The BK Wines Story
"BK Wines was established in 2007 by Brendon and Kirstyn Keys. The goal has been to create fabulous art. Beautiful, unique, sensuous, deceptively minimalist, envelope-pushing art. After learning from masters in NZ, Argentina and California, we trained our sites on the Adelaide Hills because it’s just a cracking great place to live and make wine. With no pretentions to be somewhere it’s not and few preconceived notions about what wine styles to expect, this is a place where non-conformity is the rule. Our little winery is situated in the Hills where it is tucked away surrounded by bush land.
Brendon’s greatest strengths as a winemaker are his passion for artistic expression and his uncompromising quest for high-quality fruit. When it comes to the process of winemaking, Brendon’s goal, first and foremost, is to source exceptional small vineyards producing grapes that reflect the individuality of a particular site. As a winemaker he uses a minimalist approach to gently guide well-chosen fruit to a beautiful final result in the bottle. This combination of an artistic soul and unyielding quality standards makes Brendon a recognised master of his craft.
But hey, if you really want to know about us. Grab a bottle of BK that peaks your interest, crank up something you love to hear, pour a few glasses and spend time with people who make you smile and think." - BK Wines
Latest Releases
2024 Carte Blanche Chardonnay
There’s a warmth to this one that feels like walking into a kitchen where something’s been baking for hours. First hit? Quince and sourdough starter – complex, alive. Then, a full-body hug of baked rhubarb crumble. Juicy in all the right places – nectarine, guava—like biting into something you should probably share (but may decide not to). Lifted, floral, super accessible. On the palate, sweet-pickled ginger, a lemongrass spiciness to keep you guessing and the umami of oyster shells. You’ll want cheese. (Soft-rind.) There’s something indulgent about this wine but nothing precious as it overdelivers in the best way. Can be enjoyed now but time will deepen an already compelling story.
2024 Ego is the Enemy Pinot Gris
Kicking off with the warm seduction of shortbread cookies – the result of lees contact – the deeper story of Ego’s 2024 vintage starts to reveal itself. A small crop picked on two different days to maximise sunshine and ripeness in this challenging season followed by time rolling gently in a concrete, egg-shaped fermenter gives aromas of pear drops, confectionery, and sherbert atop honeycomb wax and sundried orange slices. On the palate there’s the refreshing ambiance of gin and pink grapefruit with a sprinkle of black pepper. Built for age and evolution. Pinot Gris is a quiet achiever that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves, but this one says enough to set the record straight.
2024 Gut Feeling
Our beautiful marriage of Chardonnay and Riesling celebrates another anniversary, and once again proves the adage that there is strength in numbers. Where last vintage had a spritzy cleanliness to it, this year is jasmine flowers, billowing French linen sheets, and a clear nod to Puligny-Montrachet with integrated acids and a lilting, velvety texture. The palate is a seamless blend of Chardonnay’s rounded power and grip and Riesling’s spice and piquancy. Greater than the sum of its parts, Gut Feeling creates conversations that quickly move past the pinpointing of the varietal. 70% Chardonnay from the Swaby vineyard and 30% Riesling from Brackenwood in Kuitpo. Pressed to a 1000L oval barrel. Bâtonage in June, July and August, etc etc.
2024 Skin-n-Bones Gamay
Gamay is such a satisfying grape for a winemaker, with all of the lift and depth of Pinot Noir and far fewer of the sleepless nights. Where last vintage gave strawberries and red lollies, 2024 is deeper, savourier and tending towards the mulberry spectrum. This wine bears essentially no relation to the cloying Gamay styles that give the varietal its unfortunate reputation for simplicity. Balanced, soft, and very easy to love. 100% Gamay from Brackenwood in Kutipo. 100% whole bunch fermentation in concrete open fermenters. 15 days on skin and pressed to 2- to 3-year old French barriques for 10 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.
2024 Skin-n-Bones Pinot Noir
Where vintage 2023 was a cool, lengthy, worrisome affair, vintage 2024 moved reassuringly quickly. Pre-harvest warmth is reflected in the intensity and generosity of all of the wines the season produced, and none more so than Skin-n-Bones Pinot Noir. Exceptional colour and palate weight balanced with herbaceous notes of thyme and mint. Currently giving shades of a dark-eyed, brooding teen, as this wine matures further it promises to develop an even more complex personality. You’ll definitely be needing some for today and some for the cellar. Four Pinot Noir clones (predominantly MV6), 30 days on skins, 10% new French oak for 10 months.
2024 Amphora
Who knew that you could taste a shape? If you don’t believe it, Amphora may well convince you. This Syrah/Gamay blend has the tear-drop structural contours of the amphora it is fermented in, with a rounded, juicy entrée tapering to a tight finish. You can practically smell the deep, red earth along with red-whip liquorice and toasted coconut. The palate is peppered meats and sweet fruit with a BK signature of Campari bitters. Serious and well balanced, this is one for genuine contemplation. 70% Syrah from Murdoch Hill and 30% Gamay from Brackenwood. 100% whole bunch co-fermented 15 days then pressed to clay amphora for 10 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.
2024 Skin-n-Bones Savagnin
Our Skin-n-Bones Savagnin is a bit like what might happen if Jura took an educational tour of Burgundy. Where Jura Savagnin can be delightfully rustic and sherried by reduction, this iteration is far finer and more elegant. Saline and umami on the nose, like aged and crystallised parmesan. Mouth-watering on the palate with flavours of aromatic Fuji appples, sweet ‘lemon’ cucumbers, and an unexpected honeysuckle note. Incredible length. A holiday to the banks of the Saône well spent.
(Image: BK Wines / www.bkwines.com.au)