Giant Steps Applejack Chardonnay 2018 ~ Yarra Valley, Australia

96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
95/100 James Suckling
94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
92/100 Wine Enthusiast
92/100 The Wine Advocate
90/100 Decanter World Wine Awards
95/100 The Wine Front (2017 Vintage)
92/100 Wine Spectator (2017 Vintage)

Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards

Halliday Wine Companion Awards, James Halliday " A spotless bouquet and an elegant palate of great length. Stone fruits and melon are threaded through a faint gauze of acidity, oak barely seen. This is an exercise in balance, and the certainty of future greatness."

Decanter World Wine Awards "Restrained, with delicate hints of green apple, grapefruit pith and white peach, while the herbaceous palate has a yellow liquorice finish."

James Suckling "The palate has a smooth, evenly paced and sleek feel. Polished texture and good depth of fresh white peaches and pears....Apples and honeydew melon with pie crust and poached pears in a fresh, attractive mode..."

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Electric and lacy, mouth-watering and ultra fresh. Bright and brisk style really nicely done....Flinty, lean, racy style. Good puckering feel and tight, squeaky race across the palate. Citrus, wet stone, frangipani floral things to sniff on. Stone and flint licks to taste, a squeeze of grapefruit, green apple, pickled ginger, sparkling almost in its transparent whip-crack across the palate. "

The Wine Advocate "It's a medium-bodied but plump and generous offering, with melon and pineapple fruit filling out the silky-textured mid-palate, then easing into a long, citrusy finish."

Wine Enthusiast "...The palate is richly textured and laced with minerals. The wood is present but not overwhelming...Coming from vines 200 meters higher and nine years younger than this producer's other single-vineyard Chardonay, Tarraford, this wine is clearly made in the same vein, but shows distinctive differences. Less fruity, this vintage is initially a touch reductive and oaked, but as it warms in the glass, notes of salted nuts and honey, along with delicate citrus, float to the fore. "

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 have been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.

Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia). Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 by highly respected viticulturist Ray Guerin Today it is meticulously managed by his son Mark.

Applejack Vineyard is situated in the Upper Yarra Valley, to the south-east of the traditional valley floor. The higher altitudes result in cooler growing conditions - ideal for Pinot Noir. Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic, north-east-facing slope with close-planted vines. This vineyard was purchased by Phil Sexton in 2013.