2024 Giant Steps Circle of Fifths Chardonnay 750ml

Overview: A bold new addition to Giant Steps, the Circle of Fifths Chardonnay blends fruit from all five estate single-vineyard sites—including Tarraford, Sexton, Primavera, Applejack, and Bastard Hill—to create a harmonious, terroir-driven wine that sits between their single-vineyard and regional ranges.  Winemaking & Vineyard: Hand-harvested, cold-soaked overnight, then whole-bunch pressed directly to French oak puncheons (15% new, 85% seasoned).  Wild-fermented on full natural lees, stirred daily early on to build depth, with ~10% of barrels undergoing malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine remained reductive on lees until bottling in November.  Matured for 8–10 months to heighten texture and structure. Vintage Notes: The 2024 season featured a cool spring and consistent flowering that yielded moderate crops across the Yarra Valley. A compressed harvest occurred due to an unusually swift ripening period spanning just three weeks.  Tasting Profile: Bouquet: Grilled nuts, confit lemon, struck match, hay, cedar, and delicate woodsmoke.  Palate: Chalky, tensile mid-palate with crisp citrus, white peach, lemon curd, flint, hay, meal, cedar, and woodsmoke. Powerful yet elegantly controlled.  Finish: Long, spicy, and flinty, with a bright acid line and lingering structure. Accolades: 96 points – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion: “An exciting … absolute cracker … aromas of gently grilled nuts, confit lemon … palate is chalky, tensile and long.”  95 points – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front: “It’s a killer chardonnay. Direct, powerful, long … flint, white peach, lemon curd … dramatic and controlled.”  Food Pairing & Cellaring: Best enjoyed now through the medium term—cellar well for the next 5–6 years. Perfect with crumbed prawns, fish sandwiches, or other lightly fried coastal fare.