96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 93/100 Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot 92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review 92/100 James Suckling 96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (2022 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2022 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2022 vintage) 92/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review (2022 vintage) 92/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2022 vintage) 90/100 Huon Hooke (2022 vintage) 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson (2022 vintage) 96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage) 94/100 Wine Enthusiast (2021 vintage) 94/100 Wine Spectator (2021 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2021 vintage) 93/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front (2021 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2021 vintage) 91/100 Falstaff (2021 vintage) 16/20 Jancis Robinson (2021 vintage)
5 Star Winery - James Halliday Top 100 #18 - Wine Spectator
Bronze - Korean Wine Challenge Silver - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2022 vintage) Gold - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2021 vintage)
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "A bright crimson red. After a few good few swirls, aromas of ripe raspberries, black cherries, wild herbs and some crushed violets soon emerge. The palate, though, doesn't need much coaxing, and this silken, sappy wine has excellent depth and persistence."
Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot "Bing cherries, rhubarb and boysenberries. Crushed allspice, soft licorice and cardamom. Nigella seed, poppy and white pepper. Gravel and black stone. Pure black fruit intensity with compact berries. The character of this wine doesn’t rely solely on bunch work but the proportion sits fairly high at 35% and it carries it well. It’s confident in its composition of fruit and everything else is in balance, like a cobweb of support. A gentle swathe of fine tannins and lingering acidity. Delicious, structured and drinking very well now. A wine that would shine with almost any dish but for an example I’d say chewy wok charred Pad See Ew noodles with beef would elevate any night of the week."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Bright, medium-full red-purple colour; aromas of mixed spices, dark cherry and a subtle savoury note from oak. Intense palate with again nutty savoury traces alongside ripe cherry, sweet in its heart and finishing with fresh acidity and well-tailored tannins adding grip, length and authority."
James Suckling "A mid-weighted pinot noir with firm, rather brusque tannins, especially in the context of of an estate bottling. Bing cherry, orange peel and a hint of typically Yarra sassafras. The tannins, oak and whole-bunch-derived, as evidenced by their shape, are a bit pinched and herbal. I much prefer this to the chardonnay opening act, although strongly suggest that this, too, needs a few years to mesh."
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "A bright ruby crimson. Expressive with aromas of satsuma plums, strawberry coulis, fennel seeds and a hint of star anise. With its core of ripe yet well-delineated fruit and firm-ish, balanced tannins, this is more concentrated and muscular than the 2021." (2022 vintage)
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Bright cherry-red colour. Red cherry and a hint of struck flint on the nose. Palate has a similar fruit profile, dried herbs and cured meat notes bring complexity and character. Good length and the structural elements stay in harmony from start to finish." (2022 vintage)
Decanter "Young, vibrant with overt ripe forest fruit with strong, leafy, vegetal notes. The palate is crunchy, pure, vivid, and tender. Ceylon tea blends with mellow cherry. Structured and bursting with fruit, pleasantly racy freshness with an elegant finish." (2022 vintage)
Ned Goodwin MW "A mid-weighted pinot noir with firm, rather brusque tannins, especially in the context of of an estate bottling. Bing cherry, orange peel and a hint of typically Yarra sassafras. The tannins, oak and whole-bunch-derived, as evidenced by their shape, are a bit pinched and herbal..." (2022 vintage)
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "This newly released 2021 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir follows in the footsteps of recent vintages of this wine that have proved hugely popular. A very bright, light–medium crimson red. A gentle waft of fresh raspberries and cranberries, with just the right amount of spice-rack spices. Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too. The perfect introduction to modern Yarra pinot." (2021 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "Small but mighty describes the 2021 vintage in Victoria. This may be Giant Step's more affordable Pinot from a multi-vineyard blend, but it's as delicious and delightful as the single-vineyard stuff. Fleshy primary cherries and strawberries are underpinned by white spice, vanilla bean and soft florals, with a mineral core. The palate is crunchy and vibrant, with a silky lusciousness, purity of fruit and a long finish..." (2021 vintage)
James Suckling "This shows a spicy and chocolaty character with an array of ripe red and dark berries, dried herbs and orange jam. Medium-bodied and silky with dusty tannins and vibrant, juicy fruit flavors that lead to a supple, savory finish. Drink now. Screw cap." (2021 vintage)
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle." (2021 vintage)
Decanter "A low-yielding vintage but one which resulted in great concentration and acidity. Vinification was much the same as for the 2019 vintage: 40% whole-bunch fruit was used, with no fining and filtering and racking and bottling done by gravity. Though here the eight months' maturation was in a mix of barriques (10% new) and 4,000-litre oak vats. As with the Chardonnay, it's blend of various parcels that just miss out on being part of the single-vineyard wines: here Sexton (giving ripe cherry fruit), Applejack (a distinctive bitter orange Campari note), Tarraford (mocha and cocoa earthiness) and Primavera (floral perfume). A crunchy, delicate, quaffable Pinot packed with succulent cherries, savoury autumnal notes, soft acidity and gentle spice." (2021 vintage)
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh “Not sure what happened to the 2019 vintage. We must have missed it. Anyway, here we are. A blend of Sexton, Applejack, Primavera, Tarraford Vineyards, with 40% whole bunch and 10% new oak. Small yields, high quality, is the message from the winery. Aromatic and spicy, charred red capsicum and red fruit, subtle biscuity oak. Bright, energetic, fine emery tannin, a slight smokiness to taste, fresh raspberries, soft but sure grip on a long finish. Light, but with a fair bit of concentration and extract. Easy to enjoy.” (2021 vintage)
Falstaff "A lovely note of eucalypt immediately hits the nose, followed closely by tart but ripe berry. The palate is lithe, translucent, easy but also full of shimmering aromatics. This is supple, scented and wonderfully spicy on the finish" (2021 vintage)
Handpicked grapes grown in Yarra Valley and Central Otago vineyards, minimal intervention winemaking at their gravity flow winery in Healesville, one hour east of Melbourne. Wine packaged in Australia from 91.5% Australian grapes and 8.5% New Zealand grapes.
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Founder Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia).
Yarra Valley is an Australian wine region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne.
Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.
The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.
96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 93/100 Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot 92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review 92/100 James Suckling 96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (2022 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2022 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2022 vintage) 92/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review (2022 vintage) 92/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2022 vintage) 90/100 Huon Hooke (2022 vintage) 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson (2022 vintage) 96/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage) 94/100 Wine Enthusiast (2021 vintage) 94/100 Wine Spectator (2021 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2021 vintage) 93/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front (2021 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2021 vintage) 91/100 Falstaff (2021 vintage) 16/20 Jancis Robinson (2021 vintage)
5 Star Winery - James Halliday Top 100 #18 - Wine Spectator
Bronze - Korean Wine Challenge Silver - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2022 vintage) Gold - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2021 vintage)
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "A bright crimson red. After a few good few swirls, aromas of ripe raspberries, black cherries, wild herbs and some crushed violets soon emerge. The palate, though, doesn't need much coaxing, and this silken, sappy wine has excellent depth and persistence."
Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot "Bing cherries, rhubarb and boysenberries. Crushed allspice, soft licorice and cardamom. Nigella seed, poppy and white pepper. Gravel and black stone. Pure black fruit intensity with compact berries. The character of this wine doesn’t rely solely on bunch work but the proportion sits fairly high at 35% and it carries it well. It’s confident in its composition of fruit and everything else is in balance, like a cobweb of support. A gentle swathe of fine tannins and lingering acidity. Delicious, structured and drinking very well now. A wine that would shine with almost any dish but for an example I’d say chewy wok charred Pad See Ew noodles with beef would elevate any night of the week."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Bright, medium-full red-purple colour; aromas of mixed spices, dark cherry and a subtle savoury note from oak. Intense palate with again nutty savoury traces alongside ripe cherry, sweet in its heart and finishing with fresh acidity and well-tailored tannins adding grip, length and authority."
James Suckling "A mid-weighted pinot noir with firm, rather brusque tannins, especially in the context of of an estate bottling. Bing cherry, orange peel and a hint of typically Yarra sassafras. The tannins, oak and whole-bunch-derived, as evidenced by their shape, are a bit pinched and herbal. I much prefer this to the chardonnay opening act, although strongly suggest that this, too, needs a few years to mesh."
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "A bright ruby crimson. Expressive with aromas of satsuma plums, strawberry coulis, fennel seeds and a hint of star anise. With its core of ripe yet well-delineated fruit and firm-ish, balanced tannins, this is more concentrated and muscular than the 2021." (2022 vintage)
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Bright cherry-red colour. Red cherry and a hint of struck flint on the nose. Palate has a similar fruit profile, dried herbs and cured meat notes bring complexity and character. Good length and the structural elements stay in harmony from start to finish." (2022 vintage)
Decanter "Young, vibrant with overt ripe forest fruit with strong, leafy, vegetal notes. The palate is crunchy, pure, vivid, and tender. Ceylon tea blends with mellow cherry. Structured and bursting with fruit, pleasantly racy freshness with an elegant finish." (2022 vintage)
Ned Goodwin MW "A mid-weighted pinot noir with firm, rather brusque tannins, especially in the context of of an estate bottling. Bing cherry, orange peel and a hint of typically Yarra sassafras. The tannins, oak and whole-bunch-derived, as evidenced by their shape, are a bit pinched and herbal..." (2022 vintage)
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "This newly released 2021 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir follows in the footsteps of recent vintages of this wine that have proved hugely popular. A very bright, light–medium crimson red. A gentle waft of fresh raspberries and cranberries, with just the right amount of spice-rack spices. Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too. The perfect introduction to modern Yarra pinot." (2021 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "Small but mighty describes the 2021 vintage in Victoria. This may be Giant Step's more affordable Pinot from a multi-vineyard blend, but it's as delicious and delightful as the single-vineyard stuff. Fleshy primary cherries and strawberries are underpinned by white spice, vanilla bean and soft florals, with a mineral core. The palate is crunchy and vibrant, with a silky lusciousness, purity of fruit and a long finish..." (2021 vintage)
James Suckling "This shows a spicy and chocolaty character with an array of ripe red and dark berries, dried herbs and orange jam. Medium-bodied and silky with dusty tannins and vibrant, juicy fruit flavors that lead to a supple, savory finish. Drink now. Screw cap." (2021 vintage)
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle." (2021 vintage)
Decanter "A low-yielding vintage but one which resulted in great concentration and acidity. Vinification was much the same as for the 2019 vintage: 40% whole-bunch fruit was used, with no fining and filtering and racking and bottling done by gravity. Though here the eight months' maturation was in a mix of barriques (10% new) and 4,000-litre oak vats. As with the Chardonnay, it's blend of various parcels that just miss out on being part of the single-vineyard wines: here Sexton (giving ripe cherry fruit), Applejack (a distinctive bitter orange Campari note), Tarraford (mocha and cocoa earthiness) and Primavera (floral perfume). A crunchy, delicate, quaffable Pinot packed with succulent cherries, savoury autumnal notes, soft acidity and gentle spice." (2021 vintage)
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh “Not sure what happened to the 2019 vintage. We must have missed it. Anyway, here we are. A blend of Sexton, Applejack, Primavera, Tarraford Vineyards, with 40% whole bunch and 10% new oak. Small yields, high quality, is the message from the winery. Aromatic and spicy, charred red capsicum and red fruit, subtle biscuity oak. Bright, energetic, fine emery tannin, a slight smokiness to taste, fresh raspberries, soft but sure grip on a long finish. Light, but with a fair bit of concentration and extract. Easy to enjoy.” (2021 vintage)
Falstaff "A lovely note of eucalypt immediately hits the nose, followed closely by tart but ripe berry. The palate is lithe, translucent, easy but also full of shimmering aromatics. This is supple, scented and wonderfully spicy on the finish" (2021 vintage)
Handpicked grapes grown in Yarra Valley and Central Otago vineyards, minimal intervention winemaking at their gravity flow winery in Healesville, one hour east of Melbourne. Wine packaged in Australia from 91.5% Australian grapes and 8.5% New Zealand grapes.
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Founder Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia).
Yarra Valley is an Australian wine region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne.
Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.
The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.
