Back in July I had the pleasure of tasting through BK's range of wines. I quoted a paragraph from UK scribe Jamie Goode, the final sentence of which was "I just want them to get the credit they deserve". Even the most talented , whatever their profession, need a helping hand sometimes and some top ratings for the 2010 Cult Syrah (96) and 2010 One Ball Chardonnay (94) from James Halliday had the wines flying off of the shelves, for Mr Halliday is a rather popular critic in certain circles. It's great to see.
My own thoughts on BK's wines won't have quite the same effect, nonetheless it was a privilege to taste through them again.
Three Course Lunch
First up three wines with some sexy new packaging, designed by a chap in the UK who's more accustomed to working with record labels. The inspiration for these is based on the Sun Studios label of Johnny Cash, Elvis et al fame. BK commented he sees them as a three course lunch - light and low enough in alcohol not to induce coma, the 2011 Pinot Grigio 11.5% $23 true to the style with pear, green apple and white flowers on the nose and good crunchy acids; the 2011 Lenswood Rosé 12.8% $23 is a true revolutionary: dry, savoury, textural, balanced and eminently drinkable; finally the 2011 Syrah Nouveau 2011 is BK's homage to the Booj, seeing no wood - its all about fruit. A winner - a more detailed note can be found here.
Pinot Gris
The 2010 Rosetta Pinot Gris 13.5% $30 is from the same fruit as the Grigio, just picked 2-3 weeks later. Different vintage of course, but a side-by-side comparison is an excellent way of understanding the difference vis-a-vis Grigio and Gris. Nine months of battonage develops complexity and palate weight, aromatically its about pears and the finish shows minerals, with a decent length. Longer than a Kardashian marriage anyway.
Chardonnay
The 2010 One Ball Chardonnay 14% $30 is from a site in the Kenton Valley, planted to the Dijon clone with an average age of 10 years, it goes through 100% malo and sees 50% new oak. Nine months batonnage adds additional complexity to the creaminess derived from the MLF. The 2010 Swaby Chardonnay 14% $40 (ex Ma Fleur) is from a site in the Picadilly Valley, approximately 30 year old vines and sees 50% new oak - the fruit off of the older vines able to sock up the oak better. Nutty. almond and some good young acid with minerally, toasty finish.
The Syrah
The 2010 Cult Syrah 14% $30 is from a site in Lobethal with deep, rich soils. It's BK's nod to Crozes-Hermitage with it fruit forward nature, spice and pepper on the palate, with some acid and bite. The 2010 Neyle Syrah 14% $40 (ex John Bernard) comes from a site out at Mount Torrens, the soils there are rockier, stressing the vines and their resultant fruit is concentrated, consequently the wine is more savoury, there's some background cassis there, but it's quite closed: black, earthen...it needs time, one for savouring to explore the inherent depth.
Finally, 2009 Mazi Whole Bunch Syrah 14% $85 is from Blewitt Springs, more McLaren Vale way. Named after the Keys' dog, a German Short Haired Pointer who was $2,500 worse off after an altercation with a member of the Macropodidae family - the naming of this this wine thus an attempt to make the beast contribute something back toward that bill. It sees 100% new oak, all one barrel of it, 20 cases is the result. It's black, inky and concentrated. The oak, whilst there, does not dominate - offset by the whole bunch no doubt. The palate shows black cola and intense ripe, rich fruit with pepper through the back end. Marvellous.
