Great to see you up again, hope to see more of you in the future. Never even heard of Giaconda so will try to find a bottle or to. Would have liked more details on cellaring capabilities. Thanks for everything you do.
Thanks Bertie. These wines cellar very well, although I’d say that since they went to screwcap for the whites, they are even better in time. Depends on the vintage and how it expresses, but I like to drink them at every age, usually (for me) in their first decade. But I’ve had many bottle looking great into the second decade, too.
Absolutely delightful! Sublime as always, Giaconda is exceptional. How would you compare the wines from Giaconda and Savaterre? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Your review of these wines are charming but over descriptive, reminding me of the first few weeks into a new personal relationship. It would be refreshing for wine critics to discuss less favourable aspects of a wine as to why they might warrant a lower score. Just a balanced view.
Well - I agree with you. However, I remain in the ‘honeymoon’ phase with this wine. To offer you less favourable aspects of the wine would be to fabricate things that I do not see. There are many other examples where I am ‘more balanced’ in my positive and negative observations - this is critical review. Yin and Yang. Thanks for watching, and for the frank commentary.
Great review as always Erin. I know their Chardy is the top echelon of Aussie Chardy’s.. but your descriptors had me dying to taste a glass so is there anything from WA that you would say compares stylistically to this that I could access?
The Giaconda Chardonnay is so distinctively reductive, that there are few Chardonnays that emulate it with as much success. WA doesn’t do reduction as well as it does fruit power… in my opinion. Wines like Vasse Felix Heytesbury with several years on it - say, 3-7 ideally, Pierro VR are both superb wines, although neither are reductive like Giaconda.
No Warner vineyard Shiraz? epic winemaker, in the past I've quietly bought wine where he's been the contract winemaker ( easier on the wallet) and his second wines which are very reasonable
last two years releases have been called "beechworth shiraz" and blended from warner and estate vineyards. I suspect due to yields? but very good stuff!
Yes I agree fully. I was only reviewing here the Estate wines, but have bought the Nantua Chardonnay (as an example of a second wine) many times as a great ‘drink now’ option.
Question whether if you were drinking for yourself you'd be drinking the Chardonnay straight out of the bottle? Also, would the tasting and your comments be different if the wine had breathed a little. Thanks!
Good question. I would certainly drink it straight from the bottle (ie with a glass(!), without decanting), and my comments would evolve as the wine does. For critical review I must open and taste, and then write. With no further preparation than that. This is to ensure as much consistency between myself and the ‘average’ drinker as possible, and it is also a measure of consistency when tasting bottles of many different styles.
Hello Erin… many thanks for the time effort to prepare this (again) hi quality, entertaining video. If you have a moment would appreciate a clarification on your enjoyment of REDUCTIVE NOTES on the Rossanne and Chardonnay. (Here in US ???) that typically connotes: rotten egg, burnt matches/rubber, and/or garlic, onion. Is that what you meant… and liked?
Scratch a lemon - the rind has oil in it and is more aromatically concentrated than lemon juice. Doesn’t have to be lemon, can be orange, mandarin… they had different notes but similar concentration
Giaconda charddy is excellent, and their Pinot very good. Had a 2018 giaconda Nebbiolo last week and it was earthy-cherry-chocolate, and pretty good but not my taste - could appreciate it but ours went in a very nice stew.
Top class wine communication Erin! Thanks so much.
Great review. Well done. You keep it real and deliver like a genuine fan of wine, which makes it enjoyable and easy to understand. Bravo 👏
Thanks 🙏 I am a fan of wine - helps me to stay engaged with my job!
love watching your tastings Erin , it allows me to buy wines i would not know about
Thanks Stuart!
Great to see you up again, hope to see more of you in the future. Never even heard of Giaconda so will try to find a bottle or to. Would have liked more details on cellaring capabilities. Thanks for everything you do.
@bertiewalker5140 it likely wont be easy to find... all sold out in 6 mins this year! but the cellaring capability is exceptional
Thanks Bertie. These wines cellar very well, although I’d say that since they went to screwcap for the whites, they are even better in time. Depends on the vintage and how it expresses, but I like to drink them at every age, usually (for me) in their first decade. But I’ve had many bottle looking great into the second decade, too.
Absolutely delightful! Sublime as always, Giaconda is exceptional. How would you compare the wines from Giaconda and Savaterre? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Your review of these wines are charming but over descriptive, reminding me of the first few weeks into a new personal relationship. It would be refreshing for wine critics to discuss less favourable aspects of a wine as to why they might warrant a lower score. Just a balanced view.
Well - I agree with you. However, I remain in the ‘honeymoon’ phase with this wine. To offer you less favourable aspects of the wine would be to fabricate things that I do not see. There are many other examples where I am ‘more balanced’ in my positive and negative observations - this is critical review. Yin and Yang. Thanks for watching, and for the frank commentary.
Erin good to see you being yourself when talking about wine
Great review as always Erin. I know their Chardy is the top echelon of Aussie Chardy’s.. but your descriptors had me dying to taste a glass so is there anything from WA that you would say compares stylistically to this that I could access?
The Giaconda Chardonnay is so distinctively reductive, that there are few Chardonnays that emulate it with as much success. WA doesn’t do reduction as well as it does fruit power… in my opinion. Wines like Vasse Felix Heytesbury with several years on it - say, 3-7 ideally, Pierro VR are both superb wines, although neither are reductive like Giaconda.
No Warner vineyard Shiraz? epic winemaker, in the past I've quietly bought wine where he's been the contract winemaker ( easier on the wallet) and his second wines which are very reasonable
last two years releases have been called "beechworth shiraz" and blended from warner and estate vineyards. I suspect due to yields? but very good stuff!
Yes I agree fully. I was only reviewing here the Estate wines, but have bought the Nantua Chardonnay (as an example of a second wine) many times as a great ‘drink now’ option.
Question whether if you were drinking for yourself you'd be drinking the Chardonnay straight out of the bottle? Also, would the tasting and your comments be different if the wine had breathed a little. Thanks!
Good question. I would certainly drink it straight from the bottle (ie with a glass(!), without decanting), and my comments would evolve as the wine does. For critical review I must open and taste, and then write. With no further preparation than that. This is to ensure as much consistency between myself and the ‘average’ drinker as possible, and it is also a measure of consistency when tasting bottles of many different styles.
Hello Erin… many thanks for the time effort to prepare this (again) hi quality, entertaining video. If you have a moment would appreciate a clarification on your enjoyment of REDUCTIVE NOTES on the Rossanne and Chardonnay. (Here in US ???) that typically connotes: rotten egg, burnt matches/rubber, and/or garlic, onion. Is that what you meant… and liked?
"Scratched citrus" ?? Please elaborate that term if you care to.
Scratch a lemon - the rind has oil in it and is more aromatically concentrated than lemon juice. Doesn’t have to be lemon, can be orange, mandarin… they had different notes but similar concentration
Giaconda charddy is excellent, and their Pinot very good. Had a 2018 giaconda Nebbiolo last week and it was earthy-cherry-chocolate, and pretty good but not my taste - could appreciate it but ours went in a very nice stew.
I often cook with great wine 🍷