2021 Giaconda, Shiraz, Beechworth, Australia

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, no more, no less than in the fabled Chateau Petrus. Why do we like it? Dark red to coal black in colour. Notes of damp forest floor combine with a zephyr of savoury meats and campfire smoke, with raspberry and star anise notes lifted by the whole-bunch component. Round and rich with a satisfying fruit-laden palate of wild berries coming to the fore. The tannins are powder-fine and convey red fruits with a twist of spiced vanilla oak, long on the palate. Evocative and immensely complex, this finishes with a strong mineral and graphite impact. A wine that is destined to have a long future. Grape           Shiraz Country        Australia                                  Region          Beechworth                          Vintage         2021