an almost Chablis-esque acidity
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| Wine Style | White Wine, Rich Creamy White |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | Chardonnay |
| Wine Region | Yarra Valley |
| Country | Australia |
| ABV | 12.5% |
| Oaked | Yes |
| Cork | No, Screwcap |
| Lifestyle | Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable |
| Volume | 75cl |
| Drink By | 2028 |
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2022 blew me away when I first tasted it alongside the Head of Winemaking & Viticulture at Giant Steps, Melanie Chester. With some amazing vineyards in the Yarra Valley, she and her team produce amazing single-vineyard Chardonnays but this, their “straight” Yarra Valley Chardonnay, was actually my favourite of them all because of its pure, clean style and finesse. Melanie explained the reasons for the great concentration, depth and texture of this amazing wine. They are down to a mix of grapes from specially selected Chardonnay clones planted in both upper and lower Yarra Valley, simple wine-making including whole-bunch pressing, indigenous yeast, their unique gravity flow winery and lees ageing. Only 15% of the wine is fermented in oak so that the oak influence is more on the texture than on the taste.
The resulting wine, Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 202, is fruit-driven. It tastes principally of citrus fruits, just-ripe stone fruits, melon with a hint of nectarine but has so much more including mineral and floral notes and a delicate nuttiness. I especially like the Chablis-esque crisp acidity that the wine has which sits harmoniously with the fruity flavours and the creamy texture. This is a very elegant and complex wine with a very long, clean finish, one of the signs of a true quality wine.
For another fabulous New World Chardonnay, try Lothian’s South African Chardonnay.
This is a very food-friendly wine. The producer suggests the following: “BBQ roasted prawns with citrus dressing. Pan seared john dory fish with capers. Roasted asparagus with mustard vinaigrette and slithered almonds.”
Serve at: 10 – 14°C
“2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exacerbated the already small bunch weights, leading to bunches that weighed up to 40% lower than normal years. 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.“
95 points Halliday Wine Companion May 2023
“A light, bright green gold. Pure fruited with an attractive nose of just ripened orchard and stone fruits, pink grapefruit and orange blossom. A hint of matchstick and just-baked ginger snaps. Concentrated and lithe at the same time, Giant Step’s calling card is just as good, if not better than the super 2021 release.”
16.5 points – JancisRobinson.com – Jul 2023
“Pretty smart, convincing and refreshing on the nose. Very delicate with winemaking as accomplished as for the single-vineyard Chardonnays. Lots of fresh acidity but no shortage of just-ripe-enough fruit. Amazingly long for a basic bottling. I’d be tempted to save money and go for this one!”
2025 Winery of the Year Halliday Wine Companion
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