2022 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir

2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year

Planted in the upper Yarra Valley on a dramatic slope which allows for a cooler and extended growing season, the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir is regularly one of the highlights of Giant Steps single vineyard releases. 2022 vintage is no exception, with winemaker Mel Chester and her team maximising the excellent growing season to craft one of the stand out wines from this fantastic Yarra Valley vineyard. This year the wine sees almost 20% whole bunch inclusion, before maturation took place in a mix of 20% new French oak, and 80% older barriques for a period of for ten months. Applejack Pinot Noir has a very strong track record of accolades, including this year being awarded 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year.

Other Reviews....
Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (15%) and 20–25% new French barriques. Like a Mahler symphony, all of the elements of this wine are in perfect harmony. Aromas of crushed rose petals, red and black cherries, satsuma plums and subtle hints of sandalwood and fennel fronds. There's a little charcuterie and a discreet touch of wet stone. On the palate, this is the most concentrated, structured and saline Applejack I can remember, yet you barely notice the tannins due to the core of pure raspberry and cherry fruit. There's a gentle sappiness on the long, lingering finish. Simply irresistible. Drink 2022 - 2032.
98 Points
The 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Pinot Noir of the Year

This is the other leader of the pack, with the Sexton Vineyard. Wow! A near-vertiginous site in the Upper Yarra, underlain by basalt. Tighter, compact and nervous. Wild fermented, albeit, without the subtle application of malolactic that softens the other expressions. Perhaps a little less complex in its youth as a result, despite its mid-weight. As with all of these wines, the oak handling is exceptional. A lesson for others. Pistachio, curry leaf, lime blossom and vanilla accents jitter long. This will age exceptionally well, at which point the wine may be deserved of another point. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
95 Points
Ned Goodwin MW - JamesSuckling.com

A swathe of fine terracotta tannins suck up the fruit, tailoring a most evenly delivered palate of black cherry and rosehip fruit. Whole bunch (20%) brings ripe wood and nutty seed tones, lavender and violet lift. The oak delivers a cinnamon and anise kiss. An Upper Yarra Pinot of impressive gravitas, thanks to Ray Guerin’s east-facing, multi-clonal planting (MV6, Pommard, 114 and 115) at 300m elevation. Harvested 10, 12 and 15 March. Drink 2023 - 2028.
96 Points
Sarah Ahmed - Decanter

The key to this being one of the great pinot sites in Australia: east facing slope on grey soils. There’s a 100 metres of drop from the top of the vineyard to the bottom, which is pretty amazing. There’s also significant clonal diversity in this vineyard. It was planted in 1997.
What a wine this is. It’s a bloom of fruit, it’s wild with herbs, there are sweet-sour nuances and there’s a controlled run to the finish. Winemaker Mel Chester says: ‘everything you love about pinot noir, is in this wine.’ A reductive savouriness, particularly noticeable on the finish, is the icing. This is a stunning wine. Stunning fruit, and stunning structure, and stunning length. Drink 2024 - 2030+
97 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front