2023 Giaconda Estate Chardonnay Magnum 1.5L, Beechworth

Reductive nose, matchstick smokiness with buttery salty popcorn aromas, so distinct and clear. Lovely purity with some toasted brioche elements and toasted almonds. So clear and pure, a zingy vibrant acidity that catches you off guard, crystalline doesn't quite explain it, but this is scintillatingly fresh with tension and superb direction. This has a great balance with push and finesse - not too tense or lean, not heavy - a gorgeous filling, generous but gentle power and structure. Leaves a salty, lemon and pineapple touch on the finish that just lasts and lasts! Super sophisticated and just a gorgeous wine from the coolest vintage since 2017. Less heady than the 2021 but there’s no doubting the refinement and precision on offer while being so enjoyable. 3.19pH. Acidity under 6g. Basket press, natural yeasts. No pumps. Minimal settling before fermentation. No sulphur dioxide in the crushing and pressing stage. No filtering or fining. Even bottling is done by gravity. Stays on lees for a year with very little battonage. 30% new oak.

99 points Georgina Hindle decanter.com

In challenging Victorian vintages like '23 – cool and wet – the cream rises, quality producers standing up. At Giaconda, we see another stunner of a chardonnay released, a classic work of art that delivers a bouquet of citrus blossom scents with intense Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith, preserved lemon, white peach, nectarine and crushed stone. Has real presence and an immediate sense of concentration. The longer it remains open, the more it reveals, an ongoing treat of complexity in nectarine, peach, toasted almond and gentle spice with a stunning lemon butter-like richness and more, edged in finely laced acidity. Exquisite.

98 points Jeni Port winecompanion.com.au

Despite the infamously difficult 2023 vintage, Giaconda has pulled off another excellent world-class chardonnay. Aromas of lemons, struck match and granite as well as grapefruit peel, lime curd and nectarines. The seamlessly balanced palate shows striking acidity. The creamy, textured mouthfeel finishes with great power and intensity, supported by a salty mineral undertone. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

98 points jamessuckling.com

The 2023 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay leads with an abundance of smoky, nutty, savory reduction. Here, the 2023 feels less exotic and softly spoken than the 2022 tasted alongside, with the 2023 showing more tension and focus. Neither has the extraordinary, otherworldly character of the 2021, also tasted alongside, yet the differences between the three is almost as exciting as having three vintages of Giaconda Chardonnay open at the same time. The 2023 only gets better the longer it is opened, revealing white peach, curry leaf, pink grapefruit acidity, blood orange, coffee grounds, graphite and mustard seeds. What a wine. The sheer intensity of flavor here is astonishing—it penetrates the palate and soars long into the memory. Far from pinching the finish, the reduction provokes a physical response, one that requires more drinking to satiate. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. I recently tasted this wine blind in Burgundy (2022 vintage), and while the wine was immediately recognizable to me, it really showed the specific personality of reduction at this estate, as compared to the others tasted that evening. The comparison was fascinating, in that Giaconda was revealed to be very savory, backed by voluminous, exotic fruit, while the other wines showed more verdancy to their fruit profiles, which in turn influenced the reduction. Fascinating and valuable. I also tasted this wine as its component parts when I visited the estate in January 2024, and seeing each of the barrels as individuals and then now witnessing the holistic conglomeration of them is very cool. The wine makes more sense to me, and it's infinitely more kaleidoscopic.

98+ points Erin Larkin robertparker.com

2023 Giaconda Estate Chardonnay is a thrilling release from one of Australia’s most revered Chardonnay vineyards, and a vintage that reinforces Giaconda’s status as a true benchmark for the variety. Grown in Beechworth at elevation, the vineyard sits on ancient granite based soils that give natural restraint, mineral drive and extraordinary length. Cool nights, warm days and a long ripening window allow flavour to build slowly while preserving acidity, the essential tension that defines great Giaconda Chardonnay.

Giaconda is the life’s work of Rick Kinzbrunner, a perfectionist by reputation and practice, whose influence on Australian Chardonnay cannot be overstated. Every decision here is deliberate. Yields are low, fruit is picked by hand, and the winemaking is meticulous but never flashy. Fermentation is wild, oak is high quality and carefully judged, and lees work is used to build texture rather than richness. Nothing is rushed, nothing is softened for early appeal. This is Chardonnay made with patience and conviction.

The 2023 vintage shows both energy and depth. Aromatically, it is tightly layered and refined. White peach, nectarine and citrus oil sit at the core, followed by subtle notes of struck match, crushed cashew and almond meal. With air, more savoury complexity emerges. Flint, wet stone, brioche and a faint saline edge that speaks clearly of Beechworth’s granite soils.

On the palate, the wine is powerful yet impeccably controlled. Stone fruit and citrus flavours flow across a finely textured mid palate, supported by bright, integrated acidity that keeps everything precise and lifted. The mouthfeel is creamy but never heavy, with lees derived richness held in check by a strong mineral spine. Oak is seamlessly absorbed, contributing savoury depth and length rather than sweetness. The finish is long, energetic and quietly authoritative, echoing citrus peel, nutty complexity and stone.

This is a Chardonnay built for the cellar as much as the table. While already compelling with decanting, it will evolve magnificently over ten to fifteen years, gaining further savoury, truffled and hazelnut complexity while retaining its core of freshness and drive. At the table, it shines with lobster, scallops, roast chicken, veal or dishes with subtle richness where texture and acidity matter.

2023 Giaconda Estate Chardonnay is precise, powerful and unapologetically serious. A wine of place, discipline and vision, and another chapter in one of Australia’s great Chardonnay stories.