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Pinot Noir
While we continue to expand our collection of Burgundies, more and more new-world winemakers are coming to terms with this challenging variety. Australians have identified Geelong, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria as suited to premium Pinot Noir. More recently, Tasmania has shot up the ranks. Mount Mary, Farr Rising and Tolpuddle are names to seek out. New Zealand is also producing some compelling, full bodied wines. Look for regions like Martinborough, Marlborough and Central Otago.
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2018 Gembrook Hill Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$52. 99Bottle$635.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2020-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent bright red colour with a light red hue. Elevated violet, ripe cherry and strawberry scents intermix with distinct meaty characters, forest floor, spicy cedar and fresh herb notes. Light in body with a feeling of both freshness and elegance, the palate is littered with delicious ripe red cherry and strawberry fruits which overlay a discreet back drop of forest floor, spicy cedar and infusions of fresh herbs. Supplely textured with excellent power, silky tannins and bright acidity it finishes long and moreish.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 87
2018 Georgie Orbach Pinot NoirRiverina, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA$12. 99Bottle$155.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 3 Years (2020-2023)ABV: 13%Closure: StelvinDeep dark red colour with black tinged edges and a bright red hue. A mixture of plum, sour cherry and morello cherry aromas are trailed by dried herbs and spicy earth notes. Plump dark to morello cherry and plum fruits overlay a subtle dried herb and spicy earth back drop. Bright acidity and fine grained tannins finishing with a spicy aftertaste.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 13% -
- 91
2017 Gerard Raphet BourgogneBurgundy, FRANCE$59. 99Bottle$719.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2019-2024)ABV: 12.5%Closure: CorkSemi translucent bright dark red colour with a vibrant red hue. Fragrant violet and red cherry scents overlay sour cherry, fresh herb and delicate spicy forest floor notes. Light in body with a fresh crunchy feel, flavours of red and sour cherries are dispersed across the palate underpinned by infusions of fresh herbs and subtle spice. Finishes dry with bright acidity, refined tannins and a medium length red fruited aftertaste.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 12.5% -
- 90
2018 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-MusignyBurgundy, FRANCE$230. 00Bottle$2760.00 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
A whiff of reduction is just enough to shave the top notes from the otherwise attractive and ripe aromas of black cherry, spice and raspberry. The sleek, rich and vibrant flavors possess very good volume, indeed they are attractively succulent, all wrapped in a raspy and compact finish where a hint of wood arises. Drink through 2025+.
88-90 points
Allen Meadows - BurghoundThe 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Village is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of cherries, raspberries and blood orange mingled with rich soil tones and hints of raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, succulent and lively, its ample core of beautifully succulent fruit is built around ripe, fine-grained tannins.
90-92 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Feb 14, 2020)A blend from nine plots now that the 1ers Crus Noirots and Sentiers are made separately. It has a deep core of purple-black, with a vibrant fully ripe fruit on the nose, but tenser and fresher on the palate with excellent acidity, a little bit more black cherry fruit than red.
89-92 points
Jasper Morris MW - Inside Burgundy -
- 88
2018 Ghislaine Barthod Bourgogne RougeBurgundy, FRANCE$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
A notably fresh nose is both cool and bright with its pretty aromas of spicy red berries. The racy and nicely voluminous flavors terminate in a raspy and lingering if slightly rustic finish. If this can add depth over the next few years my predicted ranged may be overly conservative. Drink through 2023+.
86-88 points
Allen Meadows - BurghoundThe 2018 Bourgogne Les Bons Bâtons wafts from the glass with a lovely bouquet of cherries, raspberries and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, it's fleshy and succulent, with powdery tannins and an ample core of mouthwatering fruit. As usual, this derives from a parcel in Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, one of the finest locations classified at the regional level. Readers should note that Barthod produces only one Bourgogne, but in some markets it's labelled without the lieu-dit name Les Bons Bâtons.
88-90 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Feb 14, 2020)Ghislaine Barthod offers just one Bourgogne Rouge, labelled however as Bons Bâtons in some markets. The 2018 displays a dense purple colour, with rich deep raspberry fruit, a fine burst of energy on the palate, and some acidity, leading to a nicely balanced, even elegant finish.
88 points
Jasper Morris MW - Inside Burgundy -
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2018 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Noirots Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$415. 00Bottle$4980.00 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: CorkOther Reviews....
Once again firm reduction flattens the underlying fruit at present. Otherwise there is impressive volume and power to the broad-shouldered flavors that possess a velvety mid-palate that contrasts considerably with the robust and borderline rustic finale that is supported by very firm tannins. This offers fine development potential but it's not likely to make for especially interesting early drinking. Drink through 2033+.
90-93 points
Allen Meadows - BurghoundThe second rendition of this cuvée to date is the 2018 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Noirots, a wine that comes from a small parcel of vines that are more than 60 years old, formerly blended into the domaine's Chambolle-Musigny Village. Revealing aromas of cherries, cassis and raspberries framed by rich soil tones and hints of burning embers, it's a medium to full-bodied, fine-boned wine that's lively and precise, with—as was the case last year—a more mineral profile than the Beaux Bruns that preceded it.
91-93 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Feb 14, 2020)The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Les Noirots 1er Cru is a small cuvée of just two barrels (two years old). It has a very pixelated bouquet of perfumed red cherry and raspberry preserve aromas laced with rose petals and crushed stone. Saturated tannins render this quite fleshy on the midpalate, though it firms up toward the structured, grippy finish. Very fine. Drink 2023-2038.
91-93 points
Neal Martin - VinousBright fresh dense purple colour, but very little nose. Blackberry and maybe even some blackcurrant. Not showing the same detail as other wines at this point. This may come later, but I suspect this will remain one of the less nuanced cuvées.
91 points
Jasper Morris MW - Inside Burgundy -
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2020 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-MusignyBurgundy, FRANCE$260. 00Bottle$3120.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: CorkOther Reviews....
Markedly ripe yet attractively fresh nose freely offers up mostly spicy dark berry aromas. The rich and relatively full-bodied flavors are also quite powerful with firm supporting tannins on the balanced, moderately austere and sneaky long finale. Drink through 2027+.
89-91 points
Allen Meadows - BurghoundThe 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Village unfurls in the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums, rose petals and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, it's vibrant and charming, with powdery tannins and a long, spice-inflected finish. Drink 2025-2045.
91 points
William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine AdvocateMy sample of the 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Village contained no new oak, but there will be 15% in the final blend. It has an effervescent nose that seems to spring from the glass with its ebullient red cherries and wild strawberry. The palate is full of crunchy red fruit laced with citrus peel, fine tension with a delineated, almost Morey-like finish. Very fine. Drink 2024-2036.
89-91 points
Neal Martin - VinousRich pure purple. An explosion of raspberry fruit, completely gorgeous There is plenty of energy here, joyous floral raspberries, very beautiful. Extremely juicy, properly concentrated, a fine acidity to finish. It is one of the riper wines, at 14%, but carries that well.
89-92 points
Jasper Morris MW - Inside Burgundy -
- 90
2018 Ghost Rock Supernatural Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 4 Years (2019-2023)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent dark red core with black tinged edges and a light red hue. Ripe dark cherry, strawberry and anise aromas are married to toasty oak with underlying forest floor and spice notes. Light to medium weight, juicy dark cherry and strawberry flavours have a supple feel with toasty vanillin oak and spice making an appearance on the back palate. Silky smooth tannins finishing with some prominent toasty oak on the medium length aftertaste.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 94
2018 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$37. 99Bottle$455.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2019-2025)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent dark red core with black tinged edges and a bright red hue. Nosing evokes perfumed like scents of violets, ripe dark cherries, strawberries and anise followed by some forest floor and spicy cedar notes. The light to medium weight palate has a juicy feel with flavours of ripe dark cherries and anise dominating over spicy oak, earth and subtle dried herb characters. Quite supple in its texture with velvety tannins, good power and a long savoury aftertaste.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
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2021 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Pinot NoirBeechworth, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$110. 00Bottle$1320.00 DozenABV: 13.8%Closure: CorkEstablished in 1982 by Rick Kinzbrunner, Giaconda Vineyard has since become one of the most sought-after producers in Australia. The property is now devoted solely to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, with a separate planting of Nebbiolo in the township of Red Hill. Red wines see extended maceration on skins to develop finer tannins, with maturation taking place in French Oak barrels for up to 24 months. The wines are only ever moved via gravity or gas, retaining all the pristine fruit that they work so hard to produce in the winery and the vineyard.
The 2021 vintage marks a departure for Giaconda, introducing a fresh winemaking approach and style characterized by more depth and tannin, resulting in a heightened level of complexity and refinement on the palate. Primarily sourced from a small vineyard section established a decade ago, nestled in a notably cooler corner where the Pinot Noir, particularly the MV6 clone, thrives exceptionally.
Alc. 13.8%Other Reviews....
What an entrancing wine, a marriage of power and finesse, not to mention beauty. Deep, bright crimson. Elevated rose petals, rosehip, plum, maraschino cherry, cranberry, tomato leaf and thyme perfume. The melding of concentrated fruit, gently spiced oak, lacy, fine tannins and lifted herbals with the kind of natural balance that stems from the vineyard's gravel soils offers a truly memorable wine experience. Astonishing. Drink 2023 - 2036.
98 Points
Jeni Port - Halliday's Australian Wine CompanionThe 2021 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir is a journey; at this early stage, it's a wine of several parts. First, it is aromatically sweet and creamy, with hints of strawberry, red cherry, cherry blossom and milk chocolate. In the mouth, the wine is savory, structural and silky. While the red fruit dominates, this is clearly a wine of complexity and svelte power—it is long and extended in the mouth, with sinewy tannins that hold the fruit, the acidity and the fine texture together as one. This is a very good Pinot Noir—seriously layered, fine, spicy. 13.8% alcohol.
"Grown in gravel clay soil, in the foothills of the Victorian Alps." The drinking window may be conservative here. It fermented in concrete vats, before being basket pressed to French oak for up to two years of aging in the subterranean, gravity-flow cellar onsite in Beechworth, Victoria. Drink 2023 - 2043
96 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 2019 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Pinot NoirBeechworth, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 DozenABV: 13.8%Closure: Screw Cap
Established in 1982 by Rick Kinzbrunner, Giaconda Vineyard has since become one of the most sought-after producers in Australia. The property is now devoted solely to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, with a separate planting of Nebbiolo in the township of Red Hill.
Red wines see extended maceration on skins to develop finer tannins, with maturation taking place in French Oak barrels for up to 24 months. The wines are only ever moved via gravity or gas, retaining all the pristine fruit that they work so hard to produce in the winery and the vineyard.Notes from the producer....
Crimson in hue. A multifaceted bouquet of red fruits; raspberries, cherries and strawberries then roasted beets tied together by cola, briar and undergrowth notes. Lithe, fresh and long on the palate, the spicy oak combines with the red fruits to give a fine structure that augments elegant fruit and stem tannins. This wine is destined for the long haul, it doesn’t want to be rushed. Time served ageing this wine in bottle will ensure a glorious outcome and patience will be well rewarded. Drink 2024 - 2033. -
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2017 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Pinot NoirBeechworth, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$89. 99Bottle$1079.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2019-2025)ABV: 14%Closure: StelvinGiaconda’s Pinot Noir has seen new plantings and clones incorporated into the blend. The richer soils and cooler location of these plantings has resulted in much later ripening, which enables the vines to produce enhanced flavour complexity while retaining better acidity and building finer tannin structure. This has resulted in what Rick & Nathan Kinzbrunner consider to be “one of the best expressions of pinot we have achieved at Giaconda so far.”
Semi translucent dark red colour with black tinged edges and a light red hue. Very expressive, the fragrant nose offers up violet tinged scents of ripe cherries and wild strawberries which are overlaid by anise, smoky cedar, subtle clove and spice. Delicious flavours of dark cherries and ripe strawberries infused with clove show great drive and intensity and are underscored by elements of smoky cedar, traces of anise, forest floor and spicy dried herbs. Wonderfully supple in its mouthfeel with an expansive peacock tail like finish. Velvet smooth tannins, good balanced fresh acidity concluding very long and moreish on the aftertaste. An exceptional Pinot and perhaps Giaconda’s best yet.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 14%
Other Reviews.....
Dried berries with plums and fresh spearmint character. Medium to full body. Firm and round tannins and a structured mouthfeel in the finish. Muscular pinot. Better after 2022, but already delicious to taste or drink. Screw cap.
96 points
JamesSuckling.com
In the tradition of Giaconda Estate Pinots, generosity is a subtext to red and black cherry fruit, the tannins underpin the length of a wine of great quality. The vintage was perfect for pinot, giving the certainty of at least 10 years development of spice and violets amongst other secondary characters. Drink by 2032.
97 points
James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion -
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2015 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Pinot NoirBeechworth, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$120. 00Bottle$1440.00 DozenOther Reviews….
Hand-picked, crushed and whole berries and whole bunches are open-fermented in concrete vats, 28 days on skins, matured for 14 months in French oak (30% new). There is a tussle between the crabapple and red cherry fruits on the one hand, and firm, savoury tannins on the other. Rick is a realist, knowing he can't make a pinot as good as this every year. As it is, a little more fruit sweetness wouldn't go astray. Drink by 2025.
94 points
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion -
- 97
2018 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Pinot NoirBeechworth, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 8 Years (2020-2028)ABV: 13.5%Closure: Diam CorkDark red colour with black tinged edges and a light red hue. Pretty scents of violets, dark cherries and strawberries have a perfumed like quality to them. A seductive overlay of dried clove, some meaty notes, forest floor, dried herbs and spice are also evident. Both powerful and moreish the palate has expansive red to dark cherry and winter strawberry fruits which are silken in their feel over a back drop of clove, forest floor, lightly smoked cedar and spicy dried herbs. Finishes with good freshness, very polished tannins and a long complex aftertaste that has some meaty characters emerging.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 91
2018 Giammarino Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: 3 - 4 Years (2023-2024)ABV: 13.2%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent dark red colour with black tinged edges and a dark red hue. Lifted violet, sour to dark cherry and winter strawberry aromas intermix with forest floor, stalky cedar and spicy fresh herb notes. Light, fresh and elegant in its feel, flavours of sour to red cherries and winter strawberries are dispersed across the palate underpinned by sappy vanillin cedar and spicy herbs. Bright acidity and fine grained tannins provide the framework. Medium length finish.
Cellar 3-4 years.
Alc. 13.2% -
- 89
2017 Giammarino Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$27. 99Bottle$335.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: 2 - 3 Years (2021-2022)ABV: 12.5%Closure: Diam CorkDeep dark red colour with black tinged edges and a dark red hue. Nosing reveals lifted sour to dark cherry scents intertwined with clove, light mint, some meaty cedar notes and spicy dried herbs. Light in body with a supple feel the palate has flavours of sour and bright red cherries laced with clove and lightly smoked cedar over a spicy dried herb back drop. Finishes dry with lots of fresh acidity providing some crunch and finely grained tannins. Moderate aftertaste.
Cellar 2-3 years.
Alc. 12.5% -
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2021 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$69. 99Bottle$839.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones including 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel! I've long considered the Applejack vineyard to be one of the greatest sites for pinot in Australia and I'm not sure I've seen a better version than the 2021. A deep, bright, crimson purple. Maraschino cherry into plum, there's an exotic and riotous amalgam of Asian five-spice and a gentle savoury, umami character. What elevates this vintage is the concentration, along with Applejack's trademark perfume and spice. Just so vibrant and fresh on the palate, the tannins are both silky and plentiful. You will have no problems opening and enjoying this now, but the wine's track record suggests you'll thank me if you still have some to drink 7–10 years from now, if not longer. Drink by 2032.
98 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion (February 2022)Brashly spicy and complex, this has aromas of espresso, blueberries, toasted spices and grilled bread, as well as forest wood and violets. The palate delivers alluring depth and a round, fleshy build. Acidity explodes on the finish, releasing fresh red-cherry and blueberry fruit flavors. Wonderfully layered and complete. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap.
96 Points
JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)The Applejack Vineyard is planted across the hill, at the same altitude as the Primavera Vineyard on gray clay over mudstone, and picked within a few days of that site. The 2021 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir included 50% whole bunch in the mix and is a blend of seven different clones. This shows wonderful clarity and poise—it is precise and layered with energy and life. The acid pulses through the phenolic texture in the mouth. It was originally a sparkling vineyard, down the hill from Wombat Creek, situated in an eastern-facing bowl that captures the morning sunlight. Mel Chester (head of winemaking and viticulture) talks about the smell of the tea trees in the vineyard, explaining that "there's always a couple of Wedgetail eagles circling, it's a magic place." The evocative description of the vineyard carries through into the wine, which shows a satisfying, delicious resolution of plump ripe fruit and beautifully resolved tannin. Balance 101. Drink 2022 - 2037.
95 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)One of the great things about Australian wine is that the planting frenzy in the late half of the 1990s now has a great many vineyards marking their 25th year in the ground. The east-facing Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 at Gladysdale and is a star performer. This release saw 80% whole bunches and 25% new oak.
Pure red cherry flavours push straight into undergrowth, mushroom, fragrant herb and spices. Cedarwood oak is present but so happily married to the fruit. There are briar notes here, particularly through the finish, and throughout it feels structured without necessarily feeling grippy. There’s a (positive) smoky aftertaste and a (very) good level of richness, in a varietal context. All up, hands down, this is a gorgeous wine to drink. Drink 2023 - 2030+
95+ Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022)Pale garnet verging on ruby. Pale rim. A bit more meaty and savoury than the Primavera Vineyard Pinot on the nose. Light and fresh with definite sweetness, as well as the vegy savour, but more refreshing than the Primavera and with a nice lick of light tannins. Delicate texture. It tastes as though it were made with kid gloves. A definite success. Drink 2022 – 2028.
16.5 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (May 2022)
Stunning, this is oozing with spices, perfume and polish, featuring green cardamom, clove, lavender and nutmeg details that add an aromatic overtone to wild berry, cranberry and strawberry pastry flavors. Drink now through 2034.
96 points
WineSpectator.com -
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2023 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$94. 99Bottle$1139.88 DozenABV: 13.2%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 15% whole bunches and matured in French barriques (25% new). A light, bright crimson. Aromas of strawberry compote, tamarillo, sage and rose petals. A little reduction and graphite too. The palate is succulent and plush with silky tannins, making this the yummo, drink-now, single-vineyard wine from Giant Steps in '23. Drink 2024-2028.
96 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine CompanionThis site – the Primavera family’s 240m-high vineyard, planted on rich red basalt soils – provides something different for Giant Steps. Surprisingly, it’s an open and expressive front palate, with supple red cherries, raspberries and hints of blood tomato. It obtains a tight squeeze in the midriff thanks to a strong acid spine, then the smooth palate concludes with the bite of tight, crunchy tannins. Very good now; likely to improve in the cellar. Drink 2024 - 2032.
94 Points
David Sly - DecanterThe Primavera vineyard is a proven performer and again it’s on the money here. This is floral and lifted as an introduction but there’s substance to the palate, in pure fruit terms, and there’s a thicker roll to the tannin too. The herb notes here come smoked, the cherry-berry flavours given a meaty edge, the earthen characters brightened by tangerine acidity. Musk-like oak curls seamlessly within, and the finish is impressively sustained. Drink 2024 - 2030+
95 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine FrontPrimavera is often late to ripen, and so has been closely and painstakingly monitored by Lou Primavera since 2000. His understanding of the red basalt soils and site is then further heightened by the winemaking team who know how to draw out its nuances. What is, for me, the creative child of the line up. I adore the red fruit core of raspberry, pomegranate and rhubarb. Which then lends way to harissa, oolong tea and carob notes. Cumin, cassia and dried porcini mushroom on the finish. There are stringy bark tannins and crackle to the acidity. A sweet cherry tomato mid palate, that makes for moreish drinking. It’s a refined wine that makes for heavenly drinking, even for heathens like me. Drink now and will cellar well for 6 years. A lovely pairing for tomato and pancetta risotto.
97 Points
Shanteh Wale - WinePilot.com -
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2023 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 DozenABV: 13.2%Closure: StelvinPlanted in the upper Yarra Valley on a dramatic slope which allows for a cooler and extended growing season, the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir is regularly one of the highlights of Giant Steps single vineyard releases. Applejack Pinot Noir has a very strong track record of accolades, including last year being awarded 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year.
Other Reviews....
Pinot Noir of the Year. Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997 by Ray Guerin. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (40%) and 20–25% new French barriques. 2022 was a hard act to follow, but this superb wine gives it a shake. Exotic, aromatic and pure with its bouquet of wild strawberries, dark cherries, quince, spices and flowers. Densley packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine. Drink 2024-2030.
98 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine CompanionA complex story unfolds along the palate – reflective of the complex plantings of MV6, G5V15, 114 and Pommard clones across the steep Applejack Vineyard, that rises sharply from 180m to almost 300m in the upper Yarra Valley. A moreish juiciness is celebrated thanks to 40% whole-bunch fruit in the fermentation, but the sophisticated flavour profile in this restrained, almost coy expression turns very serious in the back-palate, when a surge of black cherry grunt enters the conversation and leaves you with plenty to contemplate by its powerful closing note. Drink 2024 - 2032.
96 Points
David Sly - DecanterThe Applejack Vineyard at Gladysdale in the Yarra Valley is on an east facing slope on grey soils. There’s a 100 metre drop from the top of the vineyard to the bottom. There’s also significant clonal diversity in this vineyard. It was planted in 1997.
I tasted this wine a few months ago and loved it from the first sip. I have it on the desk now and there it is again, aglimmer in the glass. This wine is no one’s fool. It’s a pure expression of its place in the world and that place happens to be complex. It’s a cool wine with straight trees of tannin, perfumed red and black berries, lines of spice and echoes of woodsmoke. It’s a forest of a wine, a bit lush, a bit wet, a bit woody; verdant. At all times, as you drink it, the fruit comes at you like a swell. When you swallow this wine it flares out like you’ve reached the lookout at the end of a long walk. It’s a good wine. And it’s more than that. Drink 2025 - 2036+
96 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine FrontThe final blend of this wine is around 40% whole bunch fermented from the grey clay soils containing Able, MV6, Pommard, 114 and 115 clones. Red toffee apple, hibiscus, and freshly smeared lipstick. Rosella, beetroot and cassis. Exotically spiced, savoury and earthy. The mid palate has a clarity of Bing cherry that’s astonishing. Followed by prune plums, Quong dong and finishing with amplified acidity. There is an umami note, almost like a delicious msg sprinkle. Some decently weighted tannins keep the palate flavours echoing long into the next sip, its sturdy in its structure ensuring this wine will outlive almost any Aussie pinot noir. It’s bullet proof and worth every cent and more. Drink now or will cellar for 10 years. A wonderful wine to have with sirloin, truffle crisps or drinking alone.
98 Points
Shanteh Wale - WinePilot.com -
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2023 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$39. 99Bottle$479.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2024-2030)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinBright red to dark red colour with black shaded edges and a vibrant red hue. Sailing out of the glass are perfumed like aromatics of violet, red to dark cherries, anise and strawberries which are trailed by hints of fresh herbs, forest floor and spice. Delicious red to dark cherry and bright strawberry fruits are layered across the palate with a subtle underbelly of anise, fresh herbs and spice. Energetic acidity with a supple yet fresh feel and polished tannins. Lively red fruited finish.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5%
Other Reviews....
A 50/50% mix of upper and lower Yarra fruit; 35% whole bunches and matured in French oak (10% new). A bright crimson red. After a few good few swirls, aromas of ripe raspberries, black cherries, wild herbs and some crushed violets soon emerge. The palate, though, doesn't need much coaxing, and this silken, sappy wine has excellent depth and persistence. Will be even better six to 12 months from now. Drink by 2030.
96 points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion -
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- 95
2022 Giant Steps Wombat Creek Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$84. 99Bottle$1019.88 DozenABV: 13%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
From the Wombat Creek vineyard, planted around 400m elevation in the early 1980s. All clone MV6; 100% whole berries, fermented in a 3t oak vat and matured in French barriques (20% new). Redcurrants, early season raspberries, pomegranate, coriander seeds and tea rose scents. Vibrant and silky in the mouth, this is both elegant and structured. Finishes even and long with pliant, persistent tannins and juicy acidity. Drink 2022 - 2028.
96 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine CompanionSoft, beautifully perfumed and silty of texture. The structural latticework is looser and more reliant on a skein of juicy freshness over any significant tannin. Silky and svelte. Barely mid-weighted of feel, such is the ethereal aura. Lovely tangy length. Red mountain berries, bergamot and cranberries. A wine to pique the curiosity of the versed drinker as much as one new to the variety. Drink or hold, but really this is such an enticing proposition that it is hard to resist immediately.
93 Points
Ned Goodwin MW - JamesSuckling.comDry, grapey, and yet inherently savoury. This is pretty wild, pretty exotic, flowers and herbs flying. Cranberry, strawberry and red cherry with twig and herb notes. The finish here is so dry, with so much crunch and grip, that I’ve underlined the words ‘crackle and squeak’ in my notes. And yet – importantly – all this dryness is served with a juiciness running through it. If you like the lighter/more structural style of Yarra Valley pinot, then I’d reckon that you should be bullish on this. Drink 2024 - 2031
95 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front -
- 93
- 97
- 93
- 96
2022 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$84. 99Bottle$1019.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 25% whole bunches on the clone 115 component, while clones MV6 and G were destemmed. Matured in French barriques (25% new). Wonderfully perfumed and vibrant with its aromas of cranberries, wild strawberries, a little Sichuan pepper, fresh citrus oil and musk roses at dusk. A wine of exquisite finesse and excellent depth, the tannins are very fine and long, as is the finish. This will provide much enjoyment over the next decade or so. Drink 2022 - 2032.
97 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine CompanionMV6 and 115 clones, planted in a cool spot at 230 meters. The cool, wet year is obviated to an extent by a good portion of whole berries servicing sumptuous florals and oodles of red forest fruits. Very pretty, reminiscent of a high quality cru Beaujolais. Silky tannins. The acidity, gentle and peppery. The finish, svelte and joyous. Drink now. Preferably in large drafts, so delicious this is.
93 Points
Ned Goodwin MW - JamesSuckling.comIntensely perfumed, with Turkish delight and spicy nutmeg to the vibrant lolly-like raspberry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are a constant – not aggressive, but currently sitting a little apart from the fruit. Always picked a week after Applejack, this Upper Yarra vineyard was planted in 2001 to the MV6, 115 and little-known G8V3 clones by Lou Primavera. The north-, north-east- and south-facing red clay loam slopes sit at 230m. Drink 2024 - 2028.
93 Points
Sarah Ahmed - DecanterThis is an absolute bloody cracker. It tastes of cranberry and red cherry with pomegranate and twiggy, peppery spice. It’s lively, perfumed, juicy, complex and complete. There’s crunch here, there’s perfume, there’s difference and yet there’s pure, ripe, juicy, urgent fruit. Great face, great body. Drink 2024 - 2028
96 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front -
- 96
- 98
- 95
- 97
- Limit Six per customer
2022 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$84. 99Bottle$1019.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: Stelvin2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year
Planted in the upper Yarra Valley on a dramatic slope which allows for a cooler and extended growing season, the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir is regularly one of the highlights of Giant Steps single vineyard releases. 2022 vintage is no exception, with winemaker Mel Chester and her team maximising the excellent growing season to craft one of the stand out wines from this fantastic Yarra Valley vineyard. This year the wine sees almost 20% whole bunch inclusion, before maturation took place in a mix of 20% new French oak, and 80% older barriques for a period of for ten months. Applejack Pinot Noir has a very strong track record of accolades, including this year being awarded 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year.
Other Reviews....
Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (15%) and 20–25% new French barriques. Like a Mahler symphony, all of the elements of this wine are in perfect harmony. Aromas of crushed rose petals, red and black cherries, satsuma plums and subtle hints of sandalwood and fennel fronds. There's a little charcuterie and a discreet touch of wet stone. On the palate, this is the most concentrated, structured and saline Applejack I can remember, yet you barely notice the tannins due to the core of pure raspberry and cherry fruit. There's a gentle sappiness on the long, lingering finish. Simply irresistible. Drink 2022 - 2032.
98 Points
The 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the YearThis is the other leader of the pack, with the Sexton Vineyard. Wow! A near-vertiginous site in the Upper Yarra, underlain by basalt. Tighter, compact and nervous. Wild fermented, albeit, without the subtle application of malolactic that softens the other expressions. Perhaps a little less complex in its youth as a result, despite its mid-weight. As with all of these wines, the oak handling is exceptional. A lesson for others. Pistachio, curry leaf, lime blossom and vanilla accents jitter long. This will age exceptionally well, at which point the wine may be deserved of another point. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
95 Points
Ned Goodwin MW - JamesSuckling.comA swathe of fine terracotta tannins suck up the fruit, tailoring a most evenly delivered palate of black cherry and rosehip fruit. Whole bunch (20%) brings ripe wood and nutty seed tones, lavender and violet lift. The oak delivers a cinnamon and anise kiss. An Upper Yarra Pinot of impressive gravitas, thanks to Ray Guerin’s east-facing, multi-clonal planting (MV6, Pommard, 114 and 115) at 300m elevation. Harvested 10, 12 and 15 March. Drink 2023 - 2028.
96 Points
Sarah Ahmed - DecanterThe key to this being one of the great pinot sites in Australia: east facing slope on grey soils. There’s a 100 metres of drop from the top of the vineyard to the bottom, which is pretty amazing. There’s also significant clonal diversity in this vineyard. It was planted in 1997.
What a wine this is. It’s a bloom of fruit, it’s wild with herbs, there are sweet-sour nuances and there’s a controlled run to the finish. Winemaker Mel Chester says: ‘everything you love about pinot noir, is in this wine.’ A reductive savouriness, particularly noticeable on the finish, is the icing. This is a stunning wine. Stunning fruit, and stunning structure, and stunning length. Drink 2024 - 2030+
97 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front -
- 94
- 95
2022 Giant Steps Fatal Shore Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$84. 99Bottle$1019.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
From the Nocton vineyard in Coal River Valley. Hand picked into a refrigerated container by 10.30am to make the boat to the mainland. The 60% MV6 clone is whole bunches and the 40% D5V12 clone is fully destemmed. All barriques, 20% new. A bright crimson red, this leaps from the glass with its heady aromas of red raspberries, wild strawberries and redcurrant, a little potpourri and spices such as mace and pink peppercorns. Brightly fruited yet nicely balanced with gently persistent tannins and refreshing acidity, it's so delicious from the get-go, you really can enjoy this now but know that it will still be looking good 5-7 years from now. Drink 2023 - 2030.
95 PointsPhilip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion
A suave, perfumed Pinot with 'jazz hands', says Melanie Chester. Sourced from the Nocton Vineyard in Tasmania's Coal River Valley on calcareous and Triassic sandstone, this Pinot (planted to clones MV6, D5V12 and G8V3) hails from a long growing season. It is weightier, with plush cherry, blue and black berry fruit, balanced acidity and seamlessly ripe supporting tannins. Lavender and Chinese five spice make for a buoyant, expressive wine. Harvested on 22 April. Drink 2023 - 2028.
94 Points
Sarah Ahmed - Decanter -
- 96
- 96
2022 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$39. 99Bottle$479.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2023-2029)ABV: 13%Closure: Stelvin2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. The mild summer resulting in long slow ripening conditions which delivered wines with superb concentration and great natural acidity. Fruit was sourced from vineyards across the Yarra Valley with maturation taking place in French oak (10% new) for a period of 8 months.
Red to dark red in colour with black shaded edges and a vibrant red hue. Alluring aromatics of violets, dark cherries, strawberries and subtle anise stream out of the glass with a perfumed like intensity followed by notions of forest floor, fresh herbs and spicy cedar. The seductive palate delivers great depth and purity of fruit with delicious red to dark cherry and strawberry flavours powering across the palate. Forest floor, infusions of fresh herbs and spicy cedar lie underneath. Supple and expansive in its feel with velvety tannins, it concludes long, spicy and moreish.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13%
Other Reviews....
A 50/50% mix of upper and lower Yarra fruit. Fermented with mainly whole berries and matured in French oak (10% new). A bright ruby crimson. Expressive with aromas of satsuma plums, strawberry coulis, fennel seeds and a hint of star anise. With its core of ripe yet well-delineated fruit and firm-ish, balanced tannins, this is more concentrated and muscular than the 2021. It will age well, too, for those that find themselves with a bottle seven to 10 years from now. Drink by 2030.
96 points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion -
- 95
- 94
- 95
2021 Giant Steps Wombat Creek Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
Fresh, brambly and fragrant, this has aromas of blueberry and red plum with a very chiseled palate that winds fine tannin around an elegant core of red-cherry fruit flavor. So focused and elegant. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.
95 Points
JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)The Wombat Creek Vineyard is the most southerly in the collection and the highest altitude too, at 400 meters. It was planted in the 1980s as a source for cool-climate, Upper Yarra sparkling base. In the last 10 to 15 years, the site has emerged as one of the more exciting table wine sites in the area. Wild fermented and and made with 100% whole bunch, the 2021 Wombat Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir underwent carbonic maceration for a total of three weeks on skins. On the nose, there are notes of fennel flower, red apple skin, fig, lavender, quince and pork fat, shaped in the mouth by mineral/lead pencil/graphite tannins. This was bottled without fining or filtration. It is bright, sappy and crunchy, with a cavalcade of exotic spice complexity. It actually looked a lot better after an hour or so in the glass, suggesting that if you must drink it early, do the right thing and decant it. Drink 2022 - 2035.
94+ Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)Aka Giant Wombat. It’s worth going to the Giant Steps website just to see the pic of the Wombat Creek Vineyard – here – and how it’s quite literally cut out of forest. As a general rule with the Giant Steps single vineyard Pinot Noir “We try to do as much whole bunch as we can get away with. Wombat and Primavera are on red soil. Applejack and Sexton are on grey soil. Wombat (MV6) 2021 is entirely whole bunch/the rest are roughly 50/50.”
This release is taut, spicy, herbal and sure. Wonderfully savoury and wonderfully good. Fruit pushes through the savouriness without ever taking over. Perfume, this is aflame with it. Tannin, in sheets, inscribed with the finest handwritten flavours. A wonderful wine, pure Upper Yarra, detail and texture, perfume and flavour, mouthwatering red cherry and cranberry fruit with salty, silty tannin and fragrant herbs/flowers wafting over. The power of the light touch. Drink 2024 - 2039+
95 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022) -
- 97
- 94
- 95
- 95
2021 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$69. 99Bottle$839.88 DozenABV: 13%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
From the Primavera vineyard at Woori Yallock, planted in 2001 on the same red soil as Wombat Creek. Both destemmed (55%) and whole-bunch components. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. A very bright crimson purple. So pure and perfumed with briary cherries, ripe redcurrants and freshly cut roses. Poised, juicy and energetic, the wine has so much tang and crunch, you barely notice that this is also structured finishing with long, gently puckering tannins. A wine with immediate appeal, but also one that will reward at least another 7-10 years in the cellar. Drink by 2031.
97 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion (February 2022)There’s a very approachable feel to this pinot, with aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants and sweet hard spices, such as star anise. The palate has a polished feel, with a plush texture and a plump blueberry and black-cherry core. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.
94 Points
JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)Down the hill by approximately 100 meters from the Wombat Creek Vineyard and planted on the same deep red basalt, the 2021 Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir was made with 50% to 60% whole bunch and constructed from clones MV6 and 115. It is the leanest note of all of the wines in this collection, but my favorite wine: crunchy, strawberry, red apples, cranberry, redcurrant, red cherry...and abundance of red. The fruit is open and seductive, but it has a gentle herbal edge, like rose petals (specifically David Austin's Boscobel rose), musk sticks and Turkish delight. This is satisfying. Fleshy. Plump. Beautiful. Drink 2022 - 2037.
95+ Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)Red-fruited, nutty, almost raspberry, pomegranate aspects, pips, florals, star anise. It seems slight and lifted, strict and precise, on the whole, but its exuberant fragrance and that slight sweetness to the fruit helps promote an impression of generosity. Talc-powdery, ultra-fine grained, velour tracksuit-esque tannin is another high quality marker, as are the whispers of stalk and briar. This is from a vineyard planted by Lou Primavera 25 years ago at Woori Yallock. Excellent release, no question. Drink 2023 - 2030+
95 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022)Very pale garnet. Delicate violet scents and the suggestion of lots of fruit to come on the palate. A little sweet with a suggestion of raspberry jam. Gently made with the finest of tannins, but I wouldn't mind just a tiny bit more freshness. The wine is impressively persistent. Drink 2022 – 2026.
16 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (May 2022) -
- 96
- 93
- 93
- 96
2021 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$69. 99Bottle$839.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
Complex from the very first moment. Aromas of blueberries, red and dark cherries, sappy and herbal notes, as well as hard brown spices, blackcurrants and violets. The palate has such succulent and energetic style, with red and dark cherries and blueberries sitting in a very complete and layered, fine brand of tannin. The depth and plushness are both impressive. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap.
96 Points
JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)Sexton Vineyard is planted on shallow gray dirt over mudstone. The elevation is 220 meters and shows the magic of a warmer part of the Yarra in a relatively cool year. Plum skin, chinotto, fig, blueberries and exotic spices form the backdrop to the bright strawberry/cherry fruit. The 2021 Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir is structurally quite different from the other vineyards, in that the tannins are more grainy and gravelly and provide more framework from which the fruit can hang. It is perhaps more obvious in its display of fruit and tannin, but with that comes a sonorous baritone of tannin and flavor. Impressive. Drink 2022 - 2032.
93+ Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)Vineyard is at the wonderfully-named Gruyere, planted in 1997. North-facing, exposed site.
Cherry pie, sweet and delicious, with earthier/meatier aspects. It’s like drinking sweet roasted lamb, studded with berries and herbs. Blue fruit aspects here, woodsy herbs, sweet acidity through the finish. It’s not simple but it feels like a simple pleasure, if that makes sense; it just has that drink-me-now exuberance. That said the tannin here is beautifully crafted. I’d drink this before the others in the Single Vineyard range though it may well hold for as long as any of them. Up-front pinot deliciousness, with substance, is the message here. Drink 2022 - 2028+
93 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022)Healthy mid garnet colour. Real texture and muscle to this wine, though still with delicate fruit and very fine tannins, that are more evident than in its two stablemate single-vineyard 2021 Pinots. Hedgerow flavours and an attractively dry finish. Relatively complex, though attractively light and fruity. Drink 2022 – 2028.
17 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (May 2022)
Fragrant and expressive, with polished, creamy tannins setting the stage for blueberry, raspberry and cardamom flavors. Delivers details of palo santo, brown sugar, dried violet and sweet mint tea on the long, impressive finish. Drink now through 2034.
96 points
WineSpectator.com -
- 93
- 92
2021 Giant Steps Fatal Shore Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$79. 99Bottle$959.88 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
Made with fruit from the Coal River Valley, in Tasmania, the 2021 Fatal Shore Pinot Noir is a wholly darker and more brooding expression of Giant Steps Pinot Noir, although Flamo's (chief winemaker Steve Flamsteed) take is that they were able to imprint the Giant Steps style on the wine, despite the fruit sourcing, which I agree with. The fruit, in case you were wondering, was reefer-trucked up to the winery and was in the Yarra by the following morning, where the two clones were treated differently; the MV6 was fermented with whole bunches, while the D5V15 was fermented whole berry. This brings a ripe cherry character to mind, with hints of red apple, fresh garden mint and crushed graphite tannins. Drink 2022 - 2032.
93 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)The Tasmanian excursion for Giant Steps. Coal River Valley site(s). Massively different in flavour-profile to, say, the Giant Steps Yarra Valley releases.
This sits back in the palate, rather than forward. It’s pinot sitting up the back of the bus. It’s as much plum as red cherry though either way, it has a macerated character and feel, woven through with sweet cedarwood, and mint. Composure was the word that came to mind. It’s a neat wine, well-enough powered, with length through the finish in its favour. It also has a subtle candied aspect to the acidity, and tannin that clumps ever-so-slightly; the latter of which will resolve as it matures, which it’s been designed to do. Drink 2025 - 2031+
92+ Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022) -
- 98
- 96
- 95
- 95
2021 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir Magnum (1500ml)Yarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$150. 00Bottle$1800.00 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinOther Reviews....
Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones including 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel! I've long considered the Applejack vineyard to be one of the greatest sites for pinot in Australia and I'm not sure I've seen a better version than the 2021. A deep, bright, crimson purple. Maraschino cherry into plum, there's an exotic and riotous amalgam of Asian five-spice and a gentle savoury, umami character. What elevates this vintage is the concentration, along with Applejack's trademark perfume and spice. Just so vibrant and fresh on the palate, the tannins are both silky and plentiful. You will have no problems opening and enjoying this now, but the wine's track record suggests you'll thank me if you still have some to drink 7–10 years from now, if not longer. Drink by 2032.
98 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion (February 2022)Brashly spicy and complex, this has aromas of espresso, blueberries, toasted spices and grilled bread, as well as forest wood and violets. The palate delivers alluring depth and a round, fleshy build. Acidity explodes on the finish, releasing fresh red-cherry and blueberry fruit flavors. Wonderfully layered and complete. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap.
96 Points
JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)The Applejack Vineyard is planted across the hill, at the same altitude as the Primavera Vineyard on gray clay over mudstone, and picked within a few days of that site. The 2021 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir included 50% whole bunch in the mix and is a blend of seven different clones. This shows wonderful clarity and poise—it is precise and layered with energy and life. The acid pulses through the phenolic texture in the mouth. It was originally a sparkling vineyard, down the hill from Wombat Creek, situated in an eastern-facing bowl that captures the morning sunlight. Mel Chester (head of winemaking and viticulture) talks about the smell of the tea trees in the vineyard, explaining that "there's always a couple of Wedgetail eagles circling, it's a magic place." The evocative description of the vineyard carries through into the wine, which shows a satisfying, delicious resolution of plump ripe fruit and beautifully resolved tannin. Balance 101. Drink 2022 - 2037.
95 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2022)One of the great things about Australian wine is that the planting frenzy in the late half of the 1990s now has a great many vineyards marking their 25th year in the ground. The east-facing Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 at Gladysdale and is a star performer. This release saw 80% whole bunches and 25% new oak.
Pure red cherry flavours push straight into undergrowth, mushroom, fragrant herb and spices. Cedarwood oak is present but so happily married to the fruit. There are briar notes here, particularly through the finish, and throughout it feels structured without necessarily feeling grippy. There’s a (positive) smoky aftertaste and a (very) good level of richness, in a varietal context. All up, hands down, this is a gorgeous wine to drink. Drink 2023 - 2030+
95+ Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022)Pale garnet verging on ruby. Pale rim. A bit more meaty and savoury than the Primavera Vineyard Pinot on the nose. Light and fresh with definite sweetness, as well as the vegy savour, but more refreshing than the Primavera and with a nice lick of light tannins. Delicate texture. It tastes as though it were made with kid gloves. A definite success. Drink 2022 – 2028.
16.5 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (May 2022) -
- 94
- 96
- 94
2021 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$32. 99Bottle$395.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2021-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: Stelvin2021 began as a challenging vintage in the Yarra Valley due to summer and autumn rains, and cooler than average temperatures during the growing season. However, this then led to a long slow ripening period which produced thicker skins, riper stems and more concentrated flavours, resulting in Pinot Noir of excellent quality. Fruit was sourced from the Sexton, Applejack, Primavera, Swallowfield, Wombat Creek and Tarraford vineyards. Maturation took place in French oak of which 10% was new for a period of 8 months.
Semi translucent vibrant red colour with a light purple red hue. Very fragrant the nose has an intense aromatic profile of violets, ripe red cherries and strawberries followed by fresh herb, forest floor and light spice notes. Delicious red fruits flood the mouth with ripe red to dark cherry and strawberry flavours leading the way. Elegant and supple but showing good intensity across the lighter bodied palate, infusions of fresh herbs, delicate forest floor and spice emerge on the back half. Polished tannins combine with fresh acidity and delicious red fruits to create an engaging finish.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 13.5%
Other Reviews….
60/40% upper/lower Yarra Valley fruit. Hand picked and open-fermented with 60% whole berries, the remainder whole bunches. A very bright, light–medium crimson red. A gentle waft of fresh raspberries and cranberries, with just the right amount of spice-rack spices. Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too. The perfect introduction to modern Yarra pinot.
96 points
Philip Rich – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion
Hand-picked from the usual assortment of Giant Steps vineyards across the Yarra Valley.Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle. Drink 2023-2027.
93 points
Gary Walsh – The Wine Front
Stunning, with terrific focus and intensity to the core of Earl Grey tea, firm, juicy cherry, raspberry and white pepper flavors. Notes of clove and green cardamom linger on the finish, with a touch of salted caramel. Drink now through 2034.
94 points
Wine Spectator -
- 95
2020 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2021-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: Stelvin2020 was generally a challenging vintage across Australia, however, the Yarra Valley fared better than most. Lower than average yields driven primarily by tighter, smaller bunches translated into tiny crops of amazing quality. Fruit for this Pinot Noir was sourced from Giant Steps Sexton, Applejack, Primavera and Tarraford vineyards. Forty percent of the final blend was whole bunch with maturation taking place in French oak of which 10% was new for a period of 8 months.
Bright semi translucent cherry red colour with a light crimson red hue. Blossoming out of the glass is a fragrant bouquet of violets, ripe red cherries, wild strawberries and clove which are trailed by subtle forest floor and spicy cedar notes. Delicious, fresh and supple, the palate is flooded with juicy red cherry and strawberry fruits which are backed by vibrant acidity. Lying underneath are delicate forest floor, meaty characters and spicy cedar elements. Very polished, beautifully integrated tannins with a long aftertaste that’s both fresh and savoury.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 94
2018 Giant Steps LDR Pinot Noir SyrahYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$19. 99Bottle$239.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 2 Years (2020-2022)ABV: 13%Closure: StelvinDeep dark red colour with black tinged edges and a dark red hue. Aromas of dark cherries and dark plum intermix with hints of anise followed by some dried clove, earth, a touch of meatiness and spice. Medium bodied and quite plump, the palate is flooded with dark plum, dark cherry and anise fruits which over shadow a back drop of smoky clove like characters, meaty earth and spice. Velvety tannins with a ripe savoury aftertaste.
Drink over the next 1-2 years.
Alc. 13% -
- 97
2019 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$54. 99Bottle$659.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 8 Years (2020-2028)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinPlanted in the upper Yarra Valley on a dramatic slope which allows for a cooler and extended growing season, the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir is regularly one of the highlights of Giant Steps single vineyard releases. Maturation took place in a mix of 25% new French oak and 75% older oak barriques for a period of 8 months.
Semi translucent bright dark red colour with black tinged edges and a light red hue. Perfumed aromatics of violets, ripe cherries, strawberries and subtle clove sail from the glass followed by forest floor, a light meatiness and spicy cedar. Light in body yet supple in its feel and boasting a terrific power wave of flavour, the palate is caressed with delicious ripe red to dark cherry, strawberry and subtle raspberry fruits. Also evident are complexing elements of forest floor, fresh herb infusions and lightly toasted spicy cedar. Beautifully polished tannins and bright acidity framing a very long and silky conclusion.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 96
2019 Giant Steps Fatal Shore Coal River Valley Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$64. 99Bottle$779.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 8 Years (2020-2028)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinFatal Shore is Giant Steps first venture outside of the Yarra Valley sourcing fruit from the Nocton vineyard in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. Fruit is hand picked straight into a refrigerated container parked on the vineyard. It then sails immediately across Bass Strait where it’s received into the Giant Steps Yarra Valley winery the following morning. Maturation took place in French oak, 25% new, for a period of 8 months.
Deep bright dark red core with black tinged edges and a light red purple hue. Perfumed aromatics of violets, dark cherries and strawberries complexed by hints of anise sail out of the glass with subtle forest floor, fresh herbs and faint smoky cedar ensuing. Rich cherry and strawberry fruits flood the mouth underscored by subtle anise, forest floor, infusions of fresh herbs and delicate spicy cedar. Supple textural feel finishing with an abundance of freshness and silky tannins. Outstanding power wave with a long delicious conclusion.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 96
2019 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$59. 99Bottle$719.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 8 Years (2020-2028)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinDeep bright dark red core with black tinged edges and a crimson red hue. Alluring aromatics of violets, ripe cherries and strawberries sail out of the glass followed by some forest floor, fresh herb and light spicy cedar notes. Delicious ripe cherry and strawberry flavours show excellent fruit purity, intensity and drive over a subtle anise, forest floor, fresh herb and spicy cedar back drop. Supple yet bright in its feel with velvety tannins and vivid acidity. Long savoury conclusion.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 95
2019 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2020-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinPredominately sourced from Giant Steps Yarra Valley vineyards, this years blend also includes 8.5% Pinot Noir from Giant Steps Tosq organic vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand which adds a touch of structure. 40% whole bunches were included in the ferment with maturation taking place in French oak of which 10% was new for a period of 8 months.
Semi translucent bright dark red colour with black tinged edges and a light vibrant red hue. Perfumed scents of violets, dark cherries, ripe strawberries and anise sail out of the glass followed by light forest floor, dried clove and spice notes. Delicious red to dark fruits fill the mouth, spreading their way across the breadth of the palate with terrific power. Elements of anise, subtle forest floor and spicy clove also chime in. Lively finish with velvety tannins and a long, very moreish aftertaste.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 95
2018 Giant Steps Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2019-2025)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinAn excellent follow up to the highly rated 2017 vintage. A slightly earlier ripening season and overall relatively dry growing season produced fruit with beautiful flavour and stem ripeness. The resulting 2018 wines have lower alcohol, but similar acid levels to the 2017 and a little more tannin structure. All the 2018 Pinots have lovely perfume, colour and a very generous mouthfeel. This entry level Pinot Noir had forty percent whole bunch inclusion and was matured for 8 months in new (10%) and used French oak. Fruit was sourced from Giant Steps Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack, Primavera and Wombat Creek vineyards.
Supple and light on its feet yet possessing an excellent power wave, this is a delicious Pinot.
Semi translucent bright red core with a crimson red hue. A beautifully perfumed nose sees aromatics of violets, ripe dark cherries, strawberries and anise soaring through the nostrils followed by subtle forest floor notes, fresh herbs and light spicy cedar. The palate is teeming with delicious bright juicy red fruit flavours that fill the mouth. Supple in its feel yet fresh and vibrant on the finish, traces of anise, forest floor and faint spicy fresh herb infusions ensue. Hardly discernible are perfectly integrated velvet like tannins. Excellent power wave concluding with a long expansive aftertaste.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5%Other Reviews….
Light to medium, bright red/purple colour, with a wonderfully fragrant, aromatic nose of spicy red and dark cherry. There's a subtle hint of Campari in the aroma and aftertaste which comes from the whole-berry and whole-bunch fermenting techniques. It's light to medium-bodied yet very intense, with penetrating flavour, line and length. The tannins are light and fine yet quite present. An utterly delicious wine and a great follow-up to the outstanding 2017. And like that wine, amazing value for money. The aromatics are quintessential Yarra Valley pinot noir. Alcohol: 13.5%. Drink: 2018-2028.
94 points
Huon Hooke - The Real Review -
- 94
2019 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$59. 99Bottle$719.88 DozenCellar: 5 - 6 Years (2025-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent bright red colour with a light red hue. Pretty strawberry and red cherry aromas mix with a whiff of fresh garden herbs, forest floor, violets and spice. The palate is beaming with freshness and juicy red fruits. Delicious red cherry, raspberry and strawberry flavours fill the mouth with underlying fresh herb and violet infusions, forest floor and subtle spicy cedar. Fresh finish with bright youthful acidity and polished tannins. Good drive with a long aftertaste that has a light tang to it.
Cellar 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 95
2017 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot NoirYarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$56. 99Bottle$683.88 DozenCellar: 6 - 8 Years (2024-2026)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent dark red core with a bright crimson red hue. The nose is very fragrant displaying red to dark cherry aromatics and notes of strawberry with a violet overlay. Also evident are hints of dried clove, light meaty cedar and spice. Delicious and long the elegantly weighted palate is filled with ripe red and dark cherries, strawberries and subtle dried clove infusions over spicy cedar. Fresh finish with very finely grained, seamlessly integrated tannins. Long conclusion of spicy ripe red and dark cherries, strawberries, faintly smoked cedar and light dried herb infusions.
Cellar 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 89
2021 Gioiello Estate Running Creek Pinot NoirUpper Goulburn, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 3 Years (2023-2026)ABV: 12.4%Closure: StelvinSemi translucent red to dark red colour with black shaded edges a light red hue. Expressive red cherry and strawberry aromas laced with mint are followed by some fresh herb and subtle spicy earth notes. Light in body and moderately powered the palate has a playful red cherry and strawberry fruit profile with subtle mint, fresh herb and delicate earth characters lying underneath. Finishes with good freshness, polished tannins and a light aftertaste.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 12.4% -
- 90
2019 Gioiello Estate Jacks Falls Pinot NoirUpper Goulburn, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$46. 99Bottle$563.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now - 3 Years (2021-2024)ABV: 12.4%Closure: StelvinDark red in colour with black shaded edges and a bright red hue. Aromas of violets, red cherries and winter strawberries are trailed by subtle forest floor and fresh herb notes. Juicy cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruits are in the drivers seat with a subtle undercard of vanillin cedar and fresh herb infusions. Supple mouthfeel with good freshness and soft tannins. Simple and fruity in its conclusion.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 12.4% -
- 92
2019 Glaetzer-Dixon Nouveau Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$24. 99Bottle$299.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: Drink now (2020)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinMade in the style of Beaujolais Nouveau. Very deep cloudy dark purple colour with a hazy dark purple hue. Crushed rose petal and violet scents intermingle with both dark and sour cherries followed by incense, dried herb and spice notes. Juicy dark and sour cherry flavours contrast richness against freshness with plum, incense infusions and spicy dried herbs on the back palate. Bright, tangy like acidity, polished tannins and a vibrant medium length finish.
Drink now.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 94
2014 Glaetzer Dixon Reveur Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$54. 99Bottle$659.88 DozenMinimum 12 bottlesCellar: 4 - 5 Years (2022-2023)ABV: 13.9%Closure: StelvinMatured in French oak for 21 months. Deep dark red colour with black tinged edges and a dark red hue. Powerful aromas of anise and dark to black cherries sit over some toasty vanillin cedar, light earth and spice. Rich and supple in the mouth the medium weighted palate is powered by flavours of ripe black cherries, anise and dark plums followed by smoky vanillin cedar and spicy earth elements. Slightly grainy yet fine grained tannins with a long spicy black cherry, anise, dark plum, toasty cedar and earthy dried herb aftertaste. A big ripe Pinot.
Cellar 4-5 years.
Alc. 13.9% -
- 95
2022 Glaetzer-Dixon Avance Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2023-2028)ABV: 13.8%Closure: StelvinNick Glaetzer began his winemaking journey with his family in the Barossa Valley, following with vintages in the Languedoc, the Pfalz, Margaret River, the Riverland, Sunraysia, the Hunter Valley and Burgundy. In 2005 Nick landed in Tasmania, searching for cool-climate, super-premium vineyards; perfect for crafting Pinot Noir, Riesling and savoury Shiraz. The concept behind his Avance Pinot came from Nick’s experience working and travelling through many winemaking regions on the European Continent which gave him an insight into the lighter wine styles, keenly sought after by the local village people for their fresh fruit driven flavours.
Semi translucent dark red core with black shaded edges and a red to dark red tinged hue. Alluring violet led aromas of dark cherries, rhubarb and anise sail through the nostrils followed by dried clove and spicy cedar notes. Rich spicy black cherry, anise and rhubarb flavours infused with dried clove are layered across the palate like an expanding peacocks tail. Brambly dried herb elements and spicy cedar also chime in. Supplely textured and concentrated it has velvet smooth tannins and finishes fresh, long and very savoury.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 13.8% -
- 95
2021 Glaetzer-Dixon Avance Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$29. 99Bottle$359.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 4 Years (2023-2027)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinNick Glaetzer began his winemaking journey with his family in the Barossa Valley, following with vintages in the Languedoc, the Pfalz, Margaret River, the Riverland, Sunraysia, the Hunter Valley and Burgundy. In 2005 Nick landed in Tasmania, searching for cool-climate, super-premium vineyards; perfect for crafting Pinot Noir, Riesling and savoury Shiraz. The concept behind his Avance Pinot came from Nick’s experience working and travelling through many winemaking regions on the European Continent which gave him an insight into the lighter wine styles, keenly sought after by the local village people for their fresh fruit driven flavours.
Dark red core with black tinged edges and a dark red purple hue. Blossoming from the glass are perfumed scents of violets, dark cherries and anise infused with dried clove. Some strawberry, earth and spice notes are also evident. Ripe, juicy and seductive the mid weighted palate is laden with rich dark cherry, anise and strawberry flavours with notions of scorched earth and spicy dried herbs meandering off into the background. Very supple and silky with velvety tannins finishing long, polished and succulent.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 93
2018 Glaetzer-Dixon Nouveau Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$24. 99Bottle$299.88 DozenCellar: 2 - 3 Years (2020-2021)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinDeep red purple colour with black tinged edges and a purple red hue. Fragrant violet laced red to dark fruit aromatics blossom from the glass intermingling with dried clove, fresh garden herbs, subtle forest floor and spice along the way. Rich, fleshy and seductive yet light on its feet the palate is filled with delicious ripe cherry, plum and strawberry flavours which meld into infusions of incense and subtle dried clove. Finishes dry and quite spicy with vibrant acidity and velvety tannins. Excellent power with a medium to long spicy bright fruit laden conclusion.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 13.5% -
- 94
2018 Glaetzer-Dixon Avance Pinot NoirTasmania, AUSTRALIA$27. 99Bottle$335.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 4 Years (2019-2023)ABV: 13.5%Closure: StelvinNick Glaetzer began his winemaking journey with his family in the Barossa Valley, following with vintages in the Languedoc, the Pfalz, Margaret River, the Riverland, Sunraysia, the Hunter Valley and Burgundy. In 2005 Nick landed in Tasmania, searching for cool-climate, super-premium vineyards; perfect for crafting Pinot Noir, Riesling and savoury Shiraz. The concept behind his Avance Pinot came from Nick’s experience working and travelling through many winemaking regions on the European Continent which gave him an insight into the lighter wine styles, keenly sought after by the local village people for their fresh fruit driven flavours.
A delicious fruit loaded Pinot with power to burn.
Semi translucent dark red colour with black tinged edges and a crimson purple hue. Very fragrant, the nose expels violet top notes over ripe cherry and strawberry aromas with subtle anise and fresh herbs ensuing. Rich, fruit loaded and expansive, ripe dark cherry, plum and strawberry flavours create a silken feel across the palate with elements of lightly smoked anise, subtle forest floor and spice also present. Terrific power, velvet smooth tannins and good vibrant acidity concluding with a deliciously long aftertaste of dark fruits, anise, subtle forest floor and spicy herbs.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 13.5%
An obsession with a fickle varietal.
Once you experience it, you never forget it. For some wine lovers, Pinot Noir becomes an obsession. While promising one of world's greatest wine experiences, it can also deliver some of the most disappointing. What is it about Pinot that makes it so frustratingly variable? There are known quality factors which offer encouragement to winemakers. Micro-climates have been observed to play an important part in a successful matrix, particularly the diurnal temperature range. Pinot Noir is a little like Riesling, in the sense that it requires warm, but not overly hot days and cool nights to fully develop its maximum flavour potential. Sunshine hours, rainfall, time and rate of precipitation are all important. Countering this is the fact that the same clone will not respond to differences in micro-climate in the same way. Older vines make better wines. Creative and adaptive viticultural management and winemaking are essential. Buy Pinot Noir online. Any questions about our products or shipping? Please feel free to get in touch by calling us directly on 1800 069 295 or by emailing [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Browse and buy Pinot Noir online, spend more than $200 and you'll qualify for free delivery to most of Australia.
















































