Bleadsdale Savignon Blanc for today. Very young wine, 2025.
Grown in the Adelaide Hills. According to conversations with Gemini (pro version so likely not so much hallucination) the combination of altitude and cold nights makes the grapes ripen slowly and be more acidic. This is also true for Marlborough Savs to which i'm naturally comparing the Bleadsdale.
Apparently also the relatively "lean" (not so fertile) soils stresses the grape vines meaning they tend to grow smaller grape berries which means more skin/flesh and less water , so more flavour compounds. A rabbit hole worth investigating, that's my afternoon sorted.
It's such a stark contrast to Marlborough Savs which definitely have a more fruit-forward (almost simple) flavour. And that is probably due to the fact that Marlborough soils are relatively more fertile.
Really great wine, probably optimal for a summer picnic but enjoyable even on a rainy spring day.
In terms of pairing: the bottle says haloumi and asparagus or fish. I disagree with the haloumi suggestion, even though I'm a huge fan of haloumi; a fatty cheese would make some weird flavours in the mouth when combined with the mineral notes.
Asparagus would definitely compliment the really heavy herb notes. You could probably get awa with brussels sprouts too, or artichoke, if that's your thing.
This is one of those wines I'd pair with a plate of nothing, raw dog it as they say.
Maybe a packet of salted chips ("crisps" if you're in the UK).
#winestr
