2022 Giant Steps "Sexton Vineyard" Chardonnay Yarra Valley Victoria

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96JH

96JS

96RP

96WS

95VN

$84.99

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James Halliday

Reviewed June 2023

Made from a 50/50% blend of Gingin and Bernard (or Dijon, as it's often referred to) clones planted on north-facing soil in Gruyere. Whole bunches pressed to French puncheons, 20% new oak. A bright green gold. The most immediate of the four single-vineyard chardonnays from Giant Steps in 2022. Perfectly ripened white peach and apricot aromas with scents of German spiced biscuits and a little flint. Textured with good intensity, this silky wine flows effortlessly across the palate. (PR)

Professional Reviews

James Suckling

Review Date: 05/2023

This is an exceptional, mid-weighted chardonnay. A mesh of unresolved CO2 and juicy acidity provide trajectory. Vanilla pod oak provides direction. Taut and seamless. Lemon curd and roasted quince, nestled amidst creamed cashew, nougatine and truffle at the core. The finish is endless, joining a matrix of textural rivets and seams, underlain by the flavorful Gingin clone. With wines such as these it is little wonder that Australia boasts the finest expressions of chardonnay with Burgundy. (NG)

Wine Advocate

Review Date: 11/2023

96+ points. Fifty percent Mendoza, some Gingin and a bunch of Bernard clones (76, 277 and 96) populate this 30-hectare vineyard. Within it are a variety of aspects and elevations; the block that provides the source for this wine is Block 11 (Bernard clones), and the on the north-facing side of the vineyard is the Mendoza/96 component. There are deeper soils and bigger canopies over this way, and this provides the generosity and texture for this cuvée. The 2022 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay offers notes of toasted almond meal, stone fruit, brine and citrus peel, with a deeper undercurrent of sandalwood and exotic spice. There are also notes of cut fennel, some ginger and loads of salted nuts. This is a lovely wine. It is big and powerful. This has plenty of phenolics to shape the wine through the finish and linger after the wine has gone. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. (EL)

Wine Spectator

Review Date: 12/2024

A stunning version, showing wonderful precision. Offers wild strawberry, raspberry and maraschino cherry flavors that are sleek and polished, plus wild fennel, toasted green tea, rose petal and cardamom details. There's a hint of forest floor on the long finish, with dense, velvety tannins. (MAW)

Notes

Located on the steep north facing slopes of the Warramate Ranges, the Sexton Vineyard is exposed and demanding. Being on the higher slopes, topsoil is thin and root systems have established themselves in shallow gravelly loams above a tough rocky clay base. Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with high skin to juice ratio. 100% hand picked and whole bunch pressed. The juice is transferred to barrel by gravity with no settling, taking on full gross lees. Wild Fermented in 500L French puncheons. A small amount of bâtonnage and 20% malolactic fermentation. Maturation for 10 months in new and used French oak: 20% new, 80% older.

Details

Origin	Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Type/Varietal	Chardonnay
Alcohol Content	13.5%
SKU	1928976