2023 Giant Steps - Pinot Noir Applejack Vineyard

The Applejack vineyard in Gladysdale faces east, bends into the foothills, and when sun rises it gently warms the fruiting zone up. Planted in 1996 with MV6, Abel, Pommard 5 and D clones. A very still, sheltered vineyard, says Mel Chester, adding that 'Pinot doesn't like its feathers ruffled'. 38% whole bunch.  Absolutely soaring; violin in an empty cathedral. The tannins feel like old, worn terracotta roof tiles. Smooth and rough and mouth-watering. Sucking sour cherries in the rain standing on an old stone pathway. Rose petals and tamarind and rose hips. Umami tang nipping in and out of the sweetness. Somehow transparent and lush at the same time. (TC)

Full bottle 1,289 g. From a vineyard planted by Ray Guerin in 1997, clones Abel, MV6, Pommard, 114 and 115. 12.5 ha, located in Gladysdale. Grey clay loam over black basalt volcanic base. East-facing slopes from 180 to 260 m. Cool, late harvest. Hand-picked. fermented in a mix of small oak fermenters and open stainless-steel tanks. The Pommard clone parcels were fermented whole bunch (40% of the total blend), everything else was destemmed and cold soaked for four days before fermentation started spontaneously. All parcels were aged for 10 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, 20% new. No racking during this time (on full lees). Bottled by gravity, unfined, unfiltered. A wine that is somehow both lush with ripe strawberry fruit and sonorous with loamy mushroom, under-earth timbre. Perfumed arpeggios playing over and through very, very fine tannins. There's a transparency that gives the wine a delicate aura, but it's no shrinking violet. Running over with sweet charm. (TC)

Full screwcapped bottle just 1,287 g. Mixed clones planted by Ray Guerin in 1997 at 180 to 260 m on east-facing loam over volcanic base. 40% whole bunch. Aged 10 months in 20% new French barriques. Transparent garnet. Delicate earthy nose followed by surprisingly full-on strawberry fruit. Still quite youthful with good acidity and smooth texture. I'd wait until at least 2025 to enjoy this but there's no excess sweetness and hardly a trace of oak. Long. A bit of a charmer but less forward than its Bastard Hill stablemate. (JR)