Deep lemon. Fine citrus, honeysuckle and soft oak fragrance. Creamy texture, has softened with time but nothing oxidative at all, very fresh. Youthful fruit, stone fruits and lemon zest. Fine French oak spice is subtle and well balanced. An absolute pleasure to drink now but clearly has years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still going strong after 16 years under cork. Deep golden colour, full and ripe nose, palate is soft and round, still great freshness and length though. Mature and deep stone fruit flavours, a little oak, some salinity and nuttiness. Thought this may be past it but not on this showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screw cap, colour not greatly developed v the cork vintage, this could live a very long time , it is developed but restrained by its youth but promises plenty , so impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Corked broke, managed to pull it out without damages.... Too cold, had to let it warm up in the glass... then it revealed so much aromas, very powerful, honey, creaminess, and a bit citrusy in the end, but shows clearly aged conditions, palate is lengthy, super lengthy more than any red tonight... palate is greasy and creamy, large, rich and still powerful, nice bitterness that keeps the wine fresh and tart ... So BIG... had it before but that wine is probably one of the best chardonnay I ever had... twice... Iconic down under, no surprise... honestly I don’t know why I don’t rate higher... but I still believe the 95’s and more are for uniqueness which maybe was there...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork crumbled on opening, decanted / sieved thru muslin , beautiful golden color , aged into something other than Chardonnay, like a long life Champagne , magic ..,
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quick Notes From a Memorable Night in Sydney (Cirrus, Barangaroo): Lemon, stone fruit and honey, very precise. Benefitted from an hour or so in the glass and probably need more. The CT drinking window here is simply wrong as this wine came off as quite primary, and with many good years ahead of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a really lovely spot right now, showing rounded evolution but still has some fruit freshness. It has a certain rounded fullness from its maturity but this is matched by a certain ethereal liveliness that balances beautifully. Minerally length, cashews, white peaches and oak. Not a shy wine but a good one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Group at home: Golden hue. Aromatics of lemon, oatmeal, stone fruits. It's not shy in the aromas department. Palate is rich, flavoursome, balanced. Terrific showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely bright lemon yellow, a young looking hue. Perfect fragrance of bright floral and lemony peachy fruit and very fine French oak. Refined blend of lemon, peach and honeysuckle, with a perfectly integrated fine oak spice. Power and precision, with a long pure clean finish. Superb. Still beautiful a day later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
'Nothing but Chardonnay' dinner with Peter Rosback: The deepest gold colour so far. A deep, rich nose of blanched cashews, toasty oak and old orchard fruit. In the mouth, rich and luxuriant with fruit flavours more tropical than orchard fruit, also with a slightly confected, caramelised component. The Giaconda is a full on, concentrated Chardonnay with a big structure and a dense mid palate. I thought the acidity was acceptable but Peter was blunt in his assessment saying 'the acidity was too low and the fruit overripe'. This 2004 was not as good as Rauno’s recent 2002 Giaconda. This wine is not really my style but I seemed to like it more than the group. 3/3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light golden colour - is that a touch of oxidation in there? If there is it blows off after a while in the glass and it then really starts to sing. Rich, slightly oily, full of ripe pineapple / melon fruit, but with a refreshing acidity that makes it so easy to enjoy. If you can't get to grips with the lean minerality of a white burgundy, then have a go at this. Be brave if you can and decant before drinking - I think it is worth it even at 10 years old
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has always been a delicious wine and it didn't disappoint again. Some have found the oak too prominent but not in my books, really well balanced and ageing gracefully. Developing some nice roasted cashews and nougat elements in its secondary phase but still has some the lifted fruit from its youth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Raid Len's Cellar #1: Meal, citrus, apricot, pineapple and some smoky sulphur. Finely balanced with the fruit having weight but also acid drive. Young but starting to take on complexity. Should go 10 more years with no problem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
took an hour to open up, it showed lemon, a little bit of honey, and mostly vanilla, full body, even it got enough acidity to balance the wine, the oak taste is still too dominate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely rich texture and pineapple and tropical fruits. Long long finish, with vanilla fudge. Opened up in the glass as the evening wore on and became better balanced and more appealing as well. Drink over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I am tempted to give this either a much higher or lower score ( say 89-95) because the wine has a bit of an odd personality, a linear quality although with very high quality fruit, but too much dominated by lemony, and almost licorice-fennel like finishing elements. These aspects became far more prominent as the wine had been opened for several hours. Judgement reserved on its ultimate merits
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another great example of this wine and one of my favourite vintages for Giaconda chardonnay. Developing a little roundness now but still has that lovely flinty and minerality that make it so interesting and different to other Australian chardonnays. No alcohol heat, just feels in perfect balance and went really well with Christmas turkey. Will no doubt age further but will aim to drink my remaining bottles over the next couple of years I think.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 3 hours. Lovely meaty stone and butter nose. Definitely full bodied and glycerin heavy. Good acidity, but the alcohol shines through a bit too much (14,5). A very good and interesting wine. Apparently it is grown on 400m altitude on southfacing slopes, i.e. not facing the sun directly, which could explain that it is not too much and over the top in terms of fatness and butter/popcorn as most other US/AU chardonnays.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatics are great. And the complexities follow through to the wonderful palate. It has a terrific mixture of fruit and tension, with the acids and oak beautifully integrated. And it lingers and lingers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A touch of reduction blows off with air. Aromas are so attractive - butterscotch, melon, honeydew, stone-fruit. The palate is intense and sublime. Textured and fine at the same time. The oak has integrated beautifully. The acids carry the flavour a long way and give the wine a brightness and taut structure. A wonderful drink right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
More developed than previous bottles, showing more toasty and honied notes rather than the spine of minerality that was evident in other bottles. Nice but don't think this was truly reflective of this exceptional wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
[Screwcap, 13.8%] A brief wiff of sulphur soon dissipated. Aromas are very attractive and include melon, lemon rind, grapefruit and a spiciness like ginger. The palate is smooth and mid-weight and still carries a layer of oak that rides above the fruit. Lovely drink, and should improve with more time and integration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As a first impression, reminds me of Petaluma (no bad thing!) with more restraint and more minerals. Jeremy Oliver's tasting notes are spot on. The alcohol was noticeable, but overall still extremely smooth. Acidity to spare. I'll try to wait another year or more for the next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Powerful Chardonnay with all the ingredients but if I had another bottle I'd wait a couple of years in order to let the alcohol wear down slightly. Apart from that, wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Giaconda Vertical (Sydney, Australia): A light straw-yellow in colour. Has a tight but interesting nose that exhibits restrained peach, minerals, citrus and honeysuckle. The palate has scintillating focus with brilliant balance as well as lingering flavours and length that cannot be faulted. Excellent now, and could well be breathtaking in a couple of years with some additional complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is subtle tight and glorious clean precise chardonnay. It is going through a relatively quiet phase - no excess of oak, subtle but concentrated fruit, the real answer is to put this away for 5 to 7 years and then sell it!!! But treat yourself and drink it for a real reward.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/3/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep lemon.
Fine citrus, honeysuckle and soft oak fragrance.
Creamy texture, has softened with time but nothing oxidative at all, very fresh. Youthful fruit, stone fruits and lemon zest. Fine French oak spice is subtle and well balanced. An absolute pleasure to drink now but clearly has years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2020 - deverett wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong after 16 years under cork. Deep golden colour, full and ripe nose, palate is soft and round, still great freshness and length though. Mature and deep stone fruit flavours, a little oak, some salinity and nuttiness. Thought this may be past it but not on this showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2020 - robferguson1 wrote: 94 Points
Screw cap, colour not greatly developed v the cork vintage, this could live a very long time , it is developed but restrained by its youth but promises plenty , so impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2019 - Stanrocks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Corked broke, managed to pull it out without damages.... Too cold, had to let it warm up in the glass... then it revealed so much aromas, very powerful, honey, creaminess, and a bit citrusy in the end, but shows clearly aged conditions, palate is lengthy, super lengthy more than any red tonight... palate is greasy and creamy, large, rich and still powerful, nice bitterness that keeps the wine fresh and tart ... So BIG... had it before but that wine is probably one of the best chardonnay I ever had... twice... Iconic down under, no surprise... honestly I don’t know why I don’t rate higher... but I still believe the 95’s and more are for uniqueness which maybe was there...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2019 - Nikiel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cork crumbled on opening, decanted / sieved thru muslin , beautiful golden color , aged into something other than Chardonnay, like a long life Champagne , magic ..,
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2017 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quick Notes From a Memorable Night in Sydney (Cirrus, Barangaroo): Lemon, stone fruit and honey, very precise. Benefitted from an hour or so in the glass and probably need more. The CT drinking window here is simply wrong as this wine came off as quite primary, and with many good years ahead of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2016 - deverett wrote: 94 Points
In a really lovely spot right now, showing rounded evolution but still has some fruit freshness. It has a certain rounded fullness from its maturity but this is matched by a certain ethereal liveliness that balances beautifully. Minerally length, cashews, white peaches and oak. Not a shy wine but a good one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2015 - fizz wrote: 93 Points
Wine Group at home: Golden hue. Aromatics of lemon, oatmeal, stone fruits. It's not shy in the aromas department. Palate is rich, flavoursome, balanced. Terrific showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2015 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely bright lemon yellow, a young looking hue.
Perfect fragrance of bright floral and lemony peachy fruit and very fine French oak.
Refined blend of lemon, peach and honeysuckle, with a perfectly integrated fine oak spice. Power and precision, with a long pure clean finish. Superb. Still beautiful a day later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2015 - fizz wrote: 93 Points
Lemon, almond meal, rich texture and developing beautifully. Balanced and long as always. The oak is unobtrusive. Lovely drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - Milliontown wrote: flawed
#fucork
:'(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2015 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
'Nothing but Chardonnay' dinner with Peter Rosback: The deepest gold colour so far. A deep, rich nose of blanched cashews, toasty oak and old orchard fruit. In the mouth, rich and luxuriant with fruit flavours more tropical than orchard fruit, also with a slightly confected, caramelised component. The Giaconda is a full on, concentrated Chardonnay with a big structure and a dense mid palate. I thought the acidity was acceptable but Peter was blunt in his assessment saying 'the acidity was too low and the fruit overripe'. This 2004 was not as good as Rauno’s recent 2002 Giaconda. This wine is not really my style but I seemed to like it more than the group. 3/3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2014 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Light golden colour - is that a touch of oxidation in there? If there is it blows off after a while in the glass and it then really starts to sing. Rich, slightly oily, full of ripe pineapple / melon fruit, but with a refreshing acidity that makes it so easy to enjoy. If you can't get to grips with the lean minerality of a white burgundy, then have a go at this. Be brave if you can and decant before drinking - I think it is worth it even at 10 years old
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2014 - deverett wrote: 93 Points
This has always been a delicious wine and it didn't disappoint again. Some have found the oak too prominent but not in my books, really well balanced and ageing gracefully. Developing some nice roasted cashews and nougat elements in its secondary phase but still has some the lifted fruit from its youth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Raid Len's Cellar #1: Meal, citrus, apricot, pineapple and some smoky sulphur. Finely balanced with the fruit having weight but also acid drive. Young but starting to take on complexity. Should go 10 more years with no problem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2013 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Quite oaky but it lends a lovely caramel touch to a rich and buttery wine. Still good but potentially a bit long in the tooth now?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2013 - Sunny10 wrote: 90 Points
took an hour to open up, it showed lemon, a little bit of honey, and mostly vanilla, full body, even it got enough acidity to balance the wine, the oak taste is still too dominate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2013 - fizz wrote: 93 Points
Oatmeal, lemon, stone fruits, white flowers. Wonderful palate weight and intensity. Long finish. Delicious now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2013 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Lovely rich texture and pineapple and tropical fruits. Long long finish, with vanilla fudge. Opened up in the glass as the evening wore on and became better balanced and more appealing as well. Drink over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2013 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Quite developed. Rich and buttery - long finish slightly bitter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - essconsults wrote: 91 Points
I am tempted to give this either a much higher or lower score ( say 89-95) because the wine has a bit of an odd personality, a linear quality although with very high quality fruit, but too much dominated by lemony, and almost licorice-fennel like finishing elements. These aspects became far more prominent as the wine had been opened for several hours. Judgement reserved on its ultimate merits
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2012 - deverett wrote: 94 Points
Another great example of this wine and one of my favourite vintages for Giaconda chardonnay. Developing a little roundness now but still has that lovely flinty and minerality that make it so interesting and different to other Australian chardonnays. No alcohol heat, just feels in perfect balance and went really well with Christmas turkey. Will no doubt age further but will aim to drink my remaining bottles over the next couple of years I think.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2012 - UTPK wrote:
Decanted for 3 hours. Lovely meaty stone and butter nose. Definitely full bodied and glycerin heavy. Good acidity, but the alcohol shines through a bit too much (14,5). A very good and interesting wine. Apparently it is grown on 400m altitude on southfacing slopes, i.e. not facing the sun directly, which could explain that it is not too much and over the top in terms of fatness and butter/popcorn as most other US/AU chardonnays.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2012 - fizz wrote: 94 Points
Aromatics are great. And the complexities follow through to the wonderful palate. It has a terrific mixture of fruit and tension, with the acids and oak beautifully integrated. And it lingers and lingers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2012 - Winestein wrote: 90 Points
Liquid gold. Ripe tropical fruits. Oak but not too heavy. Drink cold at 12 degrees and drink up. Probably past its best at 8 years of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2012 - fizz wrote: 95 Points
A touch of reduction blows off with air. Aromas are so attractive - butterscotch, melon, honeydew, stone-fruit. The palate is intense and sublime. Textured and fine at the same time. The oak has integrated beautifully. The acids carry the flavour a long way and give the wine a brightness and taut structure. A wonderful drink right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2011 - deverett wrote: 90 Points
More developed than previous bottles, showing more toasty and honied notes rather than the spine of minerality that was evident in other bottles. Nice but don't think this was truly reflective of this exceptional wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2011 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
smooth, refined, cool crisp structure, stone-fruits, perfect oak spice and balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2010 - BigJ wrote: 94 Points
Time to drink, but very very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2010 - fizz wrote: 92 Points
[Screwcap, 13.8%] A brief wiff of sulphur soon dissipated. Aromas are very attractive and include melon, lemon rind, grapefruit and a spiciness like ginger. The palate is smooth and mid-weight and still carries a layer of oak that rides above the fruit. Lovely drink, and should improve with more time and integration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2009 - VegasTony wrote: 94 Points
As a first impression, reminds me of Petaluma (no bad thing!) with more restraint and more minerals. Jeremy Oliver's tasting notes are spot on. The alcohol was noticeable, but overall still extremely smooth. Acidity to spare. I'll try to wait another year or more for the next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2008 - BigJ wrote: 93 Points
i think this is getting close to where it should be drunk, definitly worth a try anyway!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2008 - ove wrote: 94 Points
Powerful Chardonnay with all the ingredients but if I had another bottle I'd wait a couple of years in order to let the alcohol wear down slightly. Apart from that, wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2006 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Giaconda Vertical (Sydney, Australia): A light straw-yellow in colour. Has a tight but interesting nose that exhibits restrained peach, minerals, citrus and honeysuckle. The palate has scintillating focus with brilliant balance as well as lingering flavours and length that cannot be faulted. Excellent now, and could well be breathtaking in a couple of years with some additional complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2006 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
This is subtle tight and glorious clean precise chardonnay. It is going through a relatively quiet phase - no excess of oak, subtle but concentrated fruit, the real answer is to put this away for 5 to 7 years and then sell it!!! But treat yourself and drink it for a real reward.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment