2021 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir

Highly Rated
Giant Steps' most collectable Pinot Noir in brilliant form as always. Elegant and beautifully balanced. 98 points and Best Of Pinot Noir - 2023 Halliday Wine Companion
4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
4 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$69.00
Stock:
Sold out

Rendering loop-subscriptions

Save to wishlist

Description

The Applejack Pinot Noir is from the cooler climes of Gladysdale in the Yarra Valley, and is now seen as one of the benchmark Pinot Noirs of the region

This is one of the jewels in the Giant Steps crown. A wine that shows a tremendous balance of grace and power from day one, with the structure to age wonderfully.

With a healthy amount of whole bunches and a splash of new oak, the wine has plenty of oomph to go along with its sweet fruit and enticing fragrance - it really is the complete package.

Applejack is often the fastest to sell out of the Giant Steps range. If you love Pinot Noir, do not hesitate over this release.

Hand picked, all fruit is chilled overnight to 12 degrees Celsius. Fermented in small oak fermenters and stainless steel open vats. The MV6 and Pommard parcels were fermented as whole bunches, while the Abel and D clones were destemmed to whole berries and cold soaked for five days. The resulting blend is almost 80% whole bunch due to the riper stems this year. All parcels were matured in French oak - 25% new, 75% older -for eight months in 225L barriques.

98 Points - "Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones including 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel! I've long considered the Applejack vineyard to be one of the greatest sites for pinot in Australia and I'm not sure I've seen a better version than the 2021. A deep, bright, crimson purple. Maraschino cherry into plum, there's an exotic and riotous amalgam of Asian five-spice and a gentle savoury, umami character. What elevates this vintage is the concentration, along with Applejack's trademark perfume and spice. Just so vibrant and fresh on the palate, the tannins are both silky and plentiful. You will have no problems opening and enjoying this now, but the wine's track record suggests you'll thank me if you still have some to drink 7-10 years from now, if not longer." - Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 Points - "Mid-light purple-red colour, bright and youthful, with aromas of mixed spices, raspberry, smoky oak and charcuterie, gentle palate texture and pleasingly drying tannins at the end. Excellent intensity. A nice touch of fruit sweetness at the heart of it, then a drying flush of fine tannin moves in. Delicious pinot." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

95 Points - "Pure red cherry flavours push straight into undergrowth, mushroom, fragrant herb and spices. Cedarwood oak is present but so happily married to the fruit. There are briar notes here, particularly through the finish, and throughout it feels structured without necessarily feeling grippy. There's a (positive) smoky aftertaste and a (very) good level of richness, in a varietal context. All up, hands down, this is a gorgeous wine to drink." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

96 Points - "Brashly spicy and complex, this has aromas of espresso, blueberries, toasted spices and grilled bread, as well as forest wood and violets. The palate delivers alluring depth and a round, fleshy build. Acidity explodes on the finish, releasing fresh red-cherry and blueberry fruit flavors. Wonderfully layered and complete. Drink over the next eight years." - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points - <p class="p1">Top 100 Wines of 2022 - &ldquo;The colour isn't deep, but is crystal clear. The perfumed bouquet is filled with violets and scents of the forest floor, the palate utterly extraordinary in its intensity. It is primarily driven by its fruits of cherry and plum, but also the sheen of mouthwatering tannins.&ldquo; - James Halliday (The Weekend Australian)

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 4 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 3 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
100%would recommend this product
4 reviews
  • FL
    Frankie L.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    2 months ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Classic Yarra Pinot

    Benchmark Pinot from the region, very enjoyable but lack of surprise elements.

    TasteRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Interest LevelRated 3.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Value for MoneyRated 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • JJ
    Jeremy J.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    9 months ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Special Wine

    Elegant, fruit forward but beautifully balanced

    TasteRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Interest LevelRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Value for MoneyRated 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • SR
    Susan R.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Sue

    Very good

    TasteRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Interest LevelRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Value for MoneyRated 3.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • MM
    Molly M.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Beginner
    2 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Beginner
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Super smooth

    Bought this as a gift for my partner and he now has a new favourite wine! Super smooth from the first taste, 10/10 would recommend.

    TasteRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Interest LevelRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Value for MoneyRated 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
Reviews LoadedReviews Added

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.

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Shipping

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

Ordering

We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. If you see a lower price elsewhere, just get in touch and we will sort it out for you. We handle all our price-matching on a case by case basis.

Some things to keep in mind: 

  • Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
  • The price match cannot be used in conjunction with a coupon or one-off deal we are offering. The idea is for you to get the best price in the market so if that is already achieved through a coupon then we won't price match on top of that.
  • We don't price match clearance or fire sales.
  • We’ll match the listed price as long as it is a legitimate offer and the competing store is actually able to fulfil the order (they have stock or more stock is en route). Essentially we won't price match cheeky vendors listing wines they have no hope of actually getting for you...
  • It must be a publicly listed price. We won't match a price that has been achieved through a coupon/cash-back arrangement, or through a non-advertised offer over the phone or otherwise.  
  • It is limited to a reasonable retail quantity.

We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Call Us

Send a message