Product Description:
The Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 continues to set the benchmark for Australian Chardonnay, cementing its place as one of the country’s most celebrated wines. Sourced exclusively from the estate’s cool-climate vineyard in Beechworth, this wine is a true expression of the region’s exceptional terroir, where every vine receives the utmost care and attention. The 2023 vintage reveals the signature style of Giaconda — a perfect balance of power, precision, and finesse.
In the glass, the Giaconda Chardonnay 2023 shines with a luminous golden hue, its complex nose offering a captivating blend of white peach, preserved lemon, flint, and the unmistakable nuance of struck match. The palate is a masterclass in balance, layered with ripe stone fruits, zesty citrus, and cashew, all underpinned by a subtle whisper of creamy oak. Thrilling acidity and a strong mineral backbone add structure, leading to a long, chalky finish that promises incredible aging potential.
Fermented with wild yeasts and matured in French oak barrels (a portion new), this wine showcases both the power of Beechworth’s cool-climate conditions and the finesse that comes from Giaconda’s meticulous craftsmanship.
Maker:
Giaconda Wines was founded by Rick Kinzbrunner, a mechanical engineer who followed his passion for winemaking, starting the estate in 1982 in the Beechworth wine region. After honing his craft internationally, working at renowned wineries in France, California, and New Zealand, Rick brought his expertise to the rolling hills of Beechworth, planting vines in soils well-suited to quality wine production. With a focus on Burgundy-inspired varieties, particularly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz, Rick’s vision was to create wines that expressed the true character of the land. Today, the estate is still guided by Rick’s unwavering passion for winemaking, with his son Nathan Kinzbrunner continuing to uphold the family’s legacy and producing wines with exceptional depth, balance, and character. The estate’s commitment to organic farming, sustainability, and a hands-off winemaking approach ensures that every bottle of Giaconda wine reflects the unique terroir of Beechworth and the dedication of those behind it.
Philosophy/Vineyard:
At Giaconda, the philosophy centres on crafting wines that respect and reflect the unique terroir of Beechworth, allowing the land to speak for itself. The estate is committed to sustainable and organic viticulture, achieving full organic certification in 2011. The vineyard’s cool climate and low-fertility soils provide the perfect environment for growing high-quality grapes, with varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thriving in the region. The focus is on minimal intervention both in the vineyard and the winery, where gentle handling and traditional techniques are employed. The vineyard is hand-pruned and managed with careful attention to vine health, ensuring low yields that result in wines of great concentration and complexity.
The winemaking process at Giaconda is deliberately subtle, aiming for balance and elegance in every vintage. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation, with minimal sulphur and no filtration before bottling. The winery is equipped with gravity-flow systems, which means that the wines are handled with the utmost care, avoiding mechanical pumps to maintain the integrity of the fruit. The wines are aged in French oak barrels and deep underground in a granite maturation cave, which offers ideal conditions for slow, controlled ageing. Giaconda’s wines are celebrated for their complexity, freshness, and the ability to showcase the true essence of Beechworth’s terroir, with a focus on purity, finesse, and long-term ageing potential.
Tasting Notes
NOSE
Complex & Inviting
A captivating bouquet of white peach, preserved lemon, flint, and a hint of struck match, with layers of citrus and minerality.
PALATE
Balanced & Layered
Ripe stone fruit, citrus zest, and cashew, with a whisper of creamy oak. The wine is vibrant and structured, with thrilling acidity and a mineral spine.
FINISH
Long & Chalky
A persistent, chalky finish that reflects the wine’s aging potential and exceptional terroir.
Reviews + Accolades
The La Niña trinity of 2021, 22 and 23 is now complete. This new release combines the power of the 2021 vintage with the fruit and matchstick of 2022, albeit in a slightly more subtle form. A cooler vintage during 2023 has delivered a wine that is at total ease with itself, relaxed, complete and as close to perfection as I can remember. All the components are like 1,000 voices singing as one, synchronicity! No doubt everyone will have their favourite of the past three years and this is clearly mine! - Salut, Rick Kinzbrunner
What a wine. The sheer intensity of flavour here is astonishing—it penetrates the palate and soars long into the memory. - Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, 2023 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
Plenty of struck match complexity, pink grapefruit, lemon oil, aniseed, oatmeal, fresh nectarine. It fairly sizzles with spice and cool acidity, plenty of flint and chalk dust texture, a nutty and savoury element here, a juicy citrus tang, dried pear with cinnamon, and closes zesty and electric, with a very very long finish. - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 2023 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Beechworth, Victoria
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%
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