2022 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay
  • 96
  • 98
  • 95
  • 96

2022 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay

Yarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
$74. 99
Bottle
$899.88 Dozen
ABV: 13%
Closure: Stelvin

Other Reviews....
Only 2ha of the Applejack vineyard's 11ha is planted to chardonnay. The vineyard, planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in 1997, is named for the Applejack eucalypts that surround it. Whole-bunch pressed straight to barrel with full solids, matured in 15% new puncheons. This is a magnificent wine and the best Giant Steps chardonnay I've tasted. Bright green gold. A stunning bouquet of orchard and stone fruits, grilled nuts, white jasmine and marine scents. Just as complex on the intense yet perfectly balanced palate before finishing spicy, chalky and very long. Worth putting some away and worth every cent and more of the asking price! Drink 2022 - 2027.
98 Points
Philip Rich - James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion

This 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.com

Complex, textural, with developing honey, roast hazelnut and lees nuances to the languorous, slippery, golden delicious apple and ripe citrus fruit. A touch of green apple peel too. Lithe, with balanced acidity to the lingering finish. Planted in 1997 to a single Chardonnay clone (I10V1), the east-facing Applejack vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley, rises from 180m to 280m on grey clay loam. Harvested 3 and 6 March. Drink 2023 - 2028.
96 Points
Sarah Ahmed - Decanter

Well this is apple-like, it’s not just the power of suggestion, it’s like biting into something cold and crunchy, lemonade and frozen meal, backed by nectarines, backed by nuts and stones. This dials back the intensity slightly, lifts the elegance, splays the flavours into a complex carpet, and then stretches its legs fully through the finish. It’s a stunning wine, and my pick of this year’s releases (by a whisker). Drink 2025 - 2030+
96+ Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front