The two wines we enjoyed, Blackbilly Pinot Gris and GSM, came courtesy of James Haselgrove from his son’s Adelaide Winemakers venture.
The first was the 2013 Blackbilly Pinot Gris from Adelaide.
Steve and Susan got bright, tropical fruits on the nose, whereas Brett was immersed in potpourri (ever the metrosexual).
Beyond that, we were all struck by the dryness, the crispness and the subtle fruit on the palate.
Brett noted he’d pair this with fish or accompany it with soft cheeses.
Susan said it would be perfect as the icebreaker at a barbecue, and would be very adaptable to drink well with a range of entrees.
The second wine was the 2011 Blackbilly GSM from McLaren Vale.
This wine won us over by being different.
It is not a big, fruity wine, to our palates, but rather a dry wine with moderate tannins and dominant notes of oak.
Steve then read it had 20 months in a mixture of oak barrels, explaining the complexity we found.
Susan got blackcurrant on her palate and Steve noted there was actually a surprise package of fruit, lingering on the back palate.
Both wines were enjoyable and are in the market at $18 and $20 per bottle, respectively.