2025 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 750ml

Overview

A light to medium-bodied Yarra Valley Pinot Noir with bright fruit, balanced acidity and fine tannins. The 2025 vintage delivered fruit of exceptional quality, concentration and weight following a warm, dry growing season and an early, compressed harvest.

Vintage

A generous, wet winter replenished soil moisture before a warm, dry spring provided excellent conditions during flowering and fruit set. Temperatures remained close to average despite the dry season. Harvest arrived earlier than usual and progressed quickly, producing fruit of exceptional quality, concentration and weight.

Winemaking

All fruit was hand-picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard. Parcels were either fermented semi-carbonically with whole bunches or destemmed and fermented as whole berries. Whole-bunch batches were fermented warm with minimal mixing for 14 days, while destemmed parcels underwent a three-day cold soak before natural fermentation. Gentle extraction was achieved through gravity drain and returns.

The wine contains 32% whole bunches and was matured for eight months in French oak barriques, comprising 16% new and 84% seasoned oak. Malolactic fermentation and maturation took place on lees. The parcels were blended in spring and bottled by gravity in December without fining or filtration.

Critic Reviews

96 Points — Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
“An opulent crimson purple. Explodes from the glass with its aromas of ripe cherries, raspberry coulis, lavender and spice. It's just so brightly fruited and juicy on the palate, too. Balanced acidity and tannins complete a superb and well-priced Yarra pinot to drink now and over the next three to four years. As good a Giant Steps entry point as I have tasted.”
Published 02 March 2026

Producer

Led by winemaker Melanie Chester, Giant Steps produces distinctive expressions of Yarra Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its winemaking philosophy centres on vine and soil health, low yields, minimal intervention, gravity flow and detailed parcel selection to express varietal character and sense of place.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2025
• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
• Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Production Attributes: Hand-picked, hand-sorted, 32% whole bunch, whole berry, gravity bottled, unfined and unfiltered
• Fermentation: Semi-carbonic whole-bunch and naturally fermented whole-berry parcels; malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Maturation: Eight months in French oak barriques on lees
• Oak Type: French oak barriques; 16% new and 84% seasoned
• pH: 3.56
• Acidity: 5.3 g/L