Giant Steps Chardonnay 2024 is a fleshy, approachable, and beautifully balanced Yarra Valley Chardonnay — sourced from an even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit, both estate grown and from growers, and crafted with the meticulous hand-picking, hand-sorting, and whole-bunch pressing that Giant Steps is renowned for. Stone fruits, pink grapefruit, and light citrus on the nose; approachable and gentle even as a young wine, with the balance for drinking now or cellaring in the short to medium term absolutely spot on.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Bright, luminous pale straw with golden hints — the fresh, precise colour of a hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed Yarra Valley Chardonnay from Giant Steps, with the clarity and purity that wild fermentation, French oak puncheons, and full lees maturation deliver.
Aroma
Fleshy with aromas of stone fruits — together with a little pink grapefruit and light citrus notes. Approachable and gentle even as a young wine, with the complexity and depth that 50% upper Yarra fruit, wild fermentation, and full lees maturation build over time.
Palate
Approachable, gentle, and beautifully balanced — stone fruits, pink grapefruit, and light citrus, with the texture and richness that daily stirring during fermentation and full lees maturation deliver. The balance for drinking now or cellaring in the short to medium term is absolutely spot on.
Pairs With
A natural companion for BBQ roasted prawns with citrus dressing, pan-seared John Dory with capers, and roasted asparagus with mustard vinaigrette and slivered almonds — Giant Steps Chardonnay 2024 is the Yarra Valley white for the table, equally rewarding now and with further time.
Finish
Fresh, precise, and deeply satisfying — stone fruit, pink grapefruit, and citrus fading with the texture and balance that full lees maturation and 10% MLF deliver, leaving a clean, complex close of genuine Yarra Valley Chardonnay distinction.
Reviews
“An even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit; both estate grown and from growers. Less MLF than last year. Smells fleshy with aromas of stone fruits, together with a little pink grapefruit and light citrus notes. It’s both approachable and gentle, even as a young wine, but the balance for drinking now or cellaring in the short to medium term is absolutely spot on.”
— Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points, March 2025
