David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This survived vacuum sealed in the refrigerator from last Saturday. Seems it benefited from its cork separation that long. 🤷‍♂️

I bought this two weeks ago and last weekend is the first time I’ve had this producer. So, why not make it an 07? I bought it for $69 two weeks ago from my new secret source. 🤫

Last weekend it was good but still fairly youthful. Tonight, round, softened, ripe fruit elegance. I like it this weekend better.

The nose is ripe, candied with just a faint hint of baked fruits; blackberries w/ some bramble, wild, black raspberries, black plum pudding, dark, slightly baked cherries/strawberries & raspberries glass edges. Melted, dark chocolate, black licorice, softly layered baking spices, dark & mid berry cola, steeped fruit tea, melted caramel, some eucalyptus notes, brownie, super soft earth of, dark, moist, rich, sweet soil, some light flinty hues, faint tobacco & leather notes, sandalwood with dark flowers and soft lavender & violets for days.

The entry is round, full, lush and juicy. Great mouthfeel. Ripe, ruby, candied with just a faint hint of baked fruits; blackberries w/ some bramble, wild, black raspberries, black plum pudding, dark, slightly baked cherries/strawberries & raspberries glass edges. Melted, dark chocolate, black licorice, softly layered baking spices, dark spice with some palate heat, dark & mid berry cola, steeped fruit tea, melted caramel, some eucalyptus notes, black tea, brownie, super soft, dark earth, limestone marl, moist, rich, sweet soil, some light flinty hues, faint tobacco & leather notes, sandalwood, moist volcanic clays with soft dark flowers, liquid lavender & violets. Round, perfect acidity. This finish is the definition of elegance, balance, structure, length, tension & and two-minute finish that lasts minutes. Perfect storage.

I expected this to be half gone and it is better this weekend vs last.

Congratulations Team USA on an excellent 2024 Olympics. Paris on being an amazing Olympic host aside from that whole toxic River Seine thing. Ladies soccer today & throughout. Shutouts 💪! Men’s B-ball delivering. What a storied career and a giant stepping up in the biggest moments is Steph Curry & LeBron James. Great watch. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind. The wine appears deep garnet with an opaque core. There appears to be a slight amount of sediment but otherwise no visual signs of age. On the nose, a beguiling mix of black, blue and red fruits with a pronounced hit of tobacco, green bell pepper, purple flowers, earth and baking space. On the palate, the wine is dry with very firm tannin that I would place in the medium++ category. Medium+ acid. The fruit set is confirmed along with the aforementioned non-fruit characteristics with some leather and earth for good measure. The finish very long and rich. While there is an undeniable amount of high quality fruit, I felt the non-fruit characteristics and the structure leaned more towards the old world. I called 2008 Paulliac from a classified growth. I didn’t even think about Australia! Anyway, this was awesome and came across almost youthful! I’ve long admired Roman’s work with Syrah…and now I know I’ve been sleeping on his Cabernet. This wine will continue to drink well for another decade+. — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

We had some of our best Pinot noirs of Australia in Yarra Valley and Giant Steps was one of our favorites. Elegance is the one word that can best describe their wines, especially their single vineyard Pinots. Plenty of acidity integrated well with aromatic light red fruit and hints of minerality. Unbeknownst to us, they were actually just recently bought by one of the large wine holdings in California Jackson Family Wines but allowing to keep their unique boutique style approach to wine making. — 5 months ago

with RoAnne and Tammy

Bob McDonald

9.2

Brief notes. Another excellent example of Pinot Noir from the Applejack vineyard. Red fruited with strawberry and cherry. Definitely more fruit driven than the Wombat Creek which has more whole bunch in the ferment. The differences are more in wine making technique than in terroir I feel. Sexton possibly a bit of each. Had my last bottle on 6th September 2024. Applejack is definitely my favourite Giant Steps cuvee for Pinot Noir. The perfect balance of fruit, Sous Bois, acid and tannin. The 2023 just awarded Halliday’s Pinot Noir of the year for 2024. — 7 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Could not see that I have rated this vintage on Delectable before. No formal notes. I recall it being fuller and more textural than usual with a certain creaminess. A good blend of citrus and stone fruit with the right amount of French oak. — 3 years ago

Mark Farrell

9.9

Dark ruby color with a nose of blackberries, cassis, potpourri, a touch of strawberries, leather, vanilla, and an interesting sea air freshness. Full-bodied wine with amazing fruit. The tannins are definitely there, but not so overwhelming as to close the wine and kill the fruit. Finish is long and pleasant at over a minute. This is my type of wine! Celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary with this. Couldn’t have made a better choice. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

A well made reliable tasty Yarra Valley Chardonnay. More citrus than stone fruit. Good concentration and a clean crisp finish with good persistence and length. — 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Brief notes - this is the standard Chardonnay - the individual Cuvées are more expensive. This was most impressive for the standard, reflecting the excellent vintage in most parts of Australia including the Yarra Valley. Citrus more than stone fruit. Easy to drink. — 7 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Brief Notes. More full bodied showing luscious stone fruit notes than you normally get from this Cuvée. Full bodied and ripe - medium minus acid. Delicious and mouth filling - you can’t help but love this wine. — 8 months ago

Peggy Hadley

9.4

Stagecoach vineyard and Sleeping Lady Vineyard with Cab Franc. Great dark fruit. Great year. — 3 years ago

with Jim