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New Scintilla release - the best yet! + Range Life tasting this Saturday from 3-6PM + Wine Fair - 9th of December 1-5PM + Olivier Horiot Champagne + Christmas Shipping cutoffs

by Annandale Cellars

Scintilla Wines

James Madden is the man behind Scintilla Wines. A sommelier-turned-winemaker, it was a chance meeting with James Erskine, Anton von Klopper and Tom Shobbrook that ignited his passion for natural wines, and gave him the impetus to start his own wine label.

He initially started with small parcels of organically grown fruit from the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, which were made under the label, Little Things. But as the saying goes, "from little things, big things grow," and James is now producing close to 20 tonnes per vintage under his new label, Scintilla Wines.

Coming from a hospitality background, James is mostly self-taught, but he has flourished under the guidance of winemakers such as James Erskine (Jauma), Alex Schulkin (The Other Right), and Anton von Klopper (Lucy Margaux). Like his mentors, James focuses on crafting completely natural wines, with no additions or subtractions through the winemaking process. He makes a range of styles and varieties, from vibrant Pet Nats, through to whites crackling with energy and complex and layered reds.

This release is really exciting. It's a smaller release than what he usually turns up with but the wines have never looked better. Firstly, Flo's Fizz continues to evolve into an ever more serious sparkling that pushes the perception of what a Pet Nat should/could taste like. Up next is Augies Afterglow, which this year has transformed into a spice driven savoury Rosado after taking on many different forms over the years... And finally the latest release of James's Mountain Pinot Noir which is without a doubt the best wine he has ever made. - Pete L

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Range Life

Saturday 25th of November

3-6PM

Join us on Saturday to taste through a selection of new wines from Range Life. The idea behind Range Life is simple, focussing on premium Italian varieties sourced from vineyards across Victoria and producing exciting wines that overdeliver on quality and price.

On tasting will be:

Range Life Prosseco NV

Range Life Chardonnay Pet Nat 2020

Range Life Pinot Grigio 2022

Range Life Garganega 2022

Range Life Pinot Nero 2021

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It's that time of year again!

WINE FAIR TIME!

The festival of all things vinous is back and like always it's not to be missed!

We've handpicked a whole bunch of our favourite producers and selected a range of wines that show off the very best of this seasons drinking.

There will be a strong focus on fizz; from Pet Nats to Champagne and everything in between while still having a wide selection of non fizzy options too. The full producer list is still in the works but if you’ve been to one of these events you know they aren’t to be missed.

Here's a sneak peak at some of the producers that we will be pouring on the day:

Jilly

Havilah

Tom Shobbrook

Thienot Champagne

Mallaluka

Harkham

Domaine de la Pepiere

Domaine Jousset

Testalonga

Pietradolce

Champalou

Garagiste

Vincent Couche

Commune of Buttons

La Violetta

Jauma

Cloud Project

Thomas Wines

and many more...

Rain, hail or shine, it won't stop us from putting on a good time.

Tickets are just $30 and include a Riedel tasting glass, yours to take home.

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Olivier Horiot

"His sparkling wine is delicious, but thankfully most of his production is in still wine, as his Rosé wines from two vineyards - En Barmont and En Valingrain - are two of the most profound Rosés on the planet." - Rajat Parr - The Sommelier's Atlas Of Taste

Olivier Horiot is one of my favourite growers in Champagne. He is based in the Cotes des Bar sub-region of Champagne and focusses mainly on Pinot Noir but also farms small parcels of the varieties allowed within the appelation. His family have been tending to vines in Les Riceys since the 1600s. It wasn't until the early 2000s that they began to estate bottle their wines and take advantage of the very unique appellation laws that apply to Les Riceys, the only village in Champagne to be apart of three appelation designations, Champagne (sparkling), Coteaux Champenois (still) and Rosé des Riceys (still rosé) and Olivier produces some of the finest examples of all three that I have tasted.

Olivier Horiot is the only Champagne based producer that we carry more still wine from compared to sparkling and if you've had the pleasure of tasting them you will know why... If not, then I would compel you to change that and take a chance on any of his Coteaux Champenois before they disappear as we only have tiny amounts. His attention to detail and care from vines to wine is obvious on first sip across all his wines as he is able to coax out the intricacies of the Les Riceys terroir into each of his cuvees. He vinifies all his parcels as small separate ferments, ageing them in a variety of different vessels giving him the ability to craft wines that offer a snapshot of region and vintage whilst using wild yeast, minimal sulphur additions and zero dosage for all of his sparkling wines.

His Métisse Champagne has been a go to of mine for pre-meal celebrations for a little while now as it matches depth and detail with freshness and the kind of energy you want from a Champagne before sitting down to a long meal with friends and will be the Champagne I take to Christmas and I think you should too. - Pete L

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Christmas Shipping

Don't forget Australia Post's cut-off dates for a Christmas delivery are fast approaching!

For Regular Parcel Post to metro areas, the recommended final post date is next Friday the 15th.

For Express Post to metro areas, the recommended final post date is Thursday the 21st.

Please remember that deliveries to regional areas may require more time. In addition to Australia Post, Anonymous Wine Freight services the metro areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Adelaide, and will be used as preference over Australia Post where possible to ensure a speedy delivery.

Our team will be out and about doing deliveries within a 10km radius of the store, right up until Christmas Eve so there's no need to miss out on gifting your favourite wines to your colleagues, friends and loved ones for Christmas!

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