Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 is a multi-award-winning, high-altitude Australian red, recently named "Pinot Noir of the Year" by the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion. Sourced from a cool-climate vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley with basalt-based volcanic soils, this vintage reflects one of the region's coolest and latest harvests on record. The wine is crafted with 40% whole-bunch fermentation and aged for ten months in French oak, resulting in an exotic bouquet of wild strawberries, dark cherries, and savory spices. Critics have praised its "electric" energy and seamless tannins, with James Halliday and Huon Hooke awarding it a near-perfect 98-point rating for its balance of power and elegance.

96 Points - James Suckling

Complex aromas of blackberry bush, cassia bark, coffee beans and autumn leaves. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins and integrated acidity, giving notes of wet bark, dried herbs, dark cherries and cured meat. A hint of reduction with a savory edge. 40% whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

96 Points - Wine Spectator

Fragrant, stylish and elegant, this opens with dried rose petal, Saigon cinnamon and cardamom aromatics, with a core of fresh raspberry, maraschino cherry, blood orange and cranberry flavors on a sleek and juicy frame. Added notes of spices and forest floor linger on the long and expressive finish. Drink now through 2037.