From vines planted in '45 on a deep sandy dune dubbed ‘The Beach' by Yangarra. Whole bunches are open-fermented. The bouquet exudes fresh-picked raspberries which form the nucleus of the powerful and intense palate, with grainy tannins that underline the complexity of the wine.

At the opposite end of the spectrum to its Sexton Vineyard sibling. Elegant, light-bodied and wonderfully fragrant, faintly savoury ex whole bunches, but overall its strawberry, red cherry and pomegranate flavours carry the day on the very long palate.

Super fine aromas of limes and chamomile with hints of beeswax, apple pie crust, pears and white-almond paste. The palate has a very sleek, steely and resolute line of mouthwatering fruit, cast in the lime and white-peach zone. Super fine and long. Wow! Drink or hold. Screw cap.

At 420m Wombat Creek is the highest vineyard site in the Yarra Valley, with a gentle northeast-facing slope of volcanic red soil. The vinification sees the wine bottled by gravity, not fined and only coarse-filtered, as is the case with its siblings. Although the acidity is not adjusted (like its siblings), it feels softer and fruitier, pink grapefruit at work.

There is purity and finesse to this young pinot with sliced-strawberry and lemon character. Tight and polished with beautiful finesse and length. Goes on for minutes. Love the brightness and focus. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A great vineyard producing great wines. Vinified without the use of pumps. The perfumed, flowery (violets) bouquet and a highly focused palate bring whole bunch tannins into play, with a gently savoury finish. Seductive.

Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, no additions, wild-fermented in French puncheons (20% new), matured for 8 months with stirring for the first month. A spotless bouquet and an elegant palate of great length. Stone fruits and melon are threaded through a faint gauze of acidity, oak barely seen. This is an exercise in balance, and the certainty of future greatness.

This has impressive depth and fruit purity. Aromas of red cherries, roses, spiced earth, bracken and blueberries lead to a palate that has very energetic red and dark cherries with tannins that wrap and expand out the finish. Fresh acidity holds it long and vibrant. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Expressively complex with plenty of red-cherry, strawberry and pomegranate aromas, as well as oak spice and sappy notes. The palate has impressive density with focus. The spiced blueberry flavors are intense, fresh and long and there’s such vibrant acidity sustaining the long finish. Drink or hold.

This has soulful, complex style with a fresh blueberry and dark-cherry edge, some earthy, forest wood and stony elements. Subtle aromas. The palate opens nicely, peeling away in layers of powerful red cherries and delivering a rich, flavorful impression and layers of fine, compressed tannin. Long finish. Best from 2023.

An assemblage of racy Upper Yarra sites with some Gruyere and Tarrawarra material, fermented in ceramic egg and delivering a super pure rendition of jet-fresh Yarra chardonnay to the table. Aromas of white peaches, lemons, gun flint and grilled bread lead to a palate that has a brand of purity that is akin to Premier Cru Chablis. Stony, succulent chardonnay with fresh peach, lemon and quince flavors. Drink now.

Perfumed and smoky with toasted cherry, almond and spice on the nose, luscious, sweet oak and beautifully focused plush red fruit on the palate.

Medium-weight in the glass; purple colour with red edges. Its complex - cured meats, mixed berries and spicy oak. Plush and open when sipped - cinnamon with red and blue berries - certainly ripe. Tannins equally ripe. Terrific length unfurls off pristine fruit. Delicious.

A blend of cabernet, merlot and petit verdot from the single vineyard planted by Phil Sexton in '97. It is of a style seldom encountered in the Yarra Valley, rich cassis fruit cut by finely ground tannins on a long palate. Quite something.

The modern Yarra wine style coming out of Giant Steps really comes as no great surprise as this is a team comprising two of this county’s great wine minds developed and honed over decades across multiple industries. It is an odd couple – Sexton’s entrepreneurial eye and drive matched with Flamsteed’s relaxed, and mellow demeanour. Together they make an exceptional team.If you are looking to take a leap into natural wine, don’t miss this brilliant example, of which there are less than 3000 bottles produced. No additions, fermented in clay pots, fermented with wild yeasts and it’s completely unfined and unfiltered, which makes it a touch hazy but nothing to worry about.It smells like just fermented Chardonnay juice with superb purity of green apple and citrus fruits plus an earthy edge. Understated, seamless and balanced, there are nectarine, citrus and floral flavours on a mid-weight palate that is crisp and savoury. It also has a chalky texture with a brilliant and long finish, again showing a unique purity and focus. Stunning Chardonnay.

A parcel of fruit from each of Giant Steps' single vineyard sites, whole-bunch pressed to 675l clay eggs for wild yeast open fermentation, the lids sealed with clay for maturation. It's harder to do nothing they say. There's a beautiful pattern in the mouth, reflecting no pumping (just gravity), no fining, no filtration.

Bright, light yellow colour, with a fresh, sawn timber oak and creamy lees aroma, the fruit flavour powerful and pungent in the mouth, with white peach, passionfruit and a semblance of sweetness, which is probably just the richness of the fruit talking. There's a trace of tannin, more than balanced by the body. A delicious wine, which should go on to show more and more character with time. The powerful fruit comprehensively outguns the oak and lees characters.

The One With The Juicy, Savoury Feel. A little more volume than the other 2019 Giant Steps single vineyard releases, Sexton pushes ripe citrus, green apple, nuttiness and a Parisian almond/marzipan character. It’s flinty too, minerals don’t escape, but the main gist is a wine of quiet power, depth, concentration and drive. Exceptional length, the finish is a starburst of flavour, then chalky and puckering. It opens up beautifully, indeed needs some time to reveal more and more, so you get a complex wine with incredible detail going on. Long term fans of the Giant Steps chardonnay world will recognise the pedigree here. It has it all.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2018 VintageThe 2018 Chardonnay 3D is a stunning wine with intense layers and mega intense perfume! It leaps from the glass with elderflower, quince, white peaches and baklava plus loads of honeyed nuances. The palate is medium-bodied and satiny with full, broad, perfectly ripe fruit character opposed by gently tangy acidity, and it finishes very long and very layered.

The nose is impressively complex and deeply scented herb, red berry and briar. The palate entry is velvet-like spiced cherry and black plum with a vibrant spine of herb and mineral through the core. It carries stunning balance throughout. Drink 2020 - 2027.

Merlot from Howell Mountain has long been some of the finest produced in the Napa Valley. Situated on the eastern side of the valley, the Howell Mountain vineyards are well above the fog line and catch the afternoon sun, ensuring full ripeness in most vintages. This beauty from La Jota is richly layered, showing ripe black cherry and blueberry fruit, and complex oak spice aromas.

A top bottling of the variety, this small-production wine is structured and strong, opening reductively, with elements of tobacco leaf, oak and sage. The savory character persists in the form of leather and black pepper, allowing just a touch of sharp red fruit to enter and complement. This wine has further secrets to be revealed; enjoy best from 2027–2032.

Very deep, dense purple colour, with a thoroughly oak-dominated aroma. The palate is very firm and tannic, with youthful, almost callow flavour and a solid tannin finish. This is a wine that grows on you. At first glance, too much oak. But it has impressive concentration, volume of flavour and palate length, and I suspect time will vindicate it thoroughly. It's an outstanding wine, and quite extraordinary within the rather ordinary gamut of Australian merlot. (From vines planted in 1976 and 1989 at 220-245m altitude. Aged 15 months in 50% new Bordeaux coopered oak. 4% petit verdot.)

Lots of dark chocolate aromas, toasty barrels, black fruits and black olive, with some graphite or tar overtones. The palate is rich, profound and dense, very fleshy and supple, the tannins fine-grained and the texture superb. A great shiraz indeed. (1,500 cases made)

Deep, dark, youthful red/purple colour, the bouquet showing some char-oak and rich sooty, smoky plum fruit. The black fruit aromas emerged the longer it aired in the glass. It's rich, full-bodied and smooth, with density and textural grip. The palate is intense, full-blooded, bright and assertive, with tremendous length and finish. A seriously good shiraz.