Giaconda Estate Chardonnay 2021
(Beechworth, Australia) - [WA 100] [TWI 100] [JA 100] [DM 100] [VM 98+]

Ratings & Reviews

A sensational Giaconda Chardonnay in 2021 - one that above all conveys both a precise sense of place and winemaking signature, offering nothing short of exceptional drinking pleasure both now and into the future. A dominant struck match and smoky, flint, mineral reduction on the nose clears to reveal an intense aromatic display - half wild, woody and herbal, half fruity and pristine with peach, white flowers, lemon, green apple and dried herbs. Smooth and round in the mouth, fully textured with incredible depth - at first sharp, mouthwateringly juicy and lively, then concentrated and expansive with hints of tropical pineapple, zesty citrus and soft savoury spice aspects. Perfectly weighted, balanced and harmonious but constantly evolving with time in the glass - nuanced and interesting with grip, tension and energy alongside wisps of warming, toasted oak which adds another dimension and layer of flavour. Beautifully delineated - there is power here no doubt, but this has personality and the most enrapturing stoniness that lingers on the lifted finish. Effortless and totally moreish - a fabulous wine with the only downside in that it’s made in such small quantities! The wine is made from a 4.5-hectare plot of specific mineralised soil comprising ancient decomposed granite and clay on high-altitude (400m+), south-facing slopes in Beechworth, Victoria that were previously uncultivated before winemaker Rick Kinzbrunner first planted vines in 1982. Cuttings were taken from the original P58 Penfolds Chardonnay clone, ‘as well as a few others’ says Kinzbrunner who adopts a less is more approach to viticulture and vinification. Organically-certified in 2019, grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted before being whole bunch crushed in basket presses twice, settled lightly overnight, then racked to 225L Burgundy Sirugue barrels (25% new) and stored underground for spontaneous wild yeast fermentation. The wine is left on its lees for 12 months, undergoing natural malolactic fermentation with occasional stirring, then moved by gravity for blending and left in stainless steel tanks to settle naturally before being bottled, generally without fining or filtration. The wine is moved by gravity throughout the entire process, only seeing a pump when removing the juice from the press. A small amount of sulphur is used at the end of malolactic and adjusted in tank before bottling. The wines have naturally relatively low PHs (3.6) and low acidity which give ‘good structure in the mouth’ says Kinzbrunner who, rather than follow trends, makes ‘the wine I like to drink’. The wine will see 25% of its production (roughly 2,400 bottles) having a wider distribution through Bordeaux négociant Jean-Pierre Moueix for the first time this year, with 75% of production remaining for the Australia and New Zealand markets.