GIANT STEPS 2023 SINGLE VINEYARD 4-PACK

2023 Bastard Hill Chardonnay
[ Inaugural Release! ] Planted in 1987 in Gladysdale at 400m by the trailblazing Ray Guerin for Hardys and purchased by Giant Steps in 2022. This is its first wine from the vineyard. And what a wine it is! A brilliant and pure scented bouquet of nashi, pink grapefruit, crushed rock, sea spray and honeysuckle. There's a hint of fresh honeycomb, too. Incisive, pure and chalky on the palate, this concentrated yet light on its feet wine is reminiscent of good Corton-Charlemagne. That it will age gracefully is a given. – 98pts, Philip Rich for The Halliday Wine Companion

2023 Applejack Chardonnay
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. – 96pts, Philip Rich for The Halliday Wine Companion

2023 Tarraford Chardonnay
Planted on a cool, south-facing slope in Tarrawarra. Whole-bunch pressed and barrel fermented in seasoned French puncheons and one ceramic egg. A vibrant green gold. Immediately appealing with its aromas of stone fruits, yellow apple, some lemon confiture and a touch of brine. Chalky textured, slippery and with a certain openness but finely detailed and structured too. Grapefruit pithy on the long, beautifully balanced finish. – 97pts, Philip Rich for The Halliday Wine Companion

2023 Sexton Chardonnay
Made from a 50/50% blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted between 100 and 200m in Gruyere. Whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (25% new oak) with 15% mlf. Right now, this is the most salivating and seductive of Giant Step's superb array of single-vineyard chardonnays from '23. Perfectly ripened white peach, pear and some marine scents lead onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline and structured. The finish is energetic, nutty and long. – 97pts, Philip Rich for The Halliday Wine Companion