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.

Pale medium colour. Exquisite pure grapefruit, apricot, nectarine aromas with underlying marzipan/ flinty notes. Superbly balanced with grapefruit, lime bitters, lemon pastille, nectarine fruits, fine slinky/ chalky textures, underlying grilled nut/ tonic water notes, lovely mid-palate viscosity/ weight and fresh linear and crisp acidity. Ethereal, creamy, and complex with slight al-dente texture lengthening the palate. Absolutely to die for. A magical experience. Beautiful and perfect to drink now but will hold and evolve. Date: Apr 2026; Drink now – 2038+; Rating: 100 Points; Andrew Caillard MW

Well well, this is a more savoury and saline expression of Giaconda Chardonnay, and I like that very much. I’m thinking lime, green mango, nectarine, salted almond and pastry dough, a mint and white flower perfume, preserved lemon, and a relatively discreet amount of struck match. It’s juicy, leaning more towards ripe citrus in flavour, again that saline persuasion, and the spiced preserved lemon character is absolutely a theme here, right down to its pulpy texture, which is also gently chalky. Acidity is discreet and fresh, just enough to drive it along, though it’s not abrasive, and the finish is savoury and very long, lemon rind and green olive in the aftertaste, with a gentle pucker of grip to close. This is a calm and composed iteration of this wine, and it feels all just so. Outstanding. Date: Mar 2026; Alcohol: 13.5%; Drink: 2027 - 2038+; Rating: 98 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front