Giant Steps

The Yarra Valley has long been a place of quiet prestige in Australian wine. Rolling hills, cool air, and a patchwork of soils that favour elegance over power. Giant Steps was founded here in 1998, and in just a few decades has become one of the most respected names in the region.

When people talk about Giant Steps, Pinot Noir usually comes first. Red cherry, cranberry, sometimes a brush of spice. You catch the earth of the valley too, a line that runs through every bottle. Young Pinots are bright, aromatic, easy to like. Leave them a few years and they shift — more savoury, a touch of mushroom, depth building underneath. They’re wines made for the table: duck with crisp skin, roasted vegetables, even just bread, cheese, and good company.

The other pillar is Chardonnay. Sharp citrus, stone fruit, lemon curd. A mineral thread that keeps everything tight. The oak is just enough to shape the wine, not hide it. Taste them and you’ll see the influence of Burgundy, but also something clearly Australian. Sunshine in the fruit, cool air in the finish. Restraint, but not austerity.

There are other sides too. Giant Steps red wines include Syrah that carries pepper and violets, Cabernet that shows a firmer edge, even a few blends that explore the valley’s diversity. Each wine feels connected, part of a house style built on clarity and balance rather than excess.

Wine lovers often ask about the Giant Steps wine tasting in the Yarra Valley (https://www.reservecellar.com.au/region/australia/central-victoria/yarra-valley). Visiting the cellar door is a chance to see the range in context, but at The Reserve Cellar we bring that same journey to you. Curated releases, held with care, so you taste the wines at their best rather than at their youngest.

What sets Giant Steps apart in Australian wine is balance. It feels rooted in the Yarra — cool nights, lifted aromatics, that brightness you only get from this valley. And yet, put these wines on a table in Paris or New York and they hold their own. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that are local in accent, global in recognition.

At The Reserve Cellar, we see Giant Steps as more than another Australian producer. We treat their wines as part of the country’s growing legacy, cellared and presented with intention.