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Jayden Ong working with some very fine Chardonnay from the upper Yarra Valley.

This single-vineyard wine represents our first steps in exploring the clonal possibilities for extending and enhancing the future prospects for continued premium Chardonnay production on the Yarra Valley floor in a warming climate. Incorporating a lead from the historic practice of the warm region southern Rhône Valley whereby complementary companion varieties are blended together to provide further structure, harmony and complexity, we have incorporated a small percentage of Grenache Blanc in this first point of our learning curve. The wine walks a measured line between tension and weight, sinew and silk. Aromas of white nectarine, Makrut leaf, lime marmalade, nashi pear, jasmine bud, pyrethrum daisy, creamed macadamia and marzipan abound. The palate walks a fine line of tautness and relief, featuring grapefruit pith, lemon thyme, nougat and Artemesia, Weighted and moreish tactile phenolics help draw the palate to a long finish.

Mac has a long history in Yarra Valley, starting out at Mount Mary before honing his skills in Burgundy and then returning back to the Yarra to start his own project. The Mac Forbes villages range is a reflection of the incredible diversity of one of Australia’s premier wine regions, the Yarra Valley. Each one shows the terroir of the site, while being made with restraint and traditional winemaking techniques.

Pale straw-green with a super-fine bead. This is very composed and complex, the 6 years on lees producing an array of different notes, some related to fruit others to that extended lees ageing. Sourdough crust, buttery pastry, green apples, toast, candied peel, white pepper and lime leaf all vie for attention. The palate reflects these flavours but also reveals stone fruit notes and a green apple crunchiness. The finish dry and savoury, the lemon-citrus acidity teasing out the length. A complex, refined wine that has depth of flavour, weight, texture and above all freshness.

This debut release marks an exciting step for Giant Steps and winemaker Mel Chester. With the Circle of Fifths Chardonnay, Mel and the team wanted to capture the character of the Yarra Valley in one glass. Blended from their renowned single vineyards - Tarraford, Sexton, Primavera, Applejack, and Bastard Hill - this wine gives you a snapshot of the season rather than focusing on a single site. It’s made with the same care and precision as the single vineyard wines: whole bunch pressed, wild fermented in French oak puncheons (15% new), and left on full lees until bottling for extra depth and texture. The 2024 season was all about balance - moderate yields, bright acidity, and vibrant fruit. The wine brings together citrus and stone fruit notes, with just a hint of oak spice in the background. It’s a bright, expressive Chardonnay that shows what the Yarra was all about in 2024. 96 points"An exciting new addition to the Giant Steps range, this new blend of all the single-vineyard wines is an absolute cracker and sits very comfortably in the range, both qualitatively and price-wise... By the time this is released in June it should be singing."- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion) 95 points"It’s a killer chardonnay. Direct, powerful, long, potent with mid-palate flavour but searing and complex through the finish... It’s both dramatic and controlled. It tastes and feels like a wine from a producer who is at the top of its game."- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

Nestled within the upper reaches of the valley at a high elevation is an entirely secluded vineyard, the home of Yow Yow - 120 acres with 80 acres under vines covering 9 different grape varieties of which some go back 35 years.