2019 Giant Steps Primavera Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

Light red colour with the merest tinge of purple. The bouquet is lightly spicy, meaty and somewhat charcuterie-like, bresaola rather than prosciutto. The wine has weight and grip beyond what its colour implies. A very smart pinot, with a fruit-sweet core as well as charm and complexity. Delicious. 14 MAY 2020 Drink 2021–2034

95 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com 

Spring hasn’t sprung at the time of tasting but the wine does feel Spring release-ready. Good for that season rather than winter, which is approaching. Lots of detail here and very high drinkability, a wash of texture, cinched very gently with lacy tannins, pretty spice, floral notes, succulent overall and just feels darn high quality. I love the looser knit feel here, it spreads in the palate like a gentle quilt. Warmth through the finish, perhaps, but comforting in a quiet way. Beautiful drinking.

94 points Mike Bennie WineFront

Primavera gives Giant Steps a distinctly Upper Yarra expression of Pinot Noir, coming from Woori Yallock where cooler conditions and a long ripening season encourage perfume and fine structure rather than sheer weight. The 2019 is particularly interesting now, with enough bottle age for the bright primary fruit to begin moving into the earthy, savoury territory that makes mature Yarra Pinot so delicious.

The vineyard’s cooler position helped enormously in the warm, dry 2019 season. Pinot reached excellent flavour ripeness while retaining the acidity needed to keep everything lively. Six years down the track, that combination is paying dividends. There is still plenty of red fruit, but the wine is now developing autumnal complexity and a softer, more integrated texture.

Translucent garnet ruby, the bouquet opens with Morello cherry, dried strawberry and cranberry before moving towards rose petal, blood orange and dried thyme. With air come black tea, clove, porcini, sous bois and a faint smoky note. The palate is silky and savoury, with cherry and redcurrant carried by fine, resolved tannins. Orange peel, tea leaf and earthy spice gather through the middle, finishing with lingering red fruit, dried herbs and woodland floor.

Give it Chinese roast duck, salmon with shiitake and soy, pork belly with five spice, mushroom and Gruyère tart or grilled quail with lentils. Our pick is the roast duck. Crisp skin, sweet meat and five spice alongside the developing cherry, tea and earthy notes of mature Pinot is a very persuasive reason to open it now.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2031.