Giant Steps was founded by Phil Sexton in 1997. It has since forged a reputation for making some of the Yarra Valley’s most consistently exciting wines from estate-owned vineyards. The Giant Steps Single Vineyard wines are produced from their best sites in great years. Head winemaker Steve Flamsteed and his team aim to express the character of the vineyard, grape and vintage in each wine, through meticulous work in the vineyard and minimum intervention in the winery. Giant Steps was acquired by Jackson Family Wine Estates in 2020. According to Phil Sexton, “this partnership brings us the relationships and careful resources of a great wine family who are committed to vineyards, sustainability and faithful expression of site.” A fantastic spring, with highly successful flowering, allowed for shoot thinning and pruning down to one bunch per shoot. The whole ripening season was a little earlier than average and despite some good January rain, the overall growing season was relatively dry. Fruit was harvested with lower sugars but with beautiful flavour and stem ripeness. The resulting wines have lower alcohol, but similar acid levels to the 2017, with a little more tannin structure. All the 2018 Pinots have lovely perfume, colour and a very generous mouth feel. Savoury, spicy aromas and flavours with great purity. Bright strawberry fruit and hints of citrus on the nose lead to herbal, forest floor characters. Tight and polished, this Upper Yarra Pinot has beautiful finesse and length.