Giant Steps Innocent Bystander Chardonnay

Origin  Australia, Victoria
Style  Dry white wine

Grapes  Chardonnay

Produced in the Yarra Valley by Phil Sexton, who founded the Giant Steps winery after a long and successful history of wine and brewing in Margaret River with his Devil's Lair winery. Since then, his Yarra Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays have been gaining quite some acclaim. Jancis Robinson wrote in the FT last year about the increasing sophistication of Australian Chardonnay and featured Giant Steps vineyards. Innocent Bystander is a label he works with other like-minded growers. The Alpine influences and flinty soils in the Yarra Valley make for taut, elegant and fine wines Chardonnay and he makes them restrained structured citrussy and refreshing.

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2007 Innocent Bystander Chardonnay
Best Buys, Jeremy Oliver, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Dec/Jan 10
Giant Steps’ second label features this generous and approachable chardonnay whose vibrant presence of grapefruit, peach and melon, restrained oak and pleasing mineral and charcuterie-like complexity is simply ready to enjoy. Fresh and fruit-driven, with a zesty, lemony acidity, it’s smooth and lively, with just a touch of class.