2022 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay

Highly Rated
A fantastic release from the iconic Sexton vineyard. A powerful premium Yarra Valley Chardonnay.

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Sale price$75.00
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Description

The Sexton vineyard is owned by Phil Sexton, the founder of Giant Steps.

He purchased the property due to its location, tucked between some of the most famous estates in the Yarra Valley in the foothills of Coldstream, the site perfect for producing first-rate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The Sexton release may be the most deliciously drinkable of the Giant Steps Single Vineyard Chardonnay wines whilst in their youth.

It has an ease of drinking, inbuilt complexity and the promise of something more given time.

A great place to start if you want to get a feel for the Giant Steps Chardonnays.

96 points
"This is an exceptional, mid-weighted chardonnay... With wines such as these it is little wonder that Australia boasts the finest expressions of chardonnay with Burgundy."
- Ned Goodwin (James Suckling)

96+ points
"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."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

96 points
"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."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

95+ points
"Wonderfully intense but at ease with it; what this wine does is take its intensity and run with it. This is a wine. Upfront and backwards at once. Go."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

100% hand picked – a spectacular year with every block and clone contributing to the final blend. Whole bunch pressed, juice transferred to barrel by gravity with no settling. 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, Taransaud, Mercurey and D&J.

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." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

96 points - "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." - Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "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. Drinkable now, but best from 2025." - Ned Goodwin MW (JamesSuckling.com)

95+ points - "Steel and spice, some dry pear, citrus, apples, preserved lemons and pink ginger. Wonderfully intense but at ease with it; what this wine does is take its intensity and run with it. This is a wine. Upfront and backwards at once. Go." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

95 points - "Complex aromas of wet stone, struck match, just-ripe nectarine, white flowers and melon skin: there’s a whole lot going on here. Fine, textured, mouth-filling and layered with stone fruit, grapefruit pith, minerals, nuts and talc. Long, layered and very complex with punchy acidity and a nice lick of phenolic grip." - Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)

Giant Steps

Giant Steps is a premium Yarra Valley outfit founded by Phil Sexton and located in the township of Healesville. Beginning with the vision of original head winemaker Steve Flamsteed, Giant Steps developed an international reputation for producing some of Australia's finest examples of single vineyard Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.

In 2021 the exceptionally talented Melanie Chester joined the team as the new head of winemaking and viticulture, marking an exciting new chapter in this elite producer's story.

Every aspect of the Giant Steps process is geared towards making truly world-class wines from the vineyard to the final bottled wine. The focus is on what the Yarra does best - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz/Syrah and Bordeaux-variety blends - and showcasing the unique terroirs of some of the region's finest vineyards.

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