Sexton Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
Yarra Valley, Victoria
$90.00
2024 James Halliday Chardonnay + Cabernet Challenge
Trophy for Best of Region - Cabernet Sauvignon
2023 Yarra Valley Wine Show
Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Halliday Wine Companion
"While Giant Steps' enviable reputation was built on the back of its single-vineyard pinots, that didn't stop it from taking out trophies for best shiraz and cabernet at the 2023 Yarra Valley Wine Show. A medium deep, bright crimson-purple, this elegant and concentrated wine has aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrant, ugni, cedar from the impeccably handled oak, and violets. The palate is medium bodied and perfectly pitched. This is another superb Yarra cabernet that dispels the notion that you'll have to cellar it for ages to enjoy. " - Philip Rich
97 points, June 2024
Wine Details
- Region Yarra Valley, Victoria
- Vintage 2022
- Type Red Wine
- Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
- Volume 750ml
- Alcohol Volume 13.5%
- pH 3.49
- Acidity 6.2g/L
- Closure ScrewCap
- Bottling Date July, 2023
- Harvest Date April, 2022
- Background Single Vineyard
- Vintage Notes 2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exacerbated the already small bunch weights, leading to bunches that weighed up to 40% lower than average. The mild summer meant long, slow ripening and flavour concentration throughout summer, with some well-placed rain in January refreshing the vineyards at just the right time. The strong canopies and low fruit load meant we sailed neatly into picking with very little disease or weather pressure affecting our picking decisions. The grapes from 2022 came off the vine with lovely concentration and flavour with great natural acidity and tannin.
- Vineyard Notes Location: Gruyere Planted: 1997 Elevation: 130 - 210 metres Soil Type: Grey clay loam over granite / ironstone. Aspect: North facing slopes Size: 30 Hectares Located on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges, the Sexton Vineyard is in one of the most revered pockets of the Valley. Being well up the Range’s north-facing slopes, topsoil is thin and root systems have established themselves in shallow gravelly loams above a tough, rocky clay base. Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with high skin to juice ratio.
- Winemaking Three separate ferments were included in the final blend, each ferment was destemmed and cold soaked for 4 days before fermentation began. Soft extraction techniques were used for the early stages of fermentation to maintain whole berries before more aggressive techniques (plunging) were utilised towards the end of fermentation to increase tannin extraction. Each component completed malolactic fermentation and was maturated in small format (225lt) French oak barrels for 10 months before being blended and returned to seasoned puncheons for an additional 5 months to integrate before being bottled by gravity. Racked to blend, no fining, no filtration. Bottled by gravity.
- Peak Drinking / Cellaring Potential Now - fifteen years
2024 James Halliday Chardonnay + Cabernet Challenge
Trophy for Best of Region - Cabernet Sauvignon
2023 Yarra Valley Wine Show
Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Halliday Wine Companion
"While Giant Steps' enviable reputation was built on the back of its single-vineyard pinots, that didn't stop it from taking out trophies for best shiraz and cabernet at the 2023 Yarra Valley Wine Show. A medium deep, bright crimson-purple, this elegant and concentrated wine has aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrant, ugni, cedar from the impeccably handled oak, and violets. The palate is medium bodied and perfectly pitched. This is another superb Yarra cabernet that dispels the notion that you'll have to cellar it for ages to enjoy. " - Philip Rich
97 points, June 2024
Wine Details
- Region Yarra Valley, Victoria
- Vintage 2022
- Type Red Wine
- Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
- Volume 750ml
- Alcohol Volume 13.5%
- pH 3.49
- Acidity 6.2g/L
- Closure ScrewCap
- Bottling Date July, 2023
- Harvest Date April, 2022
- Background Single Vineyard
- Vintage Notes 2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley. A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exacerbated the already small bunch weights, leading to bunches that weighed up to 40% lower than average. The mild summer meant long, slow ripening and flavour concentration throughout summer, with some well-placed rain in January refreshing the vineyards at just the right time. The strong canopies and low fruit load meant we sailed neatly into picking with very little disease or weather pressure affecting our picking decisions. The grapes from 2022 came off the vine with lovely concentration and flavour with great natural acidity and tannin.
- Vineyard Notes Location: Gruyere Planted: 1997 Elevation: 130 - 210 metres Soil Type: Grey clay loam over granite / ironstone. Aspect: North facing slopes Size: 30 Hectares Located on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges, the Sexton Vineyard is in one of the most revered pockets of the Valley. Being well up the Range’s north-facing slopes, topsoil is thin and root systems have established themselves in shallow gravelly loams above a tough, rocky clay base. Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with high skin to juice ratio.
- Winemaking Three separate ferments were included in the final blend, each ferment was destemmed and cold soaked for 4 days before fermentation began. Soft extraction techniques were used for the early stages of fermentation to maintain whole berries before more aggressive techniques (plunging) were utilised towards the end of fermentation to increase tannin extraction. Each component completed malolactic fermentation and was maturated in small format (225lt) French oak barrels for 10 months before being blended and returned to seasoned puncheons for an additional 5 months to integrate before being bottled by gravity. Racked to blend, no fining, no filtration. Bottled by gravity.
- Peak Drinking / Cellaring Potential Now - fifteen years
Kind Words & Accolades
It's both approachable and gentle, even as a young wine, but the balance for drinking now or cellaring in the short to medium term is absolutely spot on.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points, March 20252024 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 
Driven and coiled across the tongue.
Stuart Knox - Real Review, 97 points, January 20242023 Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 
There is something for everyone’s palate here and this vintage is singing in perfect harmony.
Shanteh Wale - Wine Pilot, 98 points, August 20242023 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 
As a young wine, the medium-bodied palate is spicy, silky and long.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points, March 20252024 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
A classic Upper Yarra pinot, driven as much by its fine vein of acidity as its silken tannins.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, July 20242023 Giant Steps Bastard Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
It’s a refined wine that makes for heavenly drinking, even for heathens like me.
Shanteh Wale - Wine Companion, 97 points, August 20242023 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir
Densley packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 98 points - Pinot Noir of the year, August 20242023 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir
A great contrast to the more delicate Giant Steps wines such as Bastard Hill and Primavera.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, July 20242023 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir
Concentrated, tightly focused and beautifully balanced. Impressively long on the floral-infused finish. Super wine.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, June 20242022 Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Syrah
This is another superb Yarra cabernet that dispels the notion that you'll have to cellar it for ages to enjoy.
Philip Rich - Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points, June 20242022 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon