Giant Steps Bastard Hill Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Case discounts (can be mixed cases)
5% off 6 bottles (£53.20 each)
10% off 12+ bottles (£50.40 each)

2023 / Yarra Valley / Australia

Chardonnay / 13.5% / sustainable

Giant Steps has always been a top quality winery, mainly producing single vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that are delicious.  However, since they were purchased by Jackson Family Estates in 2020 and appointed Melanie Chester as head winemaker in 2021, they've gone to a new level.  James Halliday's Winery of the Year 2025 (they publish a few months in advance to remain current), they purchased the Bastard Hill vineyard - considered an exceptional site - in 2022 and the 2023 wines are their first, very highly anticipated new releases.  Judging from the critics' reports, they will be worth the wait (see below).

Awarded 98 points in the Halliday guide, here's what Philip Rich says about the Chardonnay:

"Planted in 1987 in Gladysdale at 400m by the trailblazing Ray Guerin for Hardys and purchased by Giant Steps in 2022. This is its first wine from the vineyard. And what a wine it is! A brilliant and pure scented bouquet of nashi, pink grapefruit, crushed rock, sea spray and honeysuckle. There's a hint of fresh honeycomb, too. Incisive, pure and chalky on the palate, this concentrated yet light on its feet wine is reminiscent of good Corton-Charlemagne. That it will age gracefully is a given" 

Jamie Goode has an excellent report on Giant Steps and the wines here.