Phil Sexton must have made a deal with God at some stage because how else could he cram all he does in to a single day; maybe a ‘Phil hour’ is worth two of ours!

Phil made his name originally in the brewery business and in fact still keeps his hand in with his Little Creatures label but he then went to on establish Devil’s Lair winery in Western Australia which made a name for itself as a top producer of cool climate Chardonnays and Pinots. He then sold up and moved to the Yarra Valley to take the idea of cool climate viticulture that bit further. With his winemaker wife Alison, he scoured the region looking for the perfect site. Once found he set about planting it with Pinot and Chardonnay of Burgundian clonal origin as well as some Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Five years down the line he is already winning rave reviews from both critics and consumers alike. A massive new winery has just been completed, incorporating all the latest technology as well as a cellar door from which to sell his produce. In reality, the cellar door seems partly an excuse for Phil to indulge his other great passion, that of coffee. He as bought a state of the art grinder to enable them to sell fresh coffee and has put as much care and attention into blending his coffees as he has his wines!

Actually, Phil has various other passions such as flying his bi-plane around the region whenever possible but his family clearly remains his number one passion. His eldest son Harry has already given his name to the estate’s top cuvée, Harry’s Monster and Phil and Alison are no doubt planning a new wine for their most recent addition to the family.

The key to the success of Giant Steps is the team that Phil has built around him. Everyone is exceptionally driven and striving to achieve something both exciting and ground-breaking. Having seen them in operation I can’t see how they can fail.

It’s probably inaccurate to say that the wines are European in style; more that they have the cool, complex flavour profiles more commonly associated with old world wines. There are various different cuvées as the team plays around with individual vineyards but each wine is about length rather than immediate impact. They are wines that, although made from young vines, improve in both the bottle and the glass. They also make excellent food wines and don’t cost an arm and a leg! What more could you want?! There is little doubt this is a winery on which to keep a very close eye. So make sure you monitor their progress with a bottle or two each week!