Giant Steps

Continuing on with my Yarra Valley tastings: Giant Steps is part of Innocent Bystander, a producer which has been thriving during the last few years. The Giant Steps wines are the single vineyard wines, and this was my first opportunity to taste a range of them

2013 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay: this vineyard is located near Yarra Yering and Coldstream Hills. The wine has seen 20% new oak, and 10% has undergone malolactic fermentation. Apple flavours dominate, but the new oak and malo has provided some complexity and nice texture. The wine has a pleasant acidic finish (92 points).

2013 Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay: this vineyard is warmer, and the wine has more aromatic, some would say female characteristics. The finish is quite tight (91 points).

2013 Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir: an appealing Pinot Noir. Dark cherry flavours, soft tannins and a long finish (94 points).

2013 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir: the previous year was a highly acclaimed wine. The vineyard is in the Upper Yarra Valley, with cooler conditions. This is a darker wine than the Sexton with a good grip and firm finish. Nevertheless, I found this wine a little fruity on the palate (93 points).

2012 Mea Culpa Shiraz: the Mea Culpa series of wines is made with no intervention or additions in the vineyard or the winery. This wine comes from the Tarraford vineyard. It shows intense fruit and a lot of white pepper. It is quite a smooth wine, but I am not sure about its ability to age (92 points).

Overall, I found the wines were well made, although maybe not as precise in their profile as at Coldstream Hills.