Stepping up for trophy

By Melissa Donchi
GIANT Steps in Healesville has taken home the Single Vineyard Trophy for its 2005 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay at the 2007 Royal Melbourne Wine Show.
The Royal Melbourne Wine Show is one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious wine shows with an expert panel of judges selected the 2005 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay from an impressive line-up of entries, including the Yarra Valley’s own De Bortoli Winery.
It is the first major wine show Giant Steps has entered and also the first time the trophy has been awarded after it was introduced this year to acknowledge winemakers producing handcrafted wines.
The Sexton Vineyard was planted back in 1996 by Phil and Alison Sexton and began producing Chardonnay in 2000.
The award winning entry was the winery’s fifth vintage. Winemaker Steve Flamsteed said the award was a validation for Yarra Valley Chardonnay. “There are a lot of winemakers in the Yarra Valley who believe in Single Vineyards so winning this award has validated all our efforts,” Mr Flamsteed said. “It is something that we have always believed in and now we have the award to prove it.”