Minor Label Damage
Overview
Giaconda's 2015 Pinot Noir is a finely structured Victorian Pinot Noir built around hand-picked fruit, whole berries and whole bunches, extended skin contact and French oak maturation. The vintage combines bright red-fruited character with distinctly savoury tannins and the producer's increasingly focused approach to estate-grown Pinot Noir.
Vineyard
In its 2015 commentary, Giaconda noted that its newer Pinot Noir plantings were beginning to show particularly strong results, with the traditional MV6 clone playing an increasingly important role. The producer also confirmed that Giaconda Pinot Noir would, from this point, be made entirely from estate-grown fruit rather than incorporating Yarra Valley fruit.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked, with crushed berries, whole berries and whole bunches open-fermented in concrete vats. The wine spent 28 days on skins before maturation for 14 months in French oak, of which 30% was new.
Giaconda describes its broader winemaking philosophy as one centred on gravity handling, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, natural malolactic fermentation, restrained sulphur additions and bottling without filtration.
Critic Reviews
96/100 – Jeremy Oliver
Tasted January 2016
94 Points – James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
“Hand-picked, crushed and whole berries and whole bunches are open-fermented in concrete vats, 28 days on skins, matured for 14 months in French oak (30% new). There is a tussle between the crabapple and red cherry fruits on the one hand, and firm, savoury tannins on the other.”
93/100 – The Wine Front
Tasted May 2017
Producer
Giaconda's philosophy is based on concentrating on a small number of wines and refining vineyard and cellar work over time. The winery emphasises long, natural fermentations and maturation in its underground granite cave, an environment designed to encourage gradual development and complexity.
Specifications
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Vintage: 2015
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Producer: Giaconda Vineyard & Winery
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Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
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Region: Victoria, Australia
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Fruit: Estate Grown
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Harvest: Hand Picked
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Fermentation: Open Fermentation in Concrete Vats
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Fermentation Components: Crushed Berries, Whole Berries and Whole Bunches
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Skin Contact: 28 Days
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Maturation: 14 Months
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Oak: French Oak, 30% New
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Drinking Window: 2027–2035