Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Harry’s Monster 2020
$79.90 inc. GST
Accolades:
96/100 – James Halliday Wine Companion
95/100 – Campbell Mattinson
“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.“ – Halliday Wine Companion
“This is a cabernet blend. It’s worth studying. It has finesse, it has flavour, it’s finely-tuned and it feels flush through the finish. Oak and fruit are on great terms, tannin is perfectly formed, and acidity adds a line of freshness to the wine without moving a petal. It’s not a sweet wine but it’s ripe; it’s not bitter but there are layers of herbs; it’s not ‘big’ but it spreads across the palate impressively. It’s worth every cent.” – Campbell Mattinson
Vintage Note: 2020 was a particularly challenging vintage across much of Australia, but we were very lucky here in the Yarra Valley. It was a bit of a rollercoaster – with a cool, wet Spring, a dry December and then a mild February, punctuated by a few significant rain events… Harvest weather was moderate and stable as we went into classic Indian summer and the Merlot and Cabernet were allowed to achieve a beautiful tannin ripeness.
Winemaking Notes: Each variety was hand picked and vinified separately. They were all destemmed and partially crushed before being tipped into small open fermenters for a natural fermentation. The ferments were given lots of air via gravity drain and returns during the fermentation period – this allows for a healthy fermentation but also locks in the rich colour and tannins of these varietals. On average the total maceration time was 16 days. The wine was pressed off to French oak barriques for malolactic fermentation and maturation for 14 months. In Winter 2021, the blend is assembled for a long cool settling in tank before bottling by gravity in December, 2021.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Variety: Merlot blend
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
In stock
