Tech stuff

How was it made?

A fantastic Spring with highly successful flowering allowed us to shoot thin and cluster select down to one bunch per shoot. The whole ripening season was a little earlier than average and despite some good January rain, the overall growing season was relatively dry. We picked fruit with lower sugars but with beautiful flavour and stem ripeness. The resulting wines have lower alcohol, but similar acid levels to the 2017, but with a little more tannin structure. All the 18 Pinots have lovely perfume, colour and a very generous mouthfeel. The 114 and a parcel of the MV6 were transferred to open vats as whole bunches, while the G8V3 was destemmed for a long cold soak and fermented separately - as a perfume component. All vats were indigenous fermentation, the whole bunch vats got an occasional foot stomp to release a little more juice into the fermentation. 11 months in new and used French barriques - 8% new, 92% older. Bottled by gravity, no filtration at bottling.

Who made it?

Giant Steps is an independent winery in Healesville, Victoria, owned by Phil Sexton. Phil first made his name in establishing some noted micro-breweries, such as Little Creatures, and later established Devil’s Lair in Margaret River. First released in 2001, Giant Steps focuses exclusively on the distinctive expression of single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley. Grapes are drawn from estate and leased vineyards, as well as a selection of long-term contracted vineyards. Giant Steps wines are produced fastidiously in the vineyard and vinified with minimal intervention so that each is a faithful expression of site, vintage and culture. Giant Steps focuses on restrained Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and cool climate Cabernet/Merlot blends. These single vineyard wines are sourced from five different vineyards throughout the Yarra, so each is a fingerprint of location and site personality. The name Giant Steps comes in part from Phil’s love for jazz and John Coltrane’s album of that same name, and in part due the Giant Step Phil took in relocating with his family from Margaret River to the Yarra Valley. Giant Steps wines are always exclusively single vineyard Yarra Valley wines. They are hand made in small batches using gravity flow principles. Production of the Giant Steps wines is very limited with some vineyards producing as little as 200 cases each vintage – some wines are not produced each year if vintage conditions do not allow. These wines are often hard to find in retail outlets as they are mainly sold through the cellar door and through selected restaurants.