The good, the bad and the interesting
The good begins with the exceptional quality of our 2018 vintage releases this year. All four wines are right at the top of the quality ladder. After much feedback when the wines sold out incredibly quickly during the last release (the Chardonnay in 1 day) we have responded by scaling back some export markets to ensure more will be available for domestic website orders this year. Don't miss the varieties you favour, especially the chardonnay, as I believe this is equivalent of many Grand Cru Burgundies at a substantially cheaper price point. The pinot noir is the best for many years and the two shiraz wines are as good as we have ever made.
The bad is that there will be no wines produced by Giaconda from the 2020 vintage due to the adverse conditions experienced this summer. I decided not to try and make any second label wines of questionable quality and not to buy in fruit from any other regions. This reinforces a decision taken some time ago to move to purely Estate labelled wines of the highest quality. This is a continuation of my philosophy of doing less and doing better. This means that in April 2022 there will be little to offer, although we will release small quantities of recent museum wines along with some additional magnums and other rarities.
The interesting, an Amphora Roussanne, is just a little plaything for me although looking at the results this may become a regular project. This is my version of a 'natural' wine albeit not so oxidised and tired which can often mar a sense of place and variety with many other examples I have tried. This wine has a purposeful edge of development and wild characteristics of a natural inspired wine but still manages to speak of its identity while retaining purity and vibrancy. This wine was fermented and macerated on skins for 9 months in a beautiful Spanish Terracotta Amphora from Extremadura to the south-west of Madrid. Even more tantalising is the 2019 Nebbiolo, also fermented and aged 10 months in Amphora with whole bunches; skins, seeds and stalks. The result is a powerful and highly tannic yet very well integrated wine which now rests in old barrels. Stay posted as more details are to come in future newsletters. The Amphora is a fascinating vessel, as the wine develops and integrates in such a unique fashion.
A final comment. Many people say the price of Giaconda chardonnay is starting to look cheap on a price to quality ratio, especially when compared to white Burgundy. There are many expensive chardonnays on the market when compared to Giaconda and dare I say it, not as good (in my opinion of course). This is to say if you want to drink a classic white Burgundy style, we are in good company as this is what I like to drink also. I make wines that I enjoy and don't pander to the current fashion of tight, pure (often boring), acid driven, lightweight wines. Equally for the reds, we are seeing many very high priced Cuvée of questionable quality. The antidote to this, and in times of hardship, we are committed to holding Giaconda wine prices stable for the time being and ensuring our wines remain accessible.
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Yours sincerely,
Rick Kinzbrunner
