Description
Giant Steps built its reputation on hunting down the best single-vineyard sites in the Yarra, but this wider regional blend is where Mel Chester really gets to flex her blending muscles. Rather than zooming in on one specific block of dirt, she’s pulling together a complete snapshot of the entire valley in a single glass.
Half of the 2025 juice comes straight from the higher, cooler sites in the Upper Yarra. The growing season was a bit of a rollercoaster - a drenched winter followed by a warm, dry spring that pushed the vines along fast. The team ended up ripping through a compressed harvest earlier than usual in February, pulling in bunches that were intensely concentrated despite the surprisingly mild summer days.
The processing here is pretty straightforward. Hand-picked fruit is chilled down to exactly four degrees overnight before being whole-bunch pressed with full solids straight into French oak puncheons. Mel ran wild ferments using just under a fifth new wood, stirring daily to build out the texture. Only ten per cent of the barrels were allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, keeping the final cut firmly locked in and racy.
It leans into a sleeker, flintier spectrum of Yarra Chardonnay, but the lees work adds just enough textural slip to stop the mid-palate from feeling skeletal. It's so good to drink, right off the bat. We go through a mountain of this in the DD office because it consistently over-delivers for the price.
95 points
" Brightly fruited, with vibrant acidity that gives the wine freshness and energy. Drink now and over the next three to four years."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)
94 points
"I’ve kept the price, from last year, of $45 but it’s around the $40-45 mark. I personally wouldn’t/won’t have much hesitation. What a delicious expression of cool-climate chardonnay this wine presents. For value and for quality you could ask for little more... Absolutely Yes on this one."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
Customer Reviews
| Price Bracket | $31 to $40 |
| Type | White |
| Body | Full Bodied |
| Variety | Chardonnay |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Yarra Valley |
| Australian State | VIC |
| Feature |
Women in Wine High Score |
| Reviewed By |
Halliday Wine Companion The Wine Front |
| Critic Score |
95 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Vintage | 2025 |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
Giant Steps
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