The 2021 Pinot Noir Palmer Creek Vineyard has soft scents of red cherries, tea leaves, bitters and earth. The light-bodied palate offers an understated core of fragrant fruit structured by vibrant acidity and grainy tannins, and it has an easygoing finish. 298 cases produced.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard has soft scents of red cherries, cranberries, autumn leaves, mushrooms and bitters. The light-bodied palate is soft and juicy with a core of crisp red fruit and an easygoing finish. 443 cases produced.

The 2021 Gamy Noir Flavorscape is simple, fresh and fun to drink. It has a medium ruby color and scents of cherry and watermelon candy, burnt orange and dried herbs. The light-bodied palate is bursting with sweet berry fruit and finishes with pleasant herbal touches. 131 cases were made.

A very enjoyable sipping Pinot with a nice, but light, cherry flavors – a companionable drink that doesn’t try to overpower.  

Planted in 1987 in Gladysdale at 400m by the trailblazing Ray Guerin for Hardys and purchased by Giant Steps in 2022. This is its first wine from the vineyard. And what a wine it is! A brilliant and pure scented bouquet of nashi, pink grapefruit, crushed rock, sea spray and honeysuckle. There's a hint of fresh honeycomb, too. Incisive, pure and chalky on the palate, this concentrated yet light on its feet wine is reminiscent of good Corton-Charlemagne. That it will age gracefully is a given.

A single-block shiraz; 60% whole cluster co-fermented with 2% viognier and matured mainly in puncheons together with one large foudre. A medium, bright, crimson purple. The first Tarraford syrah since '18, this promptly won the Trophy for Best Syrah at last year's Yarra Valley Wine Show. Aromas of dark cherries, blueberries and graphite, with the viognier adding some exotic allspice and incense notes. Concentrated, tightly focused and beautifully balanced. Impressively long on the floral-infused finish. Super wine.

From the Sexton vineyard in Gruyere; 10% whole bunches and matured nine months in French barriques (25% new). A deep ruby. Aromas of kirsch, damson plums, licorice root and spices; this heady, concentrated wine has a lot of meat on the bones, with ripe, persistent tannins boding well for the future. A great contrast to the more delicate Giant Steps wines such as Bastard Hill and Primavera.

Made with 20% whole bunches. All D clones. Matured in barriques (20% new). A light, very bright crimson. Smells like a rose garden with a little lavender thrown in! You'll also find aromas of sour cherries and blood oranges. Poised, elegant and persistent, this flows mellifluously across the palate. A classic Upper Yarra pinot, driven as much by its fine vein of acidity as its silken tannins.

Made from a 50/50% blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted between 100 and 200m in Gruyere. Whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (25% new oak) with 15% mlf. Right now, this is the most salivating and seductive of Giant Step's superb array of single-vineyard chardonnays from '23. Perfectly ripened white peach, pear and some marine scents lead onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline and structured. The finish is energetic, nutty and long.

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.

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.

Applejack vineyard was planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in 1997, and only 2ha of its 11ha is planted to chardonnay. It is named for the Applejack eucalypts that surround it. Whole-bunch pressed straight to barrel with full solids and matured in mainly second use puncheons. A very bright green gold. A pure and gently reticent bouquet of stone fruits, lemon verbena and crushed rocks. The palate is tightly coiled, steely, saline and focused. A wine with excellent potential.

An even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit. Whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented in 15% new French puncheons. Around 25% mlf. A very bright green gold. Attractive scents of ripe white pears and nectarines, lemon curd and just the right amount of flint. Packs a punch on the saline, gently textured, gently chewy palate. Great stuff and the perfect entrée to the year's superb lineup of single-vineyard chardonnays.

A blend of mainly cabernet sauvignon and merlot with a dollop of petit verdot from the Sexton vineyard, planted in Gruyere in 1997. A deep, bright magenta. Aromas of red cherries, black plums and floral notes together with hints of thyme and rosemary lead onto the medium-bodied, gently structured and balanced palate. Far from a monster, this is a wine to enjoy now (with food) and over the next five to seven years.

The wine showed a pale straw color. Apple, lemon, peach and oak all arrived on the nose. Apple, lemon curd and honey led off the rich palate followed by notes of pear and oak. The wine exhibited bright acidity and good balance. It was light-bodied and demonstrated good length. This wine would pair very well with a Thai green curry with shrimp.

Since his start in the 1990s, Greg Brewer charted his own path in Pinot Noir, and the results are stunningly consistent, distinctive and addictively delicious. This bottling begins with aromas that recall eating raspberry sorbet surrounded by chaparral on the seashore. The palate continues that explosive red-fruit-meets-refreshing mint formula into an exciting finish

There's an intense but evenly distributed stemminess to the nose of this bottling, which is equally redolent with cherry compote and sorbet notes to balance the bay and tea leaf touches. The palate's herbaceousness is more delicate, as cherry and cola flavors push into the finish.

Minty sagebrush and baking spice aromas give plenty of nuance to the nose of this wine, which centers on raspberry preserve and fresh cherry flavors. The palate's flavors range from bay leaf and mint to wild raspberry.

Snappy, exuberant aromas of black raspberry and cherry draw the nose into this bottling, and then lines of cinnamon and lemon peel add elegance to the lush core. The palate is zesty, candied and refreshing, carrying cherry, strawberry, red spice and white pepper into a long-lasting finish.

The nose on this bottling is quite complex, ranging from waxy, dried lemon peel to hints of sour cream to intense honeysuckle aromas. The palate is viscous yet buoyant in citrusy acidity, leading into a salty finish.

This brand's wines are consistently engaging even at this more widely available appellation cuvée level. Crisp cherry, raspberry, bay leaf and fennel aromas lead from the nose into a palate that's alive with juicy red fruits and wild, peppery herbs.

Though fascinating when young, this wine is built for years of evolution in the cellar. Aromas of raspberry soda evolve quickly into anise, peppercorn and mint on the nose. The palate is tense and savory yet still bright with fruit, as a high-acid and firm-tannic grip offer long-term protection. Drink now–2042.

Evolving aromas of lemon-glazed apples grow more prominent as this wine opens on the nose. The palate is quite tense in structure yet bolder in flavor, offering golden touches of lemon, yellow apple and light toast.

Aromas of honey drizzled on ripe honeydew melon invite the nose into this comfortingly classic style of California Chardonnay. Toasted hazelnut and apple pie flavors on the palate are balanced by brisk lemon, cinnamon and star anise spices

Rounded cranberry and cherry aromas pick up rustic notes of chaparral and charred meat on the nose of this bottling, which is widely available and fairly priced. The palate is packed with toasted sage and marjoram flavors that enliven the blood orange and pomegranate core.