Beautiful wine bursting with strong flavors of orange and lemon. Undertones of nectarine and peach. Color starting to change to more of a light yellow. Very easy to drink and a beautiful chardonnay
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Love, love this wine. Beautifully weighted and balanced, full of complexity and zest with lively acidity. A masterpiece in Chardonnay wine making. Can easily give any grand cru a good run for its money.
Colour is just beginning to change light yellow and the nose has notes of nectarines, red apple and some flintiness. Body was the talk of the town, with layers of complex flavour profiles. Lingering finish that will linger into the night.
Drink now to 4+ years.
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Aussie Night 2.0 (Buellton, CA): An off showing, though the wine was proper in all respects. Rich and ripe (no surprise), with loads of toasty oak notes alongside sweet orchard fruit and some buttery notes. I thought I detected a bit of ginger as it warmed. Overall, I found the wine dense and lacking in nuance. I wonder if this is an example of a wine's development being "stuck" due to its screw cap closure (of which i am normally a fan)? I had another bottle of this same wine which I am pretty sure came with natural cork as its closure, and it was past peak.
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Golden yellow in colour. Gorgeous nose - melted butter, generous yellow stone fruit, hints of gooseberry, spices. On the palate open, complex, lots of depth and richness without being fat. Fresh and vibrant, powerful and very long. Lovely! 93-95
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A vexing bottle, with enticing aromatics which unfortunately outshined the palate. I liked the slightly reductive, oak-spiced nose, along with creamy apple and citrus scents. In the mouth, though, the fruit was somewhat subdued, and the wine lacked tension and grip. I am not sure if this was bottle variation, a past-peak wine or something else, but I did expect more energy and power.
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Vintage 2010 Tasting; 10/24/2020-10/25/2020 (Bronte, Sydney): pale yellow, good lustre full fragrance of very fine French oak, not overly charred but a good level of spice, this faded somewhat after a few hours. Also tightly wound citrus fruits. youthful zest, powerful palate and a long and very smooth finish. strong peach and citrus fruits mix with the struck-match of the strong fine oak spice, very nicely balanced, intense but also refined and tight in style. has plenty of years ahead.
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Colour mellow gold bright and clear 15/15 Nose intensity + rich , stonefruits , grilled nuts , lots of layers 28/30 Palate med to full bodied , lovely mouthfeel , creamy ,great acidity and minerality very long finish 43/44 Overall classic Aust Chardonnay , drinking beautifully 4 days later , years left to go here 11/11 Had this it counterpart the Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2010 , served at 16 degrees the Giaconda just edged at the Leeuwin being richer
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Drunk at a rare Australian wine dinner on Australia Day at Table in Hong Kong - Described by one of my fellow diners as Arnaud Ente on the nose and Montrachet on the palate. This had excellent tension and some fine minerality. None of the flabbiness you can often find in New World chardonnay.
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Blind. Spicy, glorious nose, deep. The mouth does not fully follow through: a bit on the heavy side - lacking acidity. Stille a very good wine. A bottle some years back was much more interesting and nervy.
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NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands + specials (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {screwcap, 13%} [Gordon] Quite developed nose of nuts, figs, yeast. Still has a hint of sulphur about it, despite the age. The palate is steely and mineral-like, a touch forward on the tongue but with a largely even palate, dry, with a hint of mushrooms (in a good way). A bit more earthy and open and, I dunno, textural, than the following Leeuwin wine. Perhaps more Burgundian, although I’m reluctant to use that term, since these should really be judged on their own merits (and I harbour a personal prejudice that top Oz chardonnay will spank a lot over over-priced Grand Cru Burgs in a way which local pinot won’t do to its red equivalents). This medium-bodied, with an even, medium-long finish of great interest and complexity. Very good, with plenty of life left, and amazingly different to the Margaret River alternative…
Pretty good chardonnay but probably not up to the expectations I had for this wine. Lots of sulphides/struck match on the nose, along with nuts and citrus fruits. Quite minerally on the palate both in texture and flavour, which belies its colour. Orchard fruits, grapefruit, nuts, butter, toast. Really very good but just a bit out of balance on the nose and lacks the length of the greats.
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Lovely richness. Almost Burgundian in flavour profile and structure. Wonderful richness, weight and complexity. Good but not great length. Good acid. Probably drinking at its best. Wonderful.
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An unusual experience for a bottle of chardonnay. The initial glass was exactly like my first bottle, flat and dull. However from the second glass it turned into something really special - beautiful fruit definition with lemon, grapefruit and peach. There's lovely oak that gives almost a spicy texture to the wine. Of course the thing that really changed for the wine was the acidity, which went from non-existent to fresh and bright. In the end all the elements are nicely in balance, showcasing some excellent fruit. It will be a couple of years for the next bottle.
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NobleRottersSydney - Margaret River (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {screwcap, 13%} [Gordon] Fine-cut nose of crystalline purity; subtle oak and grapefruit. The palate is clean and tight, with soft oak, minerally flavours and a real sense of structure. Only medium-bodied, but with great persistence and evenness along the tongue. Medium-long finish. Served slightly cooler than ideal; perhaps a bit subdued because of it. Very great chardonnay, and with lots of time left.
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Opened on a hot summer Christmas Day to serve alongside prawns and Coffin Bay Oysters.
This is an absolute stocker of a wine. It's ripe, but understated. Do delicious to taste, complex but balanced. Matchstick and some Flint but not overdone. It shows the makers mark but is done so well. Benchmark stuff.
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Layered and complex on the nose - yellow stone fruit, hints of gooseberry, crushed stones, oatmeal. On the palate fresh, elegant and superbly well balanced. There is great fruit, lovely acidity, minerality. The length is quite sensational. Approachable, but still rather young. 94-96(+?)
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See my note from last week. A second bottled enjoyed over the weekend showed even more reduction than the previous week - masking the nose. Shame, but this seems to have been a feature in their 2010/11 Chardonnays... reconfirms my view to stick with the 2013 and 2012 (in that order of preference).
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Nice fruit density here, with citrus dominating and some stone fruit. More of everything than 2011. Lots of struck-match. Signs of reduction however. 2010 and 2011 seem a little deeper than subsequent wines and - for me - aren’t quite a well made. Great material though and no hurry to drink - this is ageing extremely well. Drink to 2025. 94pts.
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Wonderful chardonnay with oatmeal aromas and complex, rich mellow aromas. Long rich palate without being cloying at all - great length and persistence.
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Got to say I was really disappointed by this wine. It was quite flat and dull. Definitely has a structure and length, but the fruit was muted. I hope this was an exception. Will grab another bottle soon.
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Opening this, I was stunned that it was five years old. There was a huge amount of sulfur, which took almost an hour to blow off, and then there were strong reductive qualities which took another hour or two to round into form. After all that you were left with a wonderfully complex wine that citrus, pears, apples, a slight nuttiness, oak and minerality. It really compares favorably to high level Burgundy. This really seems impossibly young and this should be able to age for a long time. If you're drinking this now, plan on a 2-3 hour decant at a minimum.
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Colour pale golden. To begin very prominent matchstick character, which after time in glass lifts away & focuses on rich stone fruit, apricot nectar, with notes of toasted oak.
On the palate there is a sense richness, pleasurable texture & gentle minerality which lifts the nutty oily nectar characters in this Chardonnay.
As wine warms the finish becomes smoother & longer, and fruit & oak becomes beautifully integrated.
Like to revisit this in 3-5 years.
Tried with semi hard cheeses from Italy, Spain & France
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Colour pale golden. To begin very prominent matchstick character, which after time in glass lifts away & focuses on rich stone fruit, apricot nectar, with notes of toasted oak.
On the palate there is a sense of richness, pleasurable texture & gentle minerality which lifts the nutty oily nectar characters in this Chardonnay.
As wine warms the finish becomes smoother & longer, and fruit & oak become beautifully integrated.
Like to revisit this in 3-5 years.
Tried with semi hard cheeses from Italy, Spain & France.
Guest note written by Beth Clarke.
**Day Two** I wasn't a fan on day one as Beth was above, but Day Two this wine was singing a sweet tune! None of the driven oak from yesterday, this will be a real cellar dweller.
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Giaconda Tasting (PWS Melbourne): And I thought the Nantua was good. This was more than a notch or two above. Intense aromas of stone fruit and spicy oak. Complex and intense wine that somehow manages to remain completely light on its feet thanks to the oak being fully absorbed by the fruit intensity and acid. Terrific wine. Should age very well.
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The 2010 Giaconda Chardonnay has been receiving buckets full of praise from the Australian wine literati. I found it powerful, deep and intense on both nose and palate. It's clearly full bodied, offering up generous flavours of white peach, grapefruit, nuts, aniseed/liquorice and a slightly overbearing amount of smokiness (I suspect this will integrate over time). Although I wouldn't call it racy, there are ample acids which are quite approachable and there is some minerality to balance the fruit flavours. It's round on the palate and finishes quite long. A great wine that should improve over the next decade.
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Negociants 2012 ICON Tasting (Zed451, Chicago IL): nose: There is really nice depth to this from the outset, but it is also on the tight side. Well balanced with a smokiness on it from the outset along with tones of roasted nuts, blood oranges, and meyer lemons.
taste: full bodied with medium+ acidity. The acidity is on the noticeable side and is slightly piercing along with smooth tones of roasted nuts, meyer lemons and citrus tones.
overall: This could use a few more years to fully show itself. There is a lot of class to this and is a real quality chardonnay.
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Cork, 13% alc - slow oxed for 3 hours. A simply beautiful, intense bouquet of peach, almond, grapefruit, white flowers, flint and a touch of toasty oak. Silky, generous and inviting on the palate which is supported by a minerality undercarriage and a faint suggestion of aniseed. Acids are quite reserved and the finish is persistent and very fresh and clean. Can only imagine what this will be like in 10 years time.
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Our first Chardonnay completely fermented and aged underground in our cave. This means a slower and more even ageing process, combined with the cooler season this has resulted in a wine with very long ageing potential. The wine has a signature nose of matchstick and meal with powerful underlying minerality. While similar in style to 2008 this wine is a little more racy with slightly less oak showing at this stage. The palate is highly refined and harks back to some of our best vintages from the 90s. The fruit is powerful but very well integrated with the other components. RICK KINZBRUNNER
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1/9/2024 - saulwilliams wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine bursting with strong flavors of orange and lemon. Undertones of nectarine and peach. Color starting to change to more of a light yellow. Very easy to drink and a beautiful chardonnay
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12/10/2022 - Andrew67 Likes this wine:
Feels like this will last forever. Very little sign of ageing. Beautifully structured, the fruit has evolved in a way that highlights the balance.
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11/26/2022 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 96 Points
Love, love this wine. Beautifully weighted and balanced, full of complexity and zest with lively acidity. A masterpiece in Chardonnay wine making. Can easily give any grand cru a good run for its money.
Colour is just beginning to change light yellow and the nose has notes of nectarines, red apple and some flintiness. Body was the talk of the town, with layers of complex flavour profiles. Lingering finish that will linger into the night.
Drink now to 4+ years.
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10/2/2022 - pbaek wrote:
Really young showing. Fresh, good acidity, very expressive, good balance. Impressive Chardonnay from down under. Chez Peytz.
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8/14/2022 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aussie Night 2.0 (Buellton, CA): An off showing, though the wine was proper in all respects. Rich and ripe (no surprise), with loads of toasty oak notes alongside sweet orchard fruit and some buttery notes. I thought I detected a bit of ginger as it warmed. Overall, I found the wine dense and lacking in nuance. I wonder if this is an example of a wine's development being "stuck" due to its screw cap closure (of which i am normally a fan)? I had another bottle of this same wine which I am pretty sure came with natural cork as its closure, and it was past peak.
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7/28/2021 - robferguson1 wrote: 93 Points
In great condition and ready for to a decade more , typical great job.
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6/7/2021 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Golden yellow in colour. Gorgeous nose - melted butter, generous yellow stone fruit, hints of gooseberry, spices. On the palate open, complex, lots of depth and richness without being fat. Fresh and vibrant, powerful and very long. Lovely! 93-95
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5/4/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
A vexing bottle, with enticing aromatics which unfortunately outshined the palate. I liked the slightly reductive, oak-spiced nose, along with creamy apple and citrus scents. In the mouth, though, the fruit was somewhat subdued, and the wine lacked tension and grip. I am not sure if this was bottle variation, a past-peak wine or something else, but I did expect more energy and power.
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10/24/2020 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vintage 2010 Tasting; 10/24/2020-10/25/2020 (Bronte, Sydney): pale yellow, good lustre
full fragrance of very fine French oak, not overly charred but a good level of spice, this faded somewhat after a few hours. Also tightly wound citrus fruits.
youthful zest, powerful palate and a long and very smooth finish. strong peach and citrus fruits mix with the struck-match of the strong fine oak spice, very nicely balanced, intense but also refined and tight in style. has plenty of years ahead.
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1/14/2020 - robferguson1 wrote:
Opened 5 years too soon but still drinking well enough to know the future pleasure in store
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12/31/2019 - marcellonegro wrote: 93 Points
Medium golden. Medium acidity and body. Subtle oak. Honey notes, butter and long finish.
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8/31/2019 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine. Drinking so well right now. All the flavours from my last tasing note. Wonderfully balanced. Now I want to see how long this can last.
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3/23/2019 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 97 Points
Colour mellow gold bright and clear 15/15
Nose intensity + rich , stonefruits , grilled nuts , lots of layers 28/30
Palate med to full bodied , lovely mouthfeel , creamy ,great acidity and minerality very long finish 43/44
Overall classic Aust Chardonnay , drinking beautifully 4 days later , years left to go here 11/11
Had this it counterpart the Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2010 , served at 16 degrees the Giaconda just edged at the Leeuwin being richer
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1/26/2019 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at a rare Australian wine dinner on Australia Day at Table in Hong Kong - Described by one of my fellow diners as Arnaud Ente on the nose and Montrachet on the palate. This had excellent tension and some fine minerality. None of the flabbiness you can often find in New World chardonnay.
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10/21/2018 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Blind. Spicy, glorious nose, deep. The mouth does not fully follow through: a bit on the heavy side - lacking acidity. Stille a very good wine. A bottle some years back was much more interesting and nervy.
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9/21/2018 - Retil Likes this wine:
Wonderful as usual
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3/5/2018 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands + specials (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {screwcap, 13%} [Gordon] Quite developed nose of nuts, figs, yeast. Still has a hint of sulphur about it, despite the age. The palate is steely and mineral-like, a touch forward on the tongue but with a largely even palate, dry, with a hint of mushrooms (in a good way). A bit more earthy and open and, I dunno, textural, than the following Leeuwin wine. Perhaps more Burgundian, although I’m reluctant to use that term, since these should really be judged on their own merits (and I harbour a personal prejudice that top Oz chardonnay will spank a lot over over-priced Grand Cru Burgs in a way which local pinot won’t do to its red equivalents). This medium-bodied, with an even, medium-long finish of great interest and complexity. Very good, with plenty of life left, and amazingly different to the Margaret River alternative…
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1/4/2018 - azzah Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep yellow colour.
Pretty good chardonnay but probably not up to the expectations I had for this wine. Lots of sulphides/struck match on the nose, along with nuts and citrus fruits. Quite minerally on the palate both in texture and flavour, which belies its colour. Orchard fruits, grapefruit, nuts, butter, toast. Really very good but just a bit out of balance on the nose and lacks the length of the greats.
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12/22/2017 - richard.presser Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lovely richness. Almost Burgundian in flavour profile and structure. Wonderful richness, weight and complexity. Good but not great length. Good acid. Probably drinking at its best. Wonderful.
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11/22/2017 - Tony1157 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Mature wine. Light colour, great depth of flavour.
Many years ahead of it. Brilliant wine
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10/29/2017 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An unusual experience for a bottle of chardonnay. The initial glass was exactly like my first bottle, flat and dull. However from the second glass it turned into something really special - beautiful fruit definition with lemon, grapefruit and peach. There's lovely oak that gives almost a spicy texture to the wine. Of course the thing that really changed for the wine was the acidity, which went from non-existent to fresh and bright. In the end all the elements are nicely in balance, showcasing some excellent fruit. It will be a couple of years for the next bottle.
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8/7/2017 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Margaret River (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {screwcap, 13%} [Gordon] Fine-cut nose of crystalline purity; subtle oak and grapefruit. The palate is clean and tight, with soft oak, minerally flavours and a real sense of structure. Only medium-bodied, but with great persistence and evenness along the tongue. Medium-long finish. Served slightly cooler than ideal; perhaps a bit subdued because of it. Very great chardonnay, and with lots of time left.
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12/25/2016 - antkorbel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened on a hot summer Christmas Day to serve alongside prawns and Coffin Bay Oysters.
This is an absolute stocker of a wine. It's ripe, but understated. Do delicious to taste, complex but balanced. Matchstick and some Flint but not overdone. It shows the makers mark but is done so well. Benchmark stuff.
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10/17/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Layered and complex on the nose - yellow stone fruit, hints of gooseberry, crushed stones, oatmeal. On the palate fresh, elegant and superbly well balanced. There is great fruit, lovely acidity, minerality. The length is quite sensational. Approachable, but still rather young. 94-96(+?)
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5/14/2016 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
So much nicer than the previous bottle.
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5/3/2016 - JulianSkeels wrote: 92 Points
See my note from last week. A second bottled enjoyed over the weekend showed even more reduction than the previous week - masking the nose. Shame, but this seems to have been a feature in their 2010/11 Chardonnays... reconfirms my view to stick with the 2013 and 2012 (in that order of preference).
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4/29/2016 - JulianSkeels wrote: 94 Points
Nice fruit density here, with citrus dominating and some stone fruit. More of everything than 2011. Lots of struck-match. Signs of reduction however. 2010 and 2011 seem a little deeper than subsequent wines and - for me - aren’t quite a well made. Great material though and no hurry to drink - this is ageing extremely well. Drink to 2025. 94pts.
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4/6/2016 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great chardonnay.
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3/10/2016 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wonderful chardonnay with oatmeal aromas and complex, rich mellow aromas. Long rich palate without being cloying at all - great length and persistence.
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12/25/2015 - Andrew67 wrote: 89 Points
Got to say I was really disappointed by this wine. It was quite flat and dull. Definitely has a structure and length, but the fruit was muted. I hope this was an exception. Will grab another bottle soon.
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11/26/2015 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 95 Points
Opening this, I was stunned that it was five years old. There was a huge amount of sulfur, which took almost an hour to blow off, and then there were strong reductive qualities which took another hour or two to round into form. After all that you were left with a wonderfully complex wine that citrus, pears, apples, a slight nuttiness, oak and minerality. It really compares favorably to high level Burgundy. This really seems impossibly young and this should be able to age for a long time. If you're drinking this now, plan on a 2-3 hour decant at a minimum.
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10/24/2015 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Blind. Wonderfully complex nose, albeit some sulfur (?), popcorn, very promising. Thought Grand Cru Burgundy.
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11/29/2014 - Shaddo wrote:
More developed than anticipated. Good Flint, but fruit was a little 2 dinensional
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9/10/2014 - Bethinoz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Giaconda 2010 Chardonnay, Beechworth VIC
Colour pale golden. To begin very prominent matchstick character, which after time in glass lifts away & focuses on rich stone fruit, apricot nectar, with notes of toasted oak.
On the palate there is a sense richness, pleasurable texture & gentle minerality which lifts the nutty oily nectar characters in this Chardonnay.
As wine warms the finish becomes smoother & longer, and fruit & oak becomes beautifully integrated.
Like to revisit this in 3-5 years.
Tried with semi hard cheeses from Italy, Spain & France
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9/10/2014 - MyCellar01 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Colour pale golden. To begin very prominent matchstick character, which after time in glass lifts away & focuses on rich stone fruit, apricot nectar, with notes of toasted oak.
On the palate there is a sense of richness, pleasurable texture & gentle minerality which lifts the nutty oily nectar characters in this Chardonnay.
As wine warms the finish becomes smoother & longer, and fruit & oak become beautifully integrated.
Like to revisit this in 3-5 years.
Tried with semi hard cheeses from Italy, Spain & France.
Guest note written by Beth Clarke.
**Day Two**
I wasn't a fan on day one as Beth was above, but Day Two this wine was singing a sweet tune! None of the driven oak from yesterday, this will be a real cellar dweller.
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4/24/2013 - G.M. wrote: 95 Points
Giaconda Tasting (PWS Melbourne): And I thought the Nantua was good. This was more than a notch or two above. Intense aromas of stone fruit and spicy oak. Complex and intense wine that somehow manages to remain completely light on its feet thanks to the oak being fully absorbed by the fruit intensity and acid. Terrific wine. Should age very well.
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12/20/2012 - JonathanP wrote: 92 Points
The 2010 Giaconda Chardonnay has been receiving buckets full of praise from the Australian wine literati. I found it powerful, deep and intense on both nose and palate. It's clearly full bodied, offering up generous flavours of white peach, grapefruit, nuts, aniseed/liquorice and a slightly overbearing amount of smokiness (I suspect this will integrate over time). Although I wouldn't call it racy, there are ample acids which are quite approachable and there is some minerality to balance the fruit flavours. It's round on the palate and finishes quite long. A great wine that should improve over the next decade.
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9/24/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Negociants 2012 ICON Tasting (Zed451, Chicago IL): nose: There is really nice depth to this from the outset, but it is also on the tight side. Well balanced with a smokiness on it from the outset along with tones of roasted nuts, blood oranges, and meyer lemons.
taste: full bodied with medium+ acidity. The acidity is on the noticeable side and is slightly piercing along with smooth tones of roasted nuts, meyer lemons and citrus tones.
overall: This could use a few more years to fully show itself. There is a lot of class to this and is a real quality chardonnay.
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8/9/2012 - AJ72 wrote: 80 Points
Can't see what all the fuss is about. Very overt, oaky with a popcorn kind of reduction, finishes a bit short. Not my style.
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5/28/2012 - JonathanP wrote: 94 Points
Cork, 13% alc - slow oxed for 3 hours. A simply beautiful, intense bouquet of peach, almond, grapefruit, white flowers, flint and a touch of toasty oak. Silky, generous and inviting on the palate which is supported by a minerality undercarriage and a faint suggestion of aniseed. Acids are quite reserved and the finish is persistent and very fresh and clean. Can only imagine what this will be like in 10 years time.
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3/31/2011 - jliberman wrote:
Our first Chardonnay completely fermented and aged underground in our cave. This means a slower and
more even ageing process, combined with the cooler season this has resulted in a wine with very long ageing
potential. The wine has a signature nose of matchstick and meal with powerful underlying minerality. While
similar in style to 2008 this wine is a little more racy with slightly less oak showing at this stage. The palate is
highly refined and harks back to some of our best vintages from the 90s. The fruit is powerful but very well
integrated with the other components. RICK KINZBRUNNER
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