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.

Two things strike me about this wine straight off – charisma and structure – it has a certain something that sets it apart from others. Red fruit, exotic spice, orange peel, rosehip, mint, almond meal, a coverlet of toasted hazelnut oak. It’s dry and savoury, has a graphite grip to tannin, pulls a little sappy and amaro-laced, but the fruit is bright and red-fruited, with something of a pomegranate tang to acidity, closing with excellent length and precision. Such a distinctive and character filled Pinot here. Terrific. Date: Apr 2026; Alcohol: 13.8%; Drink: 2028 - 2038+; Rating: 95+ Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front