More Cellar Purchases

Hi Bob – Two new ones for the Cellar!

2010 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay

The next release of 2010 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay will be available for purchase through this website from 1st November 2011. This includes a limited En Primeur offer of the 2011 vintage.

Giaconda Estate Chardonnay is fully barrel fermented with approximately 33% new French oak. This wine is aged in barrel for 22 months, deep underground in our granite maturation cave.

2011 Barrel Tasting notes: The notes below certainly also apply to the 2011 vintage. This wine is a little more racy again, a further example of power and concentration. It should develop amazing depth and complexity.

2010 Tasting notes: Our first Chardonnay completely fermented and aged underground in our cave. This means a slower and more even ageing process, combined with the cooler season this has resulted in a wine with very long ageing potential. The wine has a signature nose of matchstick and meal with powerful underlying minerality. While similar in style to 2008 this wine is a little more racy with slightly less oak showing at this stage. The palate is highly refined and harks back to some of our best vintages from the 90s. The fruit is powerful but very well integrated with the other components.

Tasting update (October 2011) - The most recent tasting of this wine has exceeded my expectations. Although the above notes still stand, the wine has now developed a traditional Burgundy nose and the palate is showing more power.

Giaconda Nebbiolo 2008

Does Nebbiolo travel? I was just reaching the conclusion that it probably doesn’t fare too well outside of Piedmont when Rick had me try a barrel sample of his 2008 Nebbiolo from about 1.5 acres that have just been included into vines that have been designated for the joint partnership with Chapoutier. Aged in large old oak for 2 years, it will receive another year in barrel before being bottled. Possessing a medium ruby color, the rose petal character on the nose is pretty profound, with quite a lot of tar and some funky game notes Layers of aromas include rose hip tea, tobacco, some loam, a bit of dark chocolate and a touch of anise amongst the stewed Ceylon tea leaves. The medium to full body, crisp acidity and firm, chewy tannins confirm this is a wonderfully varietally expressive wine with a long complex finish. When I was told they were considering grubbing these vines up and replanting with Shiraz I strongly objected that this would be a crime! Personally, I can’t wait to see this wine in bottle...though only around 2000 bottles will be produced.  95-97 points (Barrel sample). Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate June 2010. 

Rick Kinzbrunner fancies himself as a bit of a nebbiolo fan, so six or so years ago he grafted over about half a hectare of the older vine pinot noir in the Giaconda holdings to the Italian variety. The vineyard sits somewhere between 500 and 700 metres above sea level on schist and granite filled soils. The wine matured in a single, large, Italian-made French oak cask and was matured for a longer than anticipated spell. There are follow up vintages, but I am yet to see them. Fresh cherry and floral as the aromas might be, there is a seething depth of char, charcuterie, earth and savouriness that adds seriousness to the bouquet. The palate is slender yet chock full – layered with suggestions of the classic nebbiolo ‘tar and roses’ characters, but shows a drier, mineral edge with bergamot and a warm meatiness that sets this apart from Italian appropriations. Tannins are superb – complex, with herbal inflection, and feel feathery yet taut. Finishes very long, focussed and elegant with a prickle of spice and florals. Superior debut. Rated : 94/95+ Points; Drink : 2012 - 2022+ Mike Bennie; The Wine Front