Giant Steps
In 1997 Phil Sexton arrived in the Yarra Valley in search of altitude, aged soils, slopes of exposure, regular rainfall and cool to cold night time temperatures and a gentle breeze off the protecting mountain ranges. Why, because he wanted to grow amazing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit to make wines of purity and finesse.
Steve Flamsteed, Chief Winemaker of Giant Steps since 2003 has set about creating a range of Single Vineyard wines that personify each site. The Yarra Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were then created, clearly displaying the Yarra Valley fruit in a simple, textural and affordable light.
The Giant Steps wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world.
Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 37 trophies and over 100 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US of 2022
SINGLE VINEYARD RANGE
The Giant Steps Single Vineyard range is produced from the most site-expressive fruit off the best vineyards in great years. Each single vineyard wine tells a story about the vineyard, vintage and variety.
Production of these wines is very limited with some vineyards producing as little as 200 cases.
Winemaker - Melanie Chester
Melanie Chester joined Giant Steps as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture in 2021. She came to Giant Steps from Sutton Grange Winery in Central Victoria, where she was Head Winemaker.
Melanie completed her studies in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide, where she was the recipient of the Wolf Blass Prize for Excellence in Winemaking (2011) and the David Bradley Memorial Prize (2012), indicating the promise of an outstanding contribution to the wine industry. Her wine industry experience spans diverse estates such as d’Arenberg in the McLaren Vale, Charles Melton in the Barossa, and Quinta do Crasto in Portugal’s Douro Valley. Prior to her appointment at Sutton Grange, Melanie was Winemaker at Seppelt Wines in Great Western where she became a sought-after wine show judge, including for the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards where she currently serves as panel chair.
In 2014, Melanie became the youngest ever scholar selected for The Len Evans Tutorial. In 2015, she was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine, and in 2018, Melanie was recognized by Young Gun of Wine as the People’s Choice award winner for favourite winemaker.