July 2024 Releases: Giant Steps Yarra Valley LDR 2023 $35 & Medhurst YRB 2022 $45

Giant Steps Yarra Valley LDR 2023 $35

Appellation: Yarra Valley
Vineyards: Sexton and Tarraford Vineyards
Varietals: 52% Pinot Noir, 48% Syrah
Harvested: March - April 2023
Bottled: July, 2023
Alc/Vol (%): 13.0
TA (g/L): 6.45
pH: 3.62
SEASON:
2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley.
The season was defined by a cool Spring, a mild growing season,
cool nights, and lots of rainfall.
2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first
pick starting two and a half weeks later than previous average.
The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural
acidities.
VINIFICATION:
100% hand-picked.
Fermented in small open vats with indigenous yeasts.
The Syrah fermented using 100% whole bunch carbonic maceration.
The Pinot Noir was destemmed and cold soaked for 4 days, and then
fermented as whole berries.
3 months maturation in large old French oak barrels.
No fining, bottled by gravity.
FOOD:
Hibachi char-grilled octopus with a squeeze of lemon.
Manchego cheese and green olive tapenade.
Wood fired pizza.
Miso eggplant, baked polenta with salsa verde.
Pork rilletes and cornichons

Medhurst Estate YRB 2022 $45

Vibrant, charming medium-bodied dry red, a unique blend of Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
A tribute to the wines made in the 1940’s by legendary Hunter Valley
winemaker Maurice O’Shea and a wine to showcase our sites and the season.

The Season: The 2022 growing season was the third cool year in a row and unlike the even and solid crop of 2021, the season produced some low yields, though once again we have seen wines of the highest of quality! October and November rains were heavy and had an impact with flowering—particularly for the earlier ripening varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Along with tiny and light bunches, the resultant crop was down on yield but quality held beautifully. Shiraz and Cabernet flowered a little later and ripened exceptionally well and the wines across the range have wonderful flavour, structure, power and balance.

Wine Making: Co-fermentation is an important aspect to the wine style. The wine is 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Shiraz. The Shiraz component was picked from the Steep E block whilst the Pinot Noir was handpicked from the middle of our cooler C block. All fruit was de-stemmed without crushing and 100% whole berries. Indigenous fermentation commenced after a few days and we made daily pump overs with a peristaltic pump ensuring whole berries remained intact. Carbonic maceration inside the whole berries produced incredible wonderful perfume and heady red and blue fruit aromatics. After 10 days on skins we pressed to old puncheons for 10 months before light filtration and then botting in November.

Tasting notes: Very bright mid-crimson red with lovely colour density. Very perfumed nose with highly aromatic florals of blue and red fruits and savoury spice. The Pinot Noir provides the delicious red fruits as well as tension and structure in the wine whilst the Shiraz adds fleshy soft blue fruits, juiciness and charm to the blend. This wine is lip smacking and bright and is designed to drink young, however will also reward careful cellaring over the next 5+ years

Technical: Vineyard: Medhurst Estate, Gruyere
Block: C (Pinot) and E (Shiraz) Block
Clone: MV6 and PT23 (own roots)
Soil: Grey clay loam and steep gravelly brown clay loams
Alcohol: 13.0%