Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 1998

Since its emergence in the late 1980s, Giaconda has helped change the shape of wine in Victoria. First known for its Pinot Noir, which was one of the country’s finest until the early 1990s, it has also pushed the boundaries with its Shiraz, Nebbiolo and Roussanne, as well a leaving a worthy legacy of Cabernet Sauvignon – a wine its owner and founder Rick Kinzbrunner chose to discontinue. Giaconda also put Beechworth on the map as a wine region, which many others have since capitalised upon. The other thing that Giaconda has done is to push Australian chardonnay into unchartered levels of excellence. From the early days of the 1990 vintage, this wine has steadily and patiently evolved, leading the industry as it went, into one of the world’s greatest expressions of this grape. Today it has become a wine of truly remarkable depth, controlled power, minerality and balance, delivering a rarest of savoury and saline finishes. Its cellaring ability is unrivalled and its influence on other leading makers of Australian chardonnay is profound. Rick Kinzbrunner steadfastly keeps the price of his Chardonnay well below its true value. It sells out in mere moments online each year, but can then be found on the secondary market, for a higher, albeit more realistic price. The tip? If you want this wine at its release price, you’ll need a sense of timing and a load of luck.