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96
/ 100
James Halliday's Wine Companion
Red
Classification
Pinot Noir
Variety
2022
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
Victoria, Yarra Valley
Region
13.5%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
96 / 100"From the Sexton vineyard in Gruyere. Destemmed with whole berries and matured nine months in French barriques (20% new). A deep ruby crimson. The densest and most brooding of the Giant Steps Yarra Valley single-vineyard pinots from 2022. You'll find bramble berries, freshly ploughed earth and a little black pepper. Savoury and concentrated on the palate, there is plenty of meat on the bones with substantial and persistent tannins masked by the sheer weight of plush fruit at this stage. A succulent wine to enjoy now and over the next few years."
- James Halliday's Wine Companion
Tasting Notes
Located on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges, alongside the vineyards of iconic Yarra producers Yarra Yering and Coldstream Hills, the Sexton Vineyard is in one of the most revered pockets of the Valley. Being well up the Range’s north-facing slopes, topsoil is thin and root systems have established themselves in shallow gravelly loams above a tough, rocky clay base.
Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with high skin to juice ratio. The predominant clones are GinGin and Mendoza which produce hens and chickens (large and small grapes on the same bunch), which results in high white tannin and phenolic content to balance the citrus flavours.
2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exa
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity