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Jack Mann reigns eternal as the greatest winemaker in the history of the Australian west. Jack Mann's son Tony grew up amongst the vineyards of Houghton but took a keener interest in things Cricket. He exelled at both pursuits but is best remembered as the legendary leg spinner Tony Rocket Mann. During his off seasons away from the pitch, Tony would plant parcels of vine alongside his illustruious father Jack and his own young son Robert. The fully grown Robert now makes his own wine, from fruit of the very vines sown by Jack and Tony Mann. Robert learned from his grandfather that great winemaking required a spiritual oneness with nature. The birds and the.. Whence the west was won»
Coonawarra cattle graziers since 1906, the Reschke family turned some of their land over to viticulture in the 1980s. Such was the quality of Reschke fruit, that it became an essential inclusion for some of Wynn's most memorable vintages and a number of national icon wines. Reschke now keep the pick of crop for their own label, the most princely harvests of Coonawarra Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz, characterised by their defined regional eloquence and ingratiating palate weight. The fruit of vines, planted to iron red terra rosa soil and nourished by the fertile plenitude from generations of grazing cattle, for every ardent enthusiast of born and bred, baronnial.. Reschke red, born & bred»
Returning to his home along the Nagambie Lakes after the completion of service during World War II, Eric Purbrick discovered a cache of wine, hidden circa 1876 under the family estate cellars. Though pale in colour, it was sound and drinkable after seven decades. The promise of long lived red wine inspired Purbrick to establish new plantings at Chateau Tahbilk in 1949, today they are some of Victoria's oldest productive Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Having barely scraped through the ravages of phyloxera and a period of disrepute, the fortunes of Tahbilk were turned around by Purbrick who was the first to market Australian wine under its varietal name. Tahbilk.. Phyloxera, ancient cellars & seriously old vines»
An Irish cobbler named Reilly settled into the tiny Clare Valley township of Mintaro circa 1856. He converted a stone barn into a homestead cottage. Reilly's Cottage served as the local cobbler's shop in the centre of the bustling town, which had boomed after the establishment of salubrious slate quarries. Almost 140 years later, the cottage has been restored to its former glory by relatives of Reilly, the family Ardill, once again it is a hive of activity, home to the eminent and award winning range of Reilly.. There once was a man named reilly»

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay CONFIRM VINTAGE

Chardonnay Yarra Valley Victoria
The Giant Steps team pointedly sourced several conspicuous clones of Chardonnay from California, Burgundy and Champagne, to be established on the coolest, lowest slopes of the superlative Sexton property. Vine vigor and yields are naturally low, encouraging a low intervention approach to hand managed viticulture. The crisp, cool ripening conditions and flinty, almost mean soils of Yarra Valley's temperate slopes yield a vibrant style of Chardonnay in the nectarine, citrus, melon and white peach range of flavours.
Available in cases of 6
Case of 6
$389.50
Chardonnay clones Mendoza and 227, 96 and 78 and 85 are all hand picked, sorted and chilled, parcels of whole bunches and destemmed fruit are treated to three days of cold soak at 10C. Batches are sulphured before a wild indigenous yeast vinification in oak vats and small, square open fermenters for a fortnight. A course of minimal drain returns and light plunges are employed for optimal extraction. Upon completion, ferments are gravity transferred through an airbag press, racked off gross lees to a selection of French Burgundy coopered 500L oak puncheons and 225L oak barriques for a term of age, followed by assemblage into the finished wine and bottling without filtration.
Pale golden hue. Fresh cream bouquet, white peaches and nectarine, river stones and spearmint, curry leaf and muesli. Lush with beautiful chalkiness, great approach, crisp and punchy acidity. Granny Smith skins, green mango and arrowroot biscuit. A very good balance of fruit within a rich, complex wine of great linearity and driving length, drinking brilliantly on release.
Giant Steps
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Giant Steps
The Giant Steps winemakers are directing their winemaking towards single vineyards in locations that can support varietals of distinction

Great wine is made in the vineyard. At its best it is like a fingerprint, inextricably linking the personality and mood of the land from which it has sprung.

Giant Steps

The Giant Steps vineyard is on 115 acres of rocky gravel over clay, 50 km east of Melbourne, on the north facing slopes of the Warramate ranges overlooking the Yarra Valley. The vineyard covers two ridges that rise from 400 to 1100 feet above the valley floor.

Giant Steps seek to grow fruit and ultimately make wine that is less overt and obvious than is encouraged in Australia. The winemakers look for structure and length rather than breadth; finesse rather than largesse and above all, fruit rather than artefact.

Giant Steps is owned and operated by a small team - Phil, Allison and Harry Sexton.

The story starts 2600 km and 23 years ago when Phil established the Devils Lair vineyard in Margaret River. He was joined there in 1990 by Allison, an American biochemist. 1995 proved an excellent year; son Harry was born.

Giant Steps

In life, not many people get the chance to do something again; differently, with the benefit of hindsight. While they loved the wines they were producing, they dreamed of creating a small, specialised cool climate vineyard together, as a family. From scratch.

And, in 1997 they took the giant step; sold Devils Lair and crossed Australia to a dream site on the slopes of Victoria's Yarra Valley, alongside several benchmark cool climate vineyards that they had long admired.

After an immense amount of work and many years they have turned a horse stud into a vineyard. The winemakers wanted hands on and they got it.

The Sexton family winemakers are quietly confident that the Yarra Valley can produce Bordeaux varietals with savoury structure, finesse, clarity and textbook fruit purity; without the cedary, geranium/capsicum characters we so often see in this country out of cooler or fast ripening regions.

Giant Steps