Founded by former mechanical engineer Rick Kinzbrunner in 1982, Giaconda is a small, prestigious estate in Beechworth, Victoria. After studying at UC Davis and working at top wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Bordeaux (including Château Pétrus), Rick returned to Australia and began crafting wines that reflect his global experience and deep passion. The 4-hectare estate focuses on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz, with a separate Nebbiolo planting at nearby Red Hill.

Today, Rick is joined by his son Nathan, who serves as Assistant Winemaker and General Business Manager. Giaconda is renowned for its meticulous winemaking and expressive, terroir-driven wines.

The wine is renowned for its intense concentration, flinty reduction and remarkable balance between power and precision. Layers of white peach, nectarine, citrus peel and grilled hazelnut are intertwined with smoky “struck match” complexity, creamy texture and a long mineral finish. Fermented and matured in French oak with meticulous attention to detail, Giaconda Chardonnay consistently rivals the world’s finest white Burgundies while expressing a distinctly Australian sense of place. Built for long-term cellaring, it evolves beautifully over decades, gaining further savoury depth and complexity with age.

Tasting Notes

"Classic styling meets Beechworth top-shelf chardonnay fruit. Beyond the immediate complexity on show, there is the detail; the '24 moves like a Swiss watch, intricate and exact. Grilled hazelnuts, stone fruits, Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith, melon, smokey spice and clotted cream aromas. There is an undoubted richness, a deep seam of flavour here that ranges long, underscored by firm phenolics and a bright acidity that lifts. Flexes some impressive chardonnay richness while delivering a fine-textured, persistent beauty of a wine. If there is a key to opening Giaconda chardonnay, it is to wait; it is invariably a slow reveal. And don't over chill." 98 Points - Halliday Wine Companion, Jeni Port (2026).