2014 Giant Steps "Applejack Vineyard" Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Victoria

Professional Reviews

Staff Reviews

RW

Ryan Woodhouse

Ryan Woodhouse

A wonderfully wild and aromatic Pinot Noir. There is a deliciously intriguing underbrush or briary note to this wine that transports it to realms of complexity and depth uncommon for this price point. Every swirl of the glass bring out new characters: bramble, sandalwood, sage, forest berries, some savory smoky notes and a hint of gaminess. Then come toasted spices, riper red fruit and some lifted whole cluster ferment notes. Really complex, fascinating wine. On the palate it's energetic, lithe and polished; an elegant wine with lovely natural acidity and refined structure. This is delicious now but I think it will only get better with time and I wouldn't mind betting this will be a top-notch 10-year wine. Not a blockbuster fruit bomb style; rather a wine that really evokes the true nature of Pinot Noir with all of its complex facets and dimensions.

Notes

Winemaker's Notes: "It has a good intensity of redcurrant and cranberry aromas plus whole bunch notes of Mediterranean herbs and moss, over subtle hints of beetroot and rhubarb. Medium bodied, it has great concentration in the mouth with plenty of ripe berry flavors. The ample tannins are soft and fleshy giving texture to a seamless flow. The finish is long and delicious and the wine will only improve over the next several years. Fruit was hand-picked and sorted then chilled overnight. 60% was kept as whole bunches. The remaining fruit was de-stemmed, but not crushed. A significant portion of the whole bunches were closed up in a vat and not manipulated in any way. The must was cold soaked for three days and then fermented with indigenous yeast for three weeks in oak vats and small open fermenters. Drain and returns and plunging was minimal. The fermented must was gravity transferred into an airbag press and pressed into tank. The wine was racked off gross lees to oak for indigenous malolactic fermentation. Unfiltered and bottled by gravity. Applejack Vineyard is 80 acres and was first planted in 2001. It is located on a dramatic east-facing slope, at an elevation of nearly 1,000 feet. The vines are close planted in red/brown clay loam soils and meticulously managed."