Giaconda vineyard was established by Rick Kinzbrunner, a mechanical engineer who became interested in wine in the early 1970's. Rick then spent the next ten years working in the industry, travelling and following his passion for wine. After a brief stint in New Zealand, he studied at Davis University in California and worked at some of the most respected wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys (namely Stag's Leap, Simi and Matanzas Creek). In Europe he worked for the Moueix group in Bordeaux, co-owner of the fabled Chateau Petrus.

Roasted chestnuts, rose petal, forest floor undergrowth, dark orange chocolate and tar. A combination of Amphorae and geriatric oak have been used for Élevage. Scintillating tannins compliment the pristine fruit. A truly magnificent wine achieved through a lot of hard work and years of observation and persistence to bring the magic of quintessential Nebbiolo alive!

How long to age this beauty? How long is a piece of string? Each return to the glass sees something new to admire, something else to cling to and wonder at. First, it was the aromas – so aromatic with a strong cherry, floral and herbal bent – and then a palate that ceased to simply go in a straight line, but kept diverting down interesting side alleys of dark flavours, spice, herbs, cocoa, earth and balsamic. And those tannins, a mesh of the savoury and the silky. This could take a while to fully reveal so give it the time it deserves. Date: May 2024; Alcohol: 14.5%; Drink by: 2042; Rating: 97 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion