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2021 Giant Steps "Sexton Vineyard" Chardonnay Yarra Valley Victoria

2021 Giant Steps "Sexton Vineyard" Chardonnay Yarra Valley Victoria

97JH
96RP
95JS
95WE
$69.99

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97

James Halliday

Reviewed May 2022
Made mainly from WA's Gingin clone and planted in Gruyere on the same grey clay as Applejack. Whole bunches pressed into French puncheons with 20% new oak. Smells tightly wound and concentrated with aromas of ripe peach and nectarine, together with just a hint of lanolin and apple custard. Equally powerful and punchy on the palate. This has more of everything, including sprightly acid and some phenolic grip on the very long, stone-fruit pithy finish. Today, this is my pick of the 4 single-vineyard 2021 chardonnays, but who knows what will come out on top in 5 or even 10 years from now! (PR)

Professional Reviews

96

Wine Advocate

Review Date: 06/2022
This is made with fruit from the Sexton Vineyard, at 200 meters in altitude (80 meters higher than Tarraford). Within the vineyard, the clones are dominated by Gingin (brought over to Victoria by Phil Sexton), followed by Dijon clones, planted in the 1990s. The 2021 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay is composed of 60% Gingin. Twenty percent of the parcels went through malolactic fermentation—clone 277 and some of the 96. This is salty as anything—a very good thing in my book—and the sheer intensity of flavor in the mouth is mouthwatering. Preserved lemon and grapefruit pith lace the edges of the mid-palate. Very smart—it has the Yarra precision of acid and streamlined phenolics, but it brings concentration of flavor and thrilling phenolics. Super smart wine. (EL)

95

James Suckling

Review Date: 10/2022
A rich and textural chardonnay with tons of ripe pear fruit and floral complexity. On the concentrated palate this has a serious tannin structure and a bright mineral acidity that interlocks very neatly. Long, generous and complete finish.

95

Wine Enthusiast

Review Date: 03/2023
From one of the Yarra's most renowned vineyards, on steep loam and clay slopes in the Warramate Ranges, this vintage of Sexton again proves a sublimely classy bottling. Layered and bright aromas of preserved lemon, melon and fresh cream, strewn with flower petals and softly framed by toasty oak open. The mouth-watering, citrusy acidity and silky texture work seamlessly together, supported by the fine-grained oak, with a long lemon-curd finish. Harmonious and elegant without shying away from structure and age-worthiness. (CP)

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

TypeWhite Wine
VarietalChardonnay
OriginYarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Bottle Size750 mL
Alcohol Content13.5%
SKU2066408