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Bondar + Radikon + Koerner Tasting This Saturday from 3pm-6pm! + New Shop Hours

by Annandale Cellars

Bondar

Bondar is a family-owned affair based in their home Rayner Vineyard which lies on the border of the Blewitt Springs and Seaview sub-regions of McLaren Vale. The journey started in 2013 with a vision to make wines that are bright and pure, finely structured, mid-weight yet concentrated in flavour, with a savoury element. Andre Bondar has extensive experience working in the nearby regions as well as abroad for the likes of Alain Graillot in the Northern Rhône while Selina Kelly - an ex-lawyer, has experience in marketing for Yangarra and Hickinbotham but has now settled in with Bondar.

Bondar purchased the Rayner Vineyard in 2014 containing what the region is best known for - old vine Shiraz and Grenache. The sand-based soils here help to lend a lighter, more fragrant and savoury touch to the wines. They have since added newer plantings of close-planted Counoise, more bush vine Grenache and Mataro, Carignan, Cinsault, Touriga Nacional and Sagrantino. Bondar employ organic practices where possible and are a member of the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program and the EcoVineyards project, where a select few vineyards are focussing on regenerating parts of their land back to native vegetation. The winemaking artifice is kept to a minimum to allow the site-specific characters of the vineyards to shine through. A lot of work is put into canopy management to ensure even ripening and development while the winemaking involves slightly earlier picking, wild fermentation and degrees of whole-bunch fermentation and skin contact to produce compelling wines that speak of their place.

We always keep the Bondar wines in stock but have picked up a few new top cuvees from them as well. Firstly, we have the '25 'Junto' and the '24 'Violet Hour Shiraz' which are store staples are arguably the best value GSM and Shiraz in the country, respectively. We have a few bottles of the '22 'Clarendon Shiraz' - a limited release wine from the famous Hickinbotham Vineyard. Now we have 3 bottles from the new Hope Springs Eternal range with the vision to produce great, elegant, age-worthy wines from vineyard sites they believe to be among the best for the variety in the region. The '24 'Hope Springs Eternal Chardonnay' comes from the Bowyer Ridge Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, 500m above sea level and aged in barriques - 2 older and 1 second-use. This is a refreshing, coiled and pristine Adelaide Hills Chardy, free from some of the conspicuous oak that can sometimes be used in the region. The '24 'Hope Springs Eternal Grenache' is fermented with a higher percentage of whole bunches and aged in sandstone amphora and older oak. Brooding and savoury. Finally, the '24 'Hope Springs Eternal Shiraz' is made from predominantly whole bunches and aged in an old demi-muid. These new wines represent some of the best of their respective regions and show a lot of ageing potential. Don't miss out on these amazing wines!

 

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Radikon

Tucked away in the far northeast corner of Italy, right on the Slovenian border, Radikon have set the standard the rest of the world is still chasing for orange and skin contact wine. Stanko Radikon started a worldwide movement almost by accident, chasing the feeling he got from eating a grape straight off his own vines and looking back to the techniques his grandfather had used before him. The key that unlocked it was keeping the skins in contact with the juice of white grapes, and that one idea has since been borrowed by growers all over the globe trying to bottle a little of what Radikon found here.

Since Stanko's passing his son Saša holds the reins, upkeeping and building on the tradition his father laid down. That means organically grown estate fruit, long macerations on skins that can run for months, extended élevage in old oak and little to no sulphur. The closely planted vineyard is given over to Ribolla Gialla, the grape Radikon famously brought back from the brink, alongside Merlot, Tocai Friulano and Pinot Grigio, with yields kept extremely low so the fruit carries real concentration and a clear sense of site.

They are just as particular about the bottle. The standard Radikon format is 500ml, built on the idea that it is the perfect amount for two people to share over dinner, a 500ml of white and a 500ml of red between them, and the longer neck is deliberate too, changing how oxygen meets the wine and shaping a slower, better ageing curve. These are wines that excite, entrance and challenge what you think wine can be, textural and structured, able to age for decades and carrying a character that sits somewhere between white and red. In short they are bursting with personality and never forgettable, which is everything we want from a wine.

At the heart of the range sit the three long skin contact whites, each spending two to three months on skins, around three years in barrel and a further year or two in bottle before release. The '20 'Jakot', Tokaj spelled backwards, is pure Tocai Friulano; the '20 'Oslavje' is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc; and the '20 'Ribolla Gialla' comes from the very grape Radikon helped put back in the spotlight. These are the core of what they do and perhaps the truest reflection of it. All three come in the standard 500ml, with the Jakot, Oslavje and Ribolla Gialla also available in litre bottles, and there is a little of the older '19 'Oslavje' in 500ml still around too.

For something a fraction more approachable, the '22 'Slatnik', a blend of Tocai Friulano and Chardonnay, and the '22 'Sivi Pinot Grigio' see a shorter couple of weeks on skins and a year in barrel, bottled in the standard 750ml and a lovely way into the Radikon style. Then for the reds, the '23 'RS Rosso' is a powerful, characterful blend built around Merlot and Pignolo.

There is a reason growers the world over keep trying to copy these wines and never quite manage it. Those that know, know, and if you have not had the privilege yet, now is your chance to see what all the fuss is about. Get your hands on some while you can!

 

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Koerner Tasting

Saturday 4th

3pm-6pm

Join us this Saturday as we taste through the iconic Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills wines of Koerner!

Koerner is family run business led by Damon and Maddy Koerner, dedicated to crafting wines that showcase the unique characteristics of the Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills. Damon is the viticulturist and winemaker, focusing on fruit quality, transparent practices, and producing wines that truly reflect their origins. Koerner produce wines from a wide range of grape varieties - from Riesling and Vermentino to Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Koerner winemaking philosophy is simple – to make wines that reflect their place in the world, wines that are made in the vineyard. In the Clare Valley, all fruit is grown within a 750m radius so Damon has a good understanding of all the nuances in sites that he works with here. The picking date is what Damon considers to be most crucial for achieving his goals as this will determine the levels of acid and phenolic ripeness which are so important for creating wines of balance and intrigue. The Koerner wines are fresh due to earlier picking with just a touch of sulphur at bottling but still have great texture and complexity. Damon is heavily influenced by the wines of Corsica which can be seen in the grape varieties used but also in the style of great texture, concentration but fresh elegance.

These are the wines that we'll be pouring on the day:

2025 KOERNER ‘WATERVALE’ RIESLING - CLARE VALLEY

2024 KOERNER CHARDONNAY - ADELAIDE HILLS

2024 KOERNER ‘PIGATO’ VERMENTINO - CLARE VALLEY - SKIN CONTACT

2025 KOERNER ‘LDR’ SCIAPETTINO VERMENTINO - CLARE VALLEY

2022 KOERNER ‘CLASSICO’ - CLARE VALLEY - CAB SAUV, SCIACARELLO

2023 KOERNER ‘VIVIAN’ SANGIOVESE - CLARE VALLEY

Come down to the store this Saturday and try these fantastic wines for yourself!

 

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New Store Hours

We have some new opening hours effective as of this week from Monday the 29th of June. Our shop hours going forward will be as below:

Monday: 10am - 8pm

Tuesday: 10am - 8pm

Wednesday: 10am - 8pm

Thursday: 10am - 8pm

Friday: 10am - 8pm

Saturday: 10am - 8pm

Sunday: 10am - 7pm

We look forward to seeing in the store!

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