2016 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir

A Glorious Yarra Valley Pinot that combines refined elegance with sublime power.

Produced with 40% whole bunch and matured for 11 months in new and used French oak barriques of which 25% were new. Semi translucent bright dark red colour with a crimson red hue. Intensely perfumed, drifting out of the glass are aromatics of violets, dark & red cherries and strawberries followed by an undercard of dried herbs, anise, lightly toasted cedar, dried meats and spice. Light in its body weight yet boasting superb fruit richness and power the palate is consumed with flavours of red cherries, strawberries and dark cherries that flow with an effortless elegance across the mouth. Also chiming in are complexing nuances of subtle dried cloves and anise followed by meaty back drop and some spice. Supple mid palate, the tannins so finely grained they appear velvet like. Finishes with good vibrancy and a long persistent aftertaste of dark cherries, strawberries, meaty characters, subtle dried clove and spice.
Cellar 6-8 years.
Alc 13.8%

Other Reviews....
MV6 and 114 clones, wild yeast fermented in stainless steel and an open oak vat, 50% whole bunches, delestage by gravity, matured in French oak (25% new) for 11 months. Bright and clear hue; a highly fragrant bouquet of red flowers and fruits leads a silky, elegant and relatively light-bodied palate, but don't be deceived: this has the greatest symmetry and length of the '16 Giant Steps Pinots. Drink by 2030.
96 points
James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion