Giant Steps Pinot Noir 2022 Yarra Valley

James Halliday
96/100 punten (Special Value)
A 50/50% mix of upper and lower Yarra fruit. Fermented with mainly whole berries and matured in French oak (10% new). A bright ruby crimson. Expressive with aromas of satsuma plums, strawberry coulis, fennel seeds and a hint of star anise. With its core of ripe yet well-delineated fruit and firm-ish, balanced tannins, this is more concentrated and muscular than the 2021. It will age well, too, for those that find themselves with a bottle seven to 10 years from now.

Wine Front
94/100 punten
2022 was a low-yield year in the Yarra. There were less whole bunches employed than usual in this 2022 because – there being so much less fruit on each bunch – it seemed like the judicious thing to do. I didn’t take a great many notes here on the basis that it’s just so straight-up enjoyable. It’s ultra fresh, savoury and spicy with cooling Campari-like herbs, strawberries and cherries, with those slightly (positive) bitter-herb notes continuing on through the finish. It has good concentration and structure, and presumably will age well, though its appeal right now is obvious. Go now, I’d say. And go well. This is a) complex, b) fresh, and c) beautiful.