Giant Steps is firmly established among the Australian wine elite. It’s long been a quality-obsessed outfit, but if anything, its sale to Jackson Family Wines in '20 only sharpened the emphasis on quality. Single-vineyard chardonnay and pinot noir from across the upper and lower Yarra Valley are the foundation for the winery’s reputation, but really every winemaking excursion this winery takes has a habit of turning to gold. Long-term winemaker Steve Flamsteed, who is still involved, left the main winemaking post with the wines in impeccable shape; current head winemaker Melanie Chester has ensured that the changeover has been both seamless and positive. -CAMPBELL MATTINSON