Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

Accolades:
96/100 – James Halliday Wine Companion
95/100 – James Suckling
95/100 – Wine Enthusiast
94/100 – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
94/100 – Decanter

“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.” – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

“Perfumed aromas of wild raspberries, Asian spices, dried herbs and potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of strawberries, citrus peel and graphite. Very pure and refined with an aromatic lift. Drink or hold.” – James Suckling

“Supple, slinky and downright sexy, with aromas you could take a dive into, Primavera exudes scents of red and blueberry fruit, dried rose petal and vanilla bean, with clove and Chinese five-spice characters underpinning everything and a mineral note at the center. There’s a calm, confident energy here. Balanced, with fine, seamless tannins, it’s less age-worthy that its single vineyard counterparts, but is a complete and utterly delicious drink right now.” – Wine Enthusiast

“Medium-deep ruby colour with a strong tint of purple; there are chaffy/underbrush and dried-herb aromas galore, a trace of smoked charcuterie, while the palate is bright and light on its feet, almost ethereal, with a lot of savoury characteristics and a refined and lingering follow-through.” – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

“This 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.” – David Sly, Decanter

Vintage Note: 2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley. The season was defined by a cool Spring, a mild growing season, cool nights, and medium to high rainfall. 2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first pick starting two and a half weeks later than the previous average. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities.

Winemaking Notes: Handpicked, fermented in a combination of small oak fermenters and stainless-steel open vats. Each clone was fermented and matured separately and is either fermented with 100% whole bunches included or 100% Destemmed. The MV6 was fermented as whole bunches in a seasoned oak vat, while the 115 and G clone were fermented as whole berries with a 4-day cold soak before the start of fermentation. The ferments spent between 10 – 14 days on skins, with gentle mixing throughout that time using gravity. The resulting blend is 15% Whole bunch fermented. All parcels completed malolactic fermentation and were then matured in French oak Barriques (225L) – 20% new, 80% seasoned – for nine months. The wine was not moved and kept in contact with its lees before blending in November. Bottled by gravity. No fining. No filtration.

Alcohol: 13.2%

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia