There are few names in Australian wine as revered as those of Giaconda and its founder/owner, Rick Kinzbrunner. Since 1982, Rick has dedicated himself to the pursuit of vinous excellence in the Beechworth region. 

A lover of great Burgundy, Kinzbrunner is best-known for his incredibly powerful Chardonnay, with Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo not far behind. His signature winemaking style shows a rare combination of power and finesse - many believe his to be one of the few New World Chardonnays that can compare to the great Crus of Burgundy.

For the Estate wines, production is extremely limited and they generally sell out upon release. Giaconda is a special producer that thoroughly deserves its reputation as one of the country's finest domains.

This pack features the four new releases from Beechworth giant, Giaconda - including the epic 2023 Estate Chardonnay. 

• 2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
• 2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Roussanne
• 2022 Giaconda Beechworth Nebbiolo
• 2022 Giaconda Nantua Shiraz

2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay

The famed Giaconda Chardonnay is one of the great wines of Australia.

Grown by the iconic Rick Kinzbrunner on the hallowed slopes on the outskirts of Beechworth township, this wine has carved out a unique place for itself in Australian wine.

Notable for its extraordinary power and ageing potential, it has long been held up as a bastion of quality Australian Chardonnay to the rest of the world. It is made in limited amounts and sells out without fail each and every year.

Always a hotly anticipated release. Allocations are extremely limited. If you want it for your cellar, you'll have to act quick.

98+ points
"The 2023 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay leads with an abundance of smoky, nutty, savory reduction. Here, the 2023 feels less exotic and softly spoken than the 2022 tasted alongside, with the 2023 showing more tension and focus. Neither has the extraordinary, otherworldly character of the 2021, also tasted alongside, yet the differences between the three is almost as exciting as having three vintages of Giaconda Chardonnay open at the same time. The 2023 only gets better the longer it is opened... Far from pinching the finish, the reduction provokes a physical response, one that requires more drinking to satiate."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

98 points
"This is a tighter, maybe more refined expression of Giaconda Chardonnay, though it still has all the hallmarks of the estate. 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. I can’t always say Giaconda has inherent drinkabilty early on, but this wine kind of does, and in that way, it’s probably my favourite release to date. It has great bone structure and cool vintage complexity. Of course it will cellar so well. It would drink well, I think, with a rabbit pulled out of a hat."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Roussanne

Giaconda once had a wine some years ago that went by the name of Aeolia.

It was a Roussanne made in a similar style to the great Giaconda Chardonnay. Big, bold, flashy and it had a cult following.

Rick Kinzbrunner put the cuveé bed for a number of years, however now Roussanne has returned to the Giaconda stable, albeit in a bit of a different style.

This is a raw, textural example of the variety that shows classic Giaconda power but with an edge of wildness to the fruit. Immediately an Australian benchmark for the variety.

Made in small amounts only.

95 points
"The 2023 Estate Vineyard Roussanne leads with white and yellow flowers, lanolin, churned butter and soft pear jalousie. In the mouth, the chalky phenolic shape pulls the fruit on course, and this is assisted by the splay of saline acidity through the middle palate and finish. While this has a tropical aroma about it, the palate tells a different story. A beautiful follow-on from last year's iteration, this is a little tighter and a little more focused. 13.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

95 points
"Complex and engaging, and specifically, I like the core of flint and bright acidity it offers, to counterbalance the richness and spice on offer here. I’m thinking green pear and apple, honey and floral perfume, a flicker of aniseed, ginger and fresh cut yellow nectarine, a subtle stuck match adds further interest. It’s juicy and flavoursome, but so well-balanced, a honeyed richness cut back by citrus acidity, and the finish is long, quite nutty and saline, with a tangerine tang to close. A righteous expression of Roussanne. Such energy and poise. Terrific. As an aside, if you can’t get your hands on the Chardonnay, this certainly gives you a flavour of the estate."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2022 Giaconda Beechworth Nebbiolo

In Giaconda you see the rare meeting of inspired winemaking and truly great terroir. All of their wines have a sense of gravitas to them, a precision that few can muster.

The Nebbiolo is a wine raised from the mature plantings of Nebbiolo on the great Giaconda site.

This is a brooding and muscular version of the variety from this producer, one that's allowed a little more time in bottle to relax before release.

Made in only small quantities, precious few bottles available are disappearing quickly into the cellars of those in the know.

Nebbiolo fan? Giaconda fan? This is a must-have for the cellar.

96 points
"I tasted this alongside the 2021 Nebbiolo a couple of months ago, and gee I like this 2022. Such evolution in style, with this vintage being much finer and more transparent. I’m tasting it again now and I’m still so impressed. It’s a Nebbiolo that will stand tall in any company... Red cherry, a distinct almond paste character here, which I love, dried roses, a little spice, liquorice root, and above all, such perfume. It’s medium to full-bodied, red fruits and almond, some fragrant black tea, a distinctly ‘mineral’ feel to acidity gives it a finely etched feel, tannin has a pumice stone texture and grip, though while it’s assertive it sits very well in the wine. It’s quite stony too, and the finish is very long and precise, a subtle orange peel flavour in the aftertaste. Textbook Nebbiolo here. It’s superb."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2022 Giaconda Nantua Shiraz

This is Rick Kinzbrunner doing what he does best, bringing finesse and detail to a variety that so often leans on weight and ripeness. The 2022 Nantua Shiraz is a confident expression of Beechworth: fragrant, finely structured, and savoury.

From select parcels off the exceptional Warner Vineyard, this cool-season release opens with lifted notes of red cherry, roasted beetroot and white pepper, with a ripple of sandalwood, briar and dried herbs adding complexity. There’s a gentle stemmy edge and earthy depth that speaks to both the vineyard and the minimal-intervention winemaking.

On the palate it’s supple and composed, mid-weight with bright acidity and ultra-fine tannins. Everything here feels in place and unforced, there’s texture, spice, and a long, clean finish that invites another glass.

Elegant but characterful, this is modern cool-climate Shiraz from one of the country’s most respected hands. One for the decanter now or the cellar over the next decade.

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