Giant Steps 'Applejack' Chardonnay 2023
Regular price $93.00
Unit price per
- TASTING NOTE:" Applejack vineyard was planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in 1997, and only 2ha of its 11ha is planted to chardonnay. It is named for the Applejack eucalypts that surround it. Whole bunch pressed straight to barrel with full solids and matured in mainly second use puncheons. A very bright green gold. A pure and gently reticent bouquet of stone fruits, lemon verbena and crushed rocks. The palate is tightly coiled, steely, saline and focused. A wine with excellent potential." 96 points - Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 2024
- ABOUT THE WINE: Applejack Vineyard is a special site, located on a dramatic slope in the upper Yarra Valley and is closely planted and fastidiously managed. It was planted by respected viticulturist Ray Guerin in 1997. The basalt based underlying volcanic soil and rock produce a characteristically fine yet extended, spicy and firm palate. The higher altitude results in a cooler and extended growing season, ideally suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (3-4 weeks later than central Yarra Valley). Chardonnay from Applejack requires lots of attention to detail in the vineyard, with focus put on crop loads and fruit exposure to ensure even ripeness and acid levels. 100% handpicked and whole bunch pressed. The juice was then transferred directly to barrel by gravity with no settling, taking full lees. Wild fermented in 500L French oak puncheons. No bâtonnage. No Malolactic fermentation. Maturation for 9 months in used French oak.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Giant Steps was founded by wine industry pioneer Phil Sexton, who ventured from Margaret River to Yarra Valley to find the ideal site to cultivate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse.
Phil found his holy grail near Gruyere in the Sexton vineyard, which he planted in 1997 on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges. A mad jazz fan, Phil named the winery after John Coltrane’s album and fitting metaphor “Giant Steps.” In 2003, Winemaker Steve Flamsteed came aboard, and the two set about producing a range of iconic Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express a profound sense of place from six finite sites in Yarra Valley. For Melanie Chester, who became Head of Winemaking and Viticulture at Giant Steps in 2021, this long-held admiration for the winery comes with an intrinsic pressure to honour the expressions and diversity of its single sites. This means keeping the winemaking tight and transparent, so that diversity of site is what you taste. For more than 20 years, Giant Steps has been advancing Australia’s reputation for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
- COUNTRY: Australia
- REGION: Yarra Valley, Victoria
- VARIETAL: Chardonnay
- WINE STYLE: White Wine
- WINEMAKER: Melanie Chester
- CLASSIFICATION: Vegan
- CLOSURE: Screwcap
- ABV%: 13%
- SIZE: 750ml
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