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Saison Aperitifs Vermouth Tasting Saturday 21st 3pm-6pm + Clonakilla

by Annandale Cellars

Saison Aperitifs Vermouth Tasting

Saturday 21st

3pm-6pm

Join us this Saturday as we taste through some of the store’s favourite vermouth - Saison Aperitifs.

Saison Aperitifs was founded by Dave Verheul in 2020 - a celebrated chef (Embla in Melbourne) and lover of bitter drinks with the notion that vermouth and amaro could be brighter, fresher, more singular in flavour. The name Saison stems from the fact that they aim to capture their favourite seasonal moments in the bottle. 

Every aperitif they make starts with a core ingredient that is picked at its peak with seasonal notes added to enhance the expression, not to obscure or mask anything. They source wild foraged herbs, fruit and flowers from small-scale growers and multiple Australian varieties of the required herb wormwood which they know how to get the best out of with decades of kitchen experience.

This is what we'll be pouring on the day:

Saison Red Vermouth

2025 Saison White Flowers Vermouth

2024 Saison Spring Rhubarb Vermouth

2024 Saison Fallen Quinces Vermouth

2025 Saison Black Walnut Vermouth

Saison Artichoke Vin Amaro

These are some of the most exciting vermouths in the country - come down to the store this weekend to see what all the fuss is about!

 

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Clonakilla

Clonakilla started when John Kirk was told that Canberra was too cold to grow vines. He didn't believe that, nor did 2 other CSIRO scientists that he was talking with so he found a nice plot of land in Murrumbateman and bought it, planting vines in 1971. This was the start of a revolution in the region that led to the Canberra District being recognised for its fantastic cool climate viticultural possibilities and to establishing one of the best wineries in the country.

Today, Clonakilla are probably the greatest producer in NSW (sorry Canberra, Murrumbateman falls outside of your territory) and have significantly impacted the landscape of Australian wine. Clonakilla is best known for their iconic Shiraz/Viognier - a wine that was inspired by Tom Kirk's barrel-tasting at Côte-Rôtie's Guigal in 1991. Tom was enthralled by the amalgam of spice, fruit and floral notes and wanted to try his hand at making something similar here. Luckily, Tom's dad John had planted Viognier on the estate 5 years prior which worked out for the first vintage of this wine to be made when he returned in 1992. This wine went on to influence many other winemakers (and drinkers, for that matter) which saw a drastic shift in an appreciation for the lighter, more elegant styles of Shiraz in contrast to the bigger classic South Australian renditions. Today, it is one of the most collected wines in Australia and Clonakilla continue to put out an array of stellar wines at all levels of the price spectrum.

Last week I had the privilege of popping into the cellar door in Murrumbateman after an overnight trip to Canberra having the Monday off due to the public holiday. Re-tasting these wines (coincidentally after we had decided to stock up on some more) is always a treat that helps to understand their wines and where they sit. The '23 'Hilltops Shiraz' is fantastic Shiraz at this price point - this would be a great introduction to cooler climate styles to those that are more familiar with the Shiraz of South Australia. The '23 'O'Riada Shiraz' has to be the best value Shiraz in the country at this price. This explodes with layers of spices, fruit and savoury notes that are rarely seen at this level. In fact, I would rather drink this than the top Shiraz/Viognier at this point in their development. We also have this wine in 375ml bottles too for those of you that just want to try it first or just want a couple glasses with dinner. Finally, the '22 'Shiraz/Viognier' is a wine of detail and nuance, perhaps a bit shy at this stage in its development but will become more complex with age. I've previously been a bit disappointed with this wine in the past but having the chance to try a 2017 at the cellar door, I can confirm that these wines are exceptional, they just require a bit of patience to unlock their potential. These are some complex wines at simple prices from one of Australia's most unsung regions, stock up on these for winter!

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