{"product_id":"giant-steps-yarra-valley-chardonnay-2025","title":"Giant Steps 'Yarra Valley' Chardonnay 2025","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTASTING NOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"\u003cspan\u003eAn even split of Upper and lower Yarra fruit; both estate grown and from growers. 20% new oak. Brightly coloured. An immediate and attractive bouquet of white nectarine, lemon verbena, a little flint and salted almonds. Brightly fruited, with vibrant acidity that gives the wine freshness and energy. Drink now and over the next three to four years.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e 95 Points - Phillip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE WINE:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAt Giant Steps, we hand pick 100% of our fruit and fastidiously hand sort in the vineyard. The grapes are then transported to the winery and put into the cold room overnight to cool down to 4 deg C before pressing the day following. Chardonnay is always whole bunch pressed either directly to barrel or pressed to tank before immediate transfer to barrel with full solids. The wine is wild fermented in French oak puncheons, 19% of which is new while the balance is seasoned. We allow the ferments to warm naturally, stirring daily to encourage fermentation and build texture. The level of malolactic fermentation (MLF) is dependent on season. In 2025, 10% of the barrels went through MLF. Post fermentation, we sulphur and then hold the barrels in a reductive environment on full lees with no stirring until blending and bottling in November. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGiant Steps\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE PRODUCER: \u003c\/strong\u003eGiant Steps was founded by wine industry pioneer Phil Sexton, who ventured from Margaret River to Yarra Valley to find 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. A mad jazz fan, Phil named the winery after John Coltrane’s album and fitting metaphor “Giant Steps.” In 2003, Winemaker Steve Flamsteed came aboard, 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. For Melanie Chester, who became Head of Winemaking and Viticulture at Giant Steps in 2021, this long-held admiration for the winery comes with an intrinsic pressure to honour the expressions and diversity of its single sites. This means keeping the winemaking tight and transparent, so that diversity of site is what you taste. For more than 20 years, Giant Steps has been advancing Australia’s reputation for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCOUNTRY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Australia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eREGION:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yarra Valley, Victoria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVARIETAL:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chardonnay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWINE STYLE:\u003c\/strong\u003e White Wine\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWINEMAKER:\u003c\/strong\u003e Melanie Chester\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCLASSIFICATION:\u003c\/strong\u003e Minimal Intervention | Sustainable Farming \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCLOSURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e Screwcap\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eABV%:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12.5%\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSIZE:\u003c\/strong\u003e 750ml\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Heritage Perth","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47957587722389,"sku":"6213","price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0367\/1208\/7597\/files\/P1260357.jpg?v=1789615002","url":"https:\/\/theheritageperth.com.au\/products\/giant-steps-yarra-valley-chardonnay-2025","provider":"The Heritage Perth","version":"1.0","type":"link"}