Style Profile at a Glance
| Attribute | Profile | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Medium-Bodied, Linear & Svelte | ●●●●● |
| Sweetness | Bone Dry | ●●●●● |
| Acidity | Chiseled | ●●●●● |
| Fruit | White Peach, Lemon Pith & Nectarine | ●●●●● |
| Oak | Restrained French Puncheons (10% New) | ●●●●● |
Expert Tasting Notes & Estate Reputation
- 94 Points – James Suckling: "A fresh, compact bottling, with aromas of lemon pith, grapefruit, chalk and apple blossoms. The palate is tight and focused, with densely packed fruit and a fine line of acidity that drives a long, mineral finish. Generous and delicious. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- 91 Points – Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2024 Chardonnay is gentler than the powerful single-vineyard wine; this cuvée is blessed with a creamy mid-palate, bright/saline acidity, and a profusion of spices. Not as complex, but it's a lovely wine. 12.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
- Crafted by Cool-Climate Royalty: Head winemakers Melanie Chester and the team at Giant Steps treat this regional Chardonnay with the absolute same level of attention as their iconic single-vineyard releases. Utilizing 100% gravity-flow winemaking, whole-bunch pressing, and indigenous yeast ferments in large, neutral French puncheons, they create a wine that prizes mineral electricity, complex leesy texture, and absolute terroir accuracy.
Highlights
- A meticulous blend sourcing fruit from low-yielding, premium vineyards across both the lower Valley floor and the cool, high-altitude Upper Yarra heights.
- Harvested entirely by hand during the excellent 2024 vintage, capturing immaculate varietal acidity levels and vibrant, chiseled structures.
- Fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts in large French oak puncheons (only 10% new wood) and aged on its fine lees with zero malolactic fermentation to lock in maximum freshness.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Pale straw-yellow with shimmering, star-bright greenish highlights.
- Nose: Piercing, fresh, and complex, opening with aromas of white peach, crisp nectarine, and grapefruit pith, underscored by lemongrass, crushed almonds, and a delicate touch of gunflint reduction.
- Palate: Bone-dry, light-to-medium-bodied, and highly energetic. Luminous flavors of tart citrus oil and orchard fruit strike the palate immediately, carried by an electric, mouthwatering line of native acidity. The mid-palate reveals a fine, chalky leesy texture before extending into a long, beautifully savory, and oyster-shell mineral finish.
Serving Suggestion
- Temperature: Serve slightly chilled at 10–12°C. Avoid serving it ice-cold, which compresses its sophisticated flinty aromatics and unique leesy texture.
- Decanting: A quick 10-minute breathe allows the reductive matchstick complexities to open up and beautifully integrate. Built to deliver massive enjoyment immediately or cellar nicely over the next 5–8 years.
- Western Pairing: An exceptional counterpart for pan-seared sea bass with caper-butter sauce, roasted chicken with wild herbs, grilled prawns, or creamy seafood linguine.
-
Asian Food Pairing: This wine's electric acidity, complete lack of cloying sugar, and distinct flinty minerality make it a phenomenal partner for subtle sea-salts, ginger aromatics, and clean textures:
- Chiu Chow Style (潮州凍蟹): The chilled, natural oceanic sweetness of cold crab pairs effortlessly with the wine's saline, mineral finish.
- Taiwanese Style (鹽酥雞): The sharp, zesty acidity slices directly through the oil of classic crispy basil popcorn chicken, acting as a refreshing palate cleanser.
- Japanese Style (Sashimi / Teppanyaki): Perfect with fatty tuna sashimi or light ginger-scallion stir-fried lobster tails.
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