By KEITH SMILEY

AUSTRALIA'S annual Halliday awards descended upon wine’s elite, while the air was thick with anticipation, as winemakers, sommeliers, and wine aficionados gathered in Melbourne’s Ormond Hall for the grand event.

What a magnificent start to a wine-full year of surprises, exquisitely accomplished by nominees who have become legends of the winemaking industry.

The Halliday Wine Companion unveiled its list of the year’s top performers as chandeliers cast a warm glow over the elegantly dressed crowd.

Glasses clinked, and the aroma of fine wine mingled with the murmurs of excited conversation.

Giant Steps Vineyard was named ‘Winery of the Year’, celebrating its consistent excellence and innovation across its portfolio and its meticulous vineyard management and high-quality, expressive wines, showcasing the best of what the Yarra Valley has to offer, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in the industry.

The vineyard also won best pinot noir grown at their Applejack Vineyard.

This is no mean feat either, to be arrayed alongside thousands of other power entries – all being judged by a series of collaborative testings and vibrant discussions – with a panel consisting of the best wines, wineries, winemakers and viticulturists on offer.

After a mere 27 years of operation, since master vigneron Phil Sexton planted his grape vines on Applejack’s slope, and adopting the name of John Coltrane’s album, ‘Giant Steps,’ Halliday’s award situates the winery beside celebrated producers such as Henschke, Pooley Wines, Yarra Yering, and Bleasdale Vineyards, who have also found honour.

Giant Steps’ winemaker, Melanie Chester, laid bare her passion for all-things wine, discussing her pedigree, built upon at Sutton Grange, Treasury Wines, Charles Melton, and stints in Portugal’s Douro Valley, after graduating in viticulture and oenology at Adelaide University.

Twelve years ago, she won Wolf Blass’s prize for excellence and the David Bradleys memorial prize and later Melanie was crowned young winemaker of the year by Gourmet Traveller magazine, before starting her illustrious career with Giant Steps.

“I can remember as an intern my first harvest and how I loved the energy of the cellar, the smells and the transformation,” said Melanie, who is general manager as well as head winemaker at Giant Steps.

“It’s really wonderful to see the dedication and hard work of our entire Giant Steps team acknowledged in such a profound way.

“We’ve always had an unwavering commitment to creating high quality wines that tell the stories of our sites, which we see as some of the most exciting vineyards in the country.

“It was personally a real thrill to see our winery next to the list of nominees, and now to stand among the past winners feels like a recognition of the consistency and quality that we work hard to produce.

“For me, Giant Steps wines express the personalities of the Yarra Valley across our vineyard sites.

"They are elegant, balanced, and textural.

"Our single vineyard chardonnays and pinot noirs are crafted with purity and finesse to reflect their cool-climate origins.

"Our vineyards are always changing which means our wines are constantly evolving too.

"From Applejack and Sexton to Bastard Hill and Primavera vineyards, every year, every vintage, each wine tells an individual tale.”

Giant Steps received the ‘Best Pinot Noir’ for a second year in a row and strange as fiction, these beautiful vines are situated on a dramatic slope in the Upper Yarra Valley and with ‘such a greater altitude, exhibit an extended growing season’, ideally suited to pinot noir as well as chardonnay.

“Our Applejack Vineyard is truly exceptional and it’s one of the great pinot noir sites in the country thanks to Ray Guerin’s for his excellent site selection and to our crew, who know how to get the best from it," she said.

Melanie Chester has flare and dedication, celebrating wines for their delicate balance, vibrant acidity, and complex flavours that highlight the region’s unique terroir.

“I am proud to work with such a talented and devoted group of people and look forward to honouring them while celebrating these awards,” Melanie said.

The also-prestigious ‘Wine of the Year’ award went to Oakridge Vineyard’s chardonnay 2022, named ‘864 Drive Block’, from the Funder & Diamond vineyard in the Yarra Valley.

This chardonnay captivated the judges for its striking balance of freshness and complexity, featuring bright citrus notes, nuanced minerality, and a creamy texture.

David Bicknell, sometimes referred to as the Godfather of modern Australian chardonnay, added, “We are delighted to win this award, which underscores the mastery of our team in crafting our chardonnays, the culmination of a generation’s work.”

Following suit, for the ‘Best Red Wine’ award, went to Yarra Yering, for their remarkable dry red No. 2 2022.

There's a little reduction when first poured but it doesn't take long for this to reveal a complex amalgam of red and black fruits, iodine, graphite and melted, dark liquorice.

Oakridge also claimed top spot for ‘Best White Wine’ with a superb chardonnay, impressing the judges for its refined structure, capturing the essence of the region’s winemaking prowess.

Mornington’s Quealy Winemakers delighted the judges with their Feri Maris Single Block pinot noir grigio 2023; while Mount Mary Quintet 2022 took out the cabernet varietal accolade.

Mulline Vintners from Geelong was recognized as the ‘Best Value Winery’ for delivering exceptional quality at accessible prices, while maintaining high standards of winemaking.

One merchant described Mulline’s sauvignon as, ‘Bursting with passionfruit & citrus flavours with a zippy, lip-smacking freshness’.

Sutton Grange Winery located in Central Victoria, won the ‘Rose of the year’ for their Fairbank 2023 rose.

The 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards celebrated the diverse excellence of Australian wine regions within Victoria, from the prestigious Yarra Valley to the innovative Mornington Peninsula and the storied Mulline in Geelong, and to the mixed-terrain of Central Victoria.

Each winner exemplified the artistry and dedication that define Australia’s vibrant wine industry.