Giant Steps "Applejack" Pinot Noir 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Grape(s): Pinot Noir

Localization: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

Tasting Notes: Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic slope and is closely planted and fastidiously managed. The basalt-based underlying volcanic soil and rock produce a  characteristically fine yet extended, spicy, and firm palate. Naturally high acidity, great flavor, and vibrant colors. Amazing quality.

95 Points Wine Enthusiast: Wine Enthusiast Magazine selected this as their #1 wine in their Top 100 for 2022. "Grown on clay-loam soils, with tough ironstone rocks running through, this wine is the most savory and brambly of Giant Steps's single-vineyard Pinots. A thicket of red and blueberry fruit entwines with white pepper and other savory spices, dried roses and meaty bass notes. In the mouth, fleshy fruit is again met with lovely spice, cinched by fine tannins. There's freshness, structure and elegance here that makes this a complete wine now, but one that could cellar until around 2032."

Food Pairing: Pappardelle and shredded Confit duck leg and arugula. Baked field mushrooms stuffed with black olive risotto. Summer Alpine Comte cheese. Char-grilled eggplant, red pepper, and fried halloumi.

The Domain: When John Coltrane split with Miles Davis in the late 50s, he wasted little time releasing his visionary Giant Steps album. Winemaker (and equally successful brewmaster) Phil Sexton was inspired by the album and Coltrane's foresight. When Sexton sold his Devil's Lair vineyard in Margaret River to relocate and replant in the Yarra Valley, he named his wine in Coltrane's honor. Sexton chose Yarra Valley because of his admiration for the long aging and fine-boned wines produced by the new generation of wine growers reestablishing this historic wine region. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia's most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines reflected by its ongoing, praise-worthy global acclaim including being a six-time Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of the Year, 2013-2018. Giant Steps focuses primarily on the distinctive expression of single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley. Grapes are drawn from estate and leased vineyards as well as fruit from long-term grower contracts, supported by strong relationships and meticulous supervision throughout the year