Pale straw. Not much colour. Citrus, lemon zest, mineral spice, honey, fine French oak, beautifully integrated. Fleshy, medium weight, plump ripe fruit, peachy and creamy, lovely oak spice. Soft smooth texture, delicious now, low acidity but harmonious flavours.
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Pale yellow, very youthful colour. Honey, fine oak spice, pears, clean intense fragrance. White flowers, honeysuckle, pear purée, fine toasty oak well integrated. Has good intensity but also great balance. In a perfect spot for drinking.
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Pale lemon. Lovely blend of ripe fruit, dried herbs, oak spice, lemon zest. Nicely balanced, good acidity, smooth, medium weight, lemon compote, sweet fruit and fine French oak spice. Delicious, not at all heavy, just with a nice refined intensity. A good age right now, but will go another five at least.
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This is the second Giaconda Estate Chardonnay that I have tried. I am not certain about the claim of being one of Australia’s best chardy. Wine was good but not great - certainly not worth $130 that I paid for it. Fuller bodied, notes of peach, nougat. Drinking well now but I am not certain whether it will improve with more time. Wine became a bit “clunky” towards the end of the bottle. Will invest in Pierro, Bannockburn and some chardy’s from Orange (DeSalis & Colmar).
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Seriously good. Young, intense full fruit, full throttle style. Has wonderful cutting acidity giving it freshness allied with some subtle oak that doesn't intrude nor does the alcohol level. Feels like a balanced complete wine. Got better with 60 min in the decanter. This will last for sure but is sitting pretty in that mix of aged complexity and fruit power right now. No questions over this wine, it deserves it's high score.
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"I’m in heaven. This is really good. Now 7 years old and getting better every year Colour is getting slowly darker. Honey and ripe peach on the nose flowing through to the palate. Melon and very light citrus. I have decanted this wine to let it develop it’s true flavours and history. I should stop drinking these for another 10 years.
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Tried with a Kistler Nois. This appealed more on its own. Almost green in the glass. Sharp but not astringent nose so citrus and melon. Superb balance of mineral fruit and acid. Wonderful uncious mouthfeel and length that goes on and on
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Now 5 years old. Colour going slightly darker. Australia's best chardonnay made in the old style. Up there with the best from France. Strong legs which get stronger the older it gets. Melon Honey and soft stone fruit on the nose. Great broad flavour with honey, oak, apricot and yellow peach with a slight caramel overlay. Can't imagine how it can get any better.
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GMs - Aussie Classics: Melon, spice and oak, vanilla and mineral elements. The fruit rushes on to the palate and focuses in well. Good acidity standing up to the fruit. Plenty of class here, but the youthful verve has dipped away a little bit and this now needs time to come back around to deliver on its early potential.
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Superb chardonnay. Bright, balanced, complex. Unusually for a Giaconda the wine presented immediately - I normally find it takes a couple of hours for a bottle to open up. Immensely enjoyable.
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Enjoyed a second bottle with consistent notes, this time comparing with other top chardonnays from around the world. This showed great power in the mouth and balance compared with top NZ/Aus wines. More stone fruit than Penfolds Yattarna, with minerals and smoke adding complexity. Reconfirmed by positive view on this wine - really like the 2012 too (less powerful but more 'classic').
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Powerful, big full-bodied wine here. Wow. Love the style with delicate oak management to let the long-growing season fruit shine through. Has the fruit quality of 2010 but is better made with bags of persistency (citrus and stone fruits) and minerality on the finish. For me this is the best Chardonnay that Giagonda have made, and the wine I will be buying. The best Chardonnay from Australia I have ever had. Lasted about 3hrs in my glass, evolving wonderfully. Will drink for a decade at least, but best to wait a couple of years. Drink 2018-2030. 96pts
Note: 100% malolactic fermentation here, on lees (without stirring) to reduce butteriness. 1/3 new french Burgundy oak, aged for 22-24 months. South facing vineyards. No filtration.
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Night Two of Two Big Nights in Sydney (Beachside in Bondi): Crazy young, I know, but soooo good, with potential for a few more points down the road. A touch of sulfur on the nose, alongside lemon, mineral and spice. A creamy palate, understandably still restrained but with undeniable persistence and depth.
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Canberra, Beechworth & Rutherglen wine tour day two (Beechworth and Rutherglen): Stone fruit - peach, cream, butter, rich, spice ,toast, mineral notes, lemon, touches of marzipan/almond. In the mouth the wine is dry, mid-palate burr, slight salinity, lemon and slight peach. This fruit is quite muted at the moment though the wine is well balanced, juicy and fresh. Needs time I suspect.
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Vinosphere Tasting: Lemon, mineral and spice. Very restrained on the palate, but still has wonderful persistence and depth. Fantastic texture and mouth feel. A superb wine for sure.
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8/21/2023 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale straw. Not much colour.
Citrus, lemon zest, mineral spice, honey, fine French oak, beautifully integrated.
Fleshy, medium weight, plump ripe fruit, peachy and creamy, lovely oak spice. Soft smooth texture, delicious now, low acidity but harmonious flavours.
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7/3/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale yellow, very youthful colour.
Honey, fine oak spice, pears, clean intense fragrance.
White flowers, honeysuckle, pear purée, fine toasty oak well integrated. Has good intensity but also great balance. In a perfect spot for drinking.
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11/30/2021 - robferguson1 wrote:
A bit of a question about the high oakiness ?
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9/12/2021 - robferguson1 wrote: 94 Points
Still a baby but drinks very well.
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7/14/2021 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale lemon.
Lovely blend of ripe fruit, dried herbs, oak spice, lemon zest.
Nicely balanced, good acidity, smooth, medium weight, lemon compote, sweet fruit and fine French oak spice. Delicious, not at all heavy, just with a nice refined intensity. A good age right now, but will go another five at least.
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11/19/2020 - robferguson1 wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful, young .
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10/23/2020 - Kayaking wrote: 90 Points
This is the second Giaconda Estate Chardonnay that I have tried. I am not certain about the claim of being one of Australia’s best chardy. Wine was good but not great - certainly not worth $130 that I paid for it. Fuller bodied, notes of peach, nougat. Drinking well now but I am not certain whether it will improve with more time. Wine became a bit “clunky” towards the end of the bottle. Will invest in Pierro, Bannockburn and some chardy’s from Orange (DeSalis & Colmar).
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8/24/2020 - crazywineguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seriously good. Young, intense full fruit, full throttle style. Has wonderful cutting acidity giving it freshness allied with some subtle oak that doesn't intrude nor does the alcohol level. Feels like a balanced complete wine. Got better with 60 min in the decanter. This will last for sure but is sitting pretty in that mix of aged complexity and fruit power right now. No questions over this wine, it deserves it's high score.
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7/13/2020 - DrinkerTrev Likes this wine: 99 Points
"I’m in heaven. This is really good. Now 7 years old and getting better every year Colour is getting slowly darker. Honey and ripe peach on the nose flowing through to the palate. Melon and very light citrus. I have decanted this wine to let it develop it’s true flavours and history. I should stop drinking these for another 10 years.
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4/18/2020 - Sonoffalstaff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tried with a Kistler Nois. This appealed more on its own. Almost green in the glass. Sharp but not astringent nose so citrus and melon. Superb balance of mineral fruit and acid. Wonderful uncious mouthfeel and length that goes on and on
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1/11/2020 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
“Best Bottle” tasting in Fitzgerald, Rotterdam. (By JvT @ Fitzgerald): Citrus and vanilla in the round and friendly bouquet. On the palate beautiful citrus, some pleasant sweetness, full bodied, round and very tasty. Overall a beautifully round and harmonious wine.
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12/15/2019 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice wine. Very rounded and balanced,
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8/23/2018 - DrinkerTrev Likes this wine: 95 Points
Now 5 years old. Colour going slightly darker. Australia's best chardonnay made in the old style. Up there with the best from France. Strong legs which get stronger the older it gets. Melon Honey and soft stone fruit on the nose. Great broad flavour with honey, oak, apricot and yellow peach with a slight caramel overlay. Can't imagine how it can get any better.
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5/17/2018 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
GMs - Aussie Classics: Melon, spice and oak, vanilla and mineral elements. The fruit rushes on to the palate and focuses in well. Good acidity standing up to the fruit. Plenty of class here, but the youthful verve has dipped away a little bit and this now needs time to come back around to deliver on its early potential.
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5/3/2018 - rgf@foggolaw.com.au wrote: 100 Points
Unbelievably great wine
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12/30/2017 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb chardonnay. Bright, balanced, complex. Unusually for a Giaconda the wine presented immediately - I normally find it takes a couple of hours for a bottle to open up. Immensely enjoyable.
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5/3/2016 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 96 Points
Enjoyed a second bottle with consistent notes, this time comparing with other top chardonnays from around the world. This showed great power in the mouth and balance compared with top NZ/Aus wines. More stone fruit than Penfolds Yattarna, with minerals and smoke adding complexity. Reconfirmed by positive view on this wine - really like the 2012 too (less powerful but more 'classic').
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4/29/2016 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 96 Points
Powerful, big full-bodied wine here. Wow. Love the style with delicate oak management to let the long-growing season fruit shine through. Has the fruit quality of 2010 but is better made with bags of persistency (citrus and stone fruits) and minerality on the finish. For me this is the best Chardonnay that Giagonda have made, and the wine I will be buying. The best Chardonnay from Australia I have ever had. Lasted about 3hrs in my glass, evolving wonderfully. Will drink for a decade at least, but best to wait a couple of years. Drink 2018-2030. 96pts
Note: 100% malolactic fermentation here, on lees (without stirring) to reduce butteriness. 1/3 new french Burgundy oak, aged for 22-24 months. South facing vineyards. No filtration.
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4/19/2016 - Blaireaux Likes this wine: 91 Points
complex and still tight, with aromas still slightly menthol like. needs more time to round out and express fruit more fully. good wine
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2/12/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Night Two of Two Big Nights in Sydney (Beachside in Bondi): Crazy young, I know, but soooo good, with potential for a few more points down the road. A touch of sulfur on the nose, alongside lemon, mineral and spice. A creamy palate, understandably still restrained but with undeniable persistence and depth.
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8/1/2015 - chatters wrote:
Canberra, Beechworth & Rutherglen wine tour day two (Beechworth and Rutherglen): Stone fruit - peach, cream, butter, rich, spice ,toast, mineral notes, lemon, touches of marzipan/almond. In the mouth the wine is dry, mid-palate burr, slight salinity, lemon and slight peach. This fruit is quite muted at the moment though the wine is well balanced, juicy and fresh. Needs time I suspect.
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5/18/2015 - CamWheeler wrote: 95 Points
Vinosphere Tasting: Lemon, mineral and spice. Very restrained on the palate, but still has wonderful persistence and depth. Fantastic texture and mouth feel. A superb wine for sure.
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