Giant Steps "Bastard Hill" Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2023 13.2% 6x75cl (Halliday 98 points)

98 points James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion

The Bastard Hill vineyard was planted in the 1986 on a steep slope in the upper reaches of the Yarra Valley. The vineyard, named for obvious reasons, had been written off by its big company owner as too hard to work, and too hard to sell and left waiting for someone to give it some love and attention.

In 2022, Giant Steps purchased the vineyard and the first wines from the vineyard have just been released, earlier than anticipated. Melanie Chester,  head of winemaking and viticulture at Giant Steps since 2021, had not expected the neglected Bastard Hill site to immediately produce fruit of a standard befitting the winery’s esteemed range of single-vineyard wines.

Very fine, floral and aromatic. Sweet cherries and strawberries with some fine fruity notes.  The palate is bright, silky but with nice definition and structure, with lovely elegance and refinement. Fine herbal and cured meat notes add complexity, with a hint of white pepper. Nice grip on the finish. So refined and elegant, a thrilling wine with floral fruit and a great future.