Giant Steps Wombat Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

Giant Steps Wines is a renowned winery that was established in 1997 in the Yarra Valley. The winery has built a reputation for producing expressive wines with purity and finesse. The wines are a direct reflection of their individual vineyard sites, which are located across the Yarra Valley from Tarrawarra to Gladysdale. The founder of Giant Steps Wines, Phil Sexton, is a wine industry pioneer who ventured from Margaret River to Yarra Valley in search of the ideal site to cultivate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of purity and finesse. Phil found his holy grail near Gruyere in the Sexton vineyard, which he planted in 1997 on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges. Being a mad jazz fan, Phil named the winery after John Coltrane’s album and fitting metaphor “Giant Steps.” In 2003, Winemaker Steve Flamsteed joined the team, and the two set about producing a range of iconic Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express a profound sense of place from six finite sites in Yarra Valley. The winery's Head of Winemaking and Viticulture, Melanie Chester, who joined the team in 2021, is committed to honoring the expressions and diversity of its single sites. This means keeping the winemaking tight and transparent so that the diversity of the site is what you taste. “The wines will never look the same because the vineyards continue to change,” she explains, “but we are committed to ensuring that the quality will be the same if not better.” For more than 20 years, Giant Steps has been advancing Australia’s reputation for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Single vineyard range is sourced from each of the six vineyard sites around the Valley, using the most site-expressive fruit from that year’s vintage. The winery's loyal followers have played a significant role in the success of the winery.

Wombat Creek Vineyard is a unique and highly respected vineyard located in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. It is the highest altitude vineyard in the region, situated at an elevation of 410 meters, making it an ideal location for the production of extreme cool climate wines. The vineyard was originally planted in 1988 with the intention of producing base wine for sparkling production, but over the years has transitioned to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for table wine. The underlying ferrous (red) based volcanic soil and rock of the Wombat Creek Vineyard produce a distinctively soft yet long and firm palate, which contrasts with the finer palates seen from the nearby Applejack Vineyard (basalt based volcanic). This unique terroir results in wines that are highly sought after and respected, with a balance of acidity and fruit flavors. The vineyard is located in Gladysdale and has a north-east facing aspect. It spans across 16 hectares and was planted in 1988, with a soil type of volcanic loam (red/ferrous). The unique terroir of the Wombat Creek Vineyard, with its ferrous volcanic soil and high altitude, produces wines that are both complex and delicious.

Giant Steps Wombat Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 is an exceptional white wine from the Yarra Valley, Victoria. The wine is made from hand-picked Chardonnay grapes from the 2022 vintage, which was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. The grapes were harvested with lovely concentration and flavor, with great natural acidity, resulting in a wine that is both elegant and refined. On the nose, the wine has intense aromas of lime leaf, lemon verbena and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is rich and complex, with flavors of citrus, stone fruits and a hint of minerality. The Chardonnay grapes were sourced from the Wombat Creek Vineyard, located in Gladysdale, with an elevation of 410 meters and north-east facing slopes. The volcanic loam soil type of the vineyard adds to the complexity of the wine, resulting in a wine that is both elegant and refined. The wine was fermented in 500L French puncheons, with some going through malolactic fermentation and matured for 10 months in new and used French oak, 15% new and 85% older, Mercurey, Taransaud and Dargaud & Jaeglé. The wine is vegan-friendly and single-vineyard, showcasing the unique terroir of the Wombat Creek Vineyard.

Discreet and a little more subdued than its siblings. The highest vineyard in the Yarra. Despite being gently mid-weighted with lower alcohol, this feels softer and looser at the seams, while still typically intense. Bitter almond, lemon zest, nectarine and pistachio accents roll across a skein of tangerine freshness and cinnamon oak. Oatmeal lees at the core. The finish is exceptionally long and effusive of energy. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - Ned Goodwin MW, Jamessucking.com, 94 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Yarra Valley, Victoria
Vintage - 2022
Bottle - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%