Tip top, bang on, recommended, no hesitation.
Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
About The Wine
A great addition to the Giant Steps range this year, the LDR (Light Dry Red) is a lipsmacking blend of Pinot Noir from the Primavera vineyard high in the hills of the Yarra Valley and Syrah from Phils Sexton's home block on the Valley floor.
It's slinky, seductive, and incredibly easy to drink. Campbell Mattinson had no problems in offering a strong recommendation in his 93 point review.
If you love this uniquely Australian blend, with all the history and nostalgia that Pinot/Shiraz conjure up for Australian wine lovers, this is a beautiful modern rendition which should absolutely be on your hit list.
About Giant Steps
Giant Steps is a premium Yarra Valley outfit founded by Phil Sexton located in the in the township of Healesville. Since appointing Steve Flamsteed as his head winemaker and eventual business partner, Sexton and Flamsteed have developed a reputation for producing some of the region's finest examples of single vineyard wines.
From the vineyard to the final bottled wine, every aspect of the Giant Steps process is geared towards making truly world-class wines. 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.
For three years running, Wine and Spirit Magazine have named them as one of the Top 100 wineries in the world, and Flamsteed capped off an amazing run by being named Gourmet Traveller Wine's 2016 Winemaker of the Year, another jewel in the Giant Steps crown. Their ultra modern cellar door is one of the must-visit experiences for any wine tourist stopping through the Yarra Valley.
Yarra Valley, VIC
From The Producer
SEASON:
2017 was a textbook cool climate vintage. The preceding winter was cool to cold (good vine dormancy) with good rainfall and ground saturation as the valley moved into spring. The growing season was characterized by intermittent rainfall with otherwise cool to mild days, bright sunshine and importantly, no temperature peaks. As a result, all varieties enjoyed slower ripening where acids, sugar and flavor stayed well in-sync. The resulting wines have terrific structure and detail, underpinned by crisp natural acidity and bright fruit.
VINIFICATION:
Natural winemaking philosophy, while making quality the priority. Minimal intervention in the vineyard and 100% hand-picked. Fermented in small open open oak vats and stainless steel fermenters using indigenous yeasts. Fermented with very little cap work - a real focus on carbonic maceration. 100% malolactic fermentation. Seven months in seasoned French oak vats on
Blend : Pinot Noir (51%), Syrah (49%)
ABV : 13.00%
Closure : Screw cap
Bottle Size : 750ml
Yarra Valley, VIC
Critic Reviews
"You could guzzle this. It’d be pretty sophisticated guzzling, admittedly, but the freshness and flow of it almost begs you to dive in for more. It’s all fruit, spice and nuts, a sweetness to the fruit and a smoky/clovey character to the spice, some reduction working in the wine’s favour too. Tip top, bang on, recommended, no hesitation." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
"The vintage conditions were ideal for this rapidly developing style pioneered by the pocket rocket winemaker at Yarra Yering Sarah Crowe, LDR standing for light dry red. The red cherry and plum flavours bond with each other with no sign of a dividing line - it's almost luminous in its vibrant taste and colour." - James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)
Delivery is Free for any order of $99 or more, or just $10 for any orders less than $99. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mixed pack! In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Byron Bay we deliver with our own vans. All other areas are serviced by Australia Post.
Sydney Metro orders in the Pink Zone will be delivered the next day 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. Orders in the Blue Zone will be delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays. Everything outside these zones will be delivered by Australia Post.
Melbourne Metro orders are picked up at 12pm from our Sydney warehouse every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and delivered the following day in Melbourne (Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri). Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Melbourne Metro here. Everything outside of this zone will be dispatched next business day with Australia Post.
Brisbane Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 12pm and delivered on Thursday or Friday. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Brisbane Metro here. Everything outside of this zone will be dispatched next business day with Australia Post.
Australia Wide Deliveries To the rest of Australia we use Australia Post. The Australia Post Collection Truck picks up orders from our Sydney warehouse every weekday at midday. If your order is placed before 12pm we’ll get it on the truck that day. Delivery times vary considerably with Australia Post and unfortunately there is no Express Delivery Option for wine (because it is fragile and heavy). PLEASE NOTE that we are currently seeing significant delays in the Australia Post delivery network. Strict government health and safety requirements and very high parcel volumes are causing significant backlogs at the main NSW and VIC sorting facilities. Orders are still arriving safe and sound but you may notice slower delivery times and less frequent scanning updates than usual.
Authority to Leave and other delivery instructions can be left in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the here page before the final checkout page.
Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.
Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here
For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 1300 668 385..
Do I have to order in dozens? No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!
Are there volume discounts? No, our pricing is designed to be the best in market already - no marking up and then discounting down! For very large orders (weddings, etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call.
Do we price match? Yes, within reason. Everyday low & consistent pricing is something we strongly believe in. We want our customers to feel confident they are always getting the best price. If you see a price lower somewhere else let us know and we'll consider matching it. We'll even retrospectively issue you store credit if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.
Can coupons and discounts be stacked? No, only one discount or coupon can be applied to an order at once.
I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me? This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 1300 668 385 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.
Does Different Drop have a physical store? No. Just an a warehouse/office. We occasionally do events however, so sign up to our newsletter or follow us on instagram to stay in the loop.
Can I special order a wine you do not sell? If it’s doable, then we’ll make it happen. Just contact us directly via phone, chat or email and we’ll find out for you right away. Please note that in most cases special orders such as these will need to be in full case lots (6 or 12 bottles).
More FaQs: here
Sign up for the latest news & special offers
No spam, just the good stuff!