2021 Giant Steps Equate Chardonnay, Yarra Valley

From Steve Flamsteed's final vintage as chief winemaker and his two favourite blocks on the Sexton vineyard. Two puncheons, 50% mlf and 12 months' maturation in two seasoned French puncheons. With its bouquet of ripe stone fruits, mandarin, grilled cashews, fennel seed and a little gun flint, this gently broad shouldered and creamily textured wine finishes pithy and long. A hedonistic chardonnay to drink now and over the next three to four years.

96 points Philip Rich winecompanion.com.au

100% handpicked from our two blocks which are consistently strong year after year: Block 2 planted to 96 and Block 12 planted to Mendoza. The grapes are handpicked, meticulously sorted in the vineyard, and the fruit is then refrigerated overnight to cool before whole bunch pressing. The juice is transferred to barrel by gravity with no settling, allowing all the solids to go to ferment. The barrel selection is all one year seasoned 500L French puncheons on full solids, all second fill 2020 oak; Taransaud and Mercurey. After primary fermentation, the wine was bâtonnaged to taste each month and let the barrels go through natural malolactic fermentation. Maturation for 11 months in barrel, 1 month on lees in tank and 2 years in bottle.

Giant Steps Equate Chardonnay is a vibrant and finely crafted white wine from the Yarra Valley that brings together fruit from two of the region’s key subzones — the upper and lower Yarra — to create a wine of balance, tension and purity. The name Equate refers to the blending of these different elevations and soil profiles, where cooler sites contribute acidity and drive, and warmer sites bring depth and texture.

Fruit for the Equate Chardonnay is sourced primarily from the Wombat Creek vineyard in the Upper Yarra and the Sexton vineyard in the Lower Yarra, both estate-owned sites that have become cornerstones of the Giant Steps portfolio. Grapes are hand harvested, whole-bunch pressed, and fermented with wild yeasts in French oak barrels (approximately 15 to 20 percent new). The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation and is aged on lees for 10 months with minimal stirring.

The nose is bright and expressive, with notes of white peach, grapefruit, lemon curd and struck flint, alongside hints of cashew and seashell. On the palate, it is elegant and finely structured, showing citrus and stone fruit at the core, wrapped in chalky acidity and subtle oak spice. There’s energy and poise, with a long, savoury finish that speaks to the cool-climate origins.

Food pairing: excellent with grilled whiting, lemon roast chicken, creamy risotto with leeks, or soft cheeses like Délice des Crémiers. Also great with seafood tacos or zucchini fritters.

Cellar potential: drinking beautifully now but will evolve gracefully over 5 to 8 years, gaining richness and complexity while retaining freshness.