Thistle do nicely…
We’re super excited to have secured a small parcel of the rare wines produced by Thistledown in McLaren Vale. Thistledown Wines are rated as a five-star winery by James Halliday’s Wine Companion and one of the ‘Top Wineries’ in Australia by The Real Review. The wines are made in small batches by two Masters of Wine Giles Cooke and Fergal Tynan so the quality was always going to be exceptional. Throw in a little support from Peter Leske a consultant who has worked at Nepenthe Grosset and Domaine Dujac and you know you’re about to open something special.
This Charming Man Single Vineyard Grenache was not inspired by The Smiths’ classic from 1983 but rather by Bernard Smart. He and generations of his family have devoted their lives to the Grenache grape and their vineyard in the Clarendon sub-region of McLaren Vale which contains some centenarian bush vines. Grenache has been undervalued until recently but it’s standing up better than Shiraz to the impact of the climate crisis felt in South Australia and there seems to be a new appreciation for it. All of which makes this vegan-friendly wine hot property. Elegant black cherry plum crumble raspberry violet mint dried Mediterranean herbs spiced gingerbread biscuits broken terracotta dust and a pinch of sea salt all come together to dazzling effect. But don’t just take our word for it the experts at James Halliday’s Wine Companion say they “adore this estate’s obsession with Grenache” and just read the other glowing reviews from the critics…
97 points “This is grenache with real purity and focus offering fragrant raspberry wild-herb and sappy nuances on the nose. The palate strikes elegance with concentration and delivers such pure raspberry and red plum flavours. The acidity chimes in neatly. This is just so polished. Drink over the next seven years.” – James Suckling
95 points “When siphoning amidst the pantheon of the country's greatest grenache it is important to take time to let wines unwind. And so it is that I write on the 2nd day after opening. Was clunky. Now a swan! From the cherished Smart Family vineyard. Cherry amaro bergamot thyme lavender and a whiff of mint rather than (mercifully) eucalyptus. Some malty oak could be shifted. Sweeter than the ‘19 with a skein of freshness and bunchy (20%) tannins tucking in the exuberance. Expansive. The broader of the siblings. Long and juicy. Delicious.” – Ned Goodwin MW
SKU No.: 3414389
Style No.: 870423
Region: McLaren Vale
Grapes: Grenache
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 20%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites
Thistle do nicely…
We’re super excited to have secured a small parcel of the rare wines produced by Thistledown in McLaren Vale. Thistledown Wines are rated as a five-star winery by James Halliday’s Wine Companion and one of the ‘Top Wineries’ in Australia by The Real Review. The wines are made in small batches by two Masters of Wine Giles Cooke and Fergal Tynan so the quality was always going to be exceptional. Throw in a little support from Peter Leske a consultant who has worked at Nepenthe Grosset and Domaine Dujac and you know you’re about to open something special.
This Charming Man Single Vineyard Grenache was not inspired by The Smiths’ classic from 1983 but rather by Bernard Smart. He and generations of his family have devoted their lives to the Grenache grape and their vineyard in the Clarendon sub-region of McLaren Vale which contains some centenarian bush vines. Grenache has been undervalued until recently but it’s standing up better than Shiraz to the impact of the climate crisis felt in South Australia and there seems to be a new appreciation for it. All of which makes this vegan-friendly wine hot property. Elegant black cherry plum crumble raspberry violet mint dried Mediterranean herbs spiced gingerbread biscuits broken terracotta dust and a pinch of sea salt all come together to dazzling effect. But don’t just take our word for it the experts at James Halliday’s Wine Companion say they “adore this estate’s obsession with Grenache” and just read the other glowing reviews from the critics…
97 points “This is grenache with real purity and focus offering fragrant raspberry wild-herb and sappy nuances on the nose. The palate strikes elegance with concentration and delivers such pure raspberry and red plum flavours. The acidity chimes in neatly. This is just so polished. Drink over the next seven years.” – James Suckling
95 points “When siphoning amidst the pantheon of the country's greatest grenache it is important to take time to let wines unwind. And so it is that I write on the 2nd day after opening. Was clunky. Now a swan! From the cherished Smart Family vineyard. Cherry amaro bergamot thyme lavender and a whiff of mint rather than (mercifully) eucalyptus. Some malty oak could be shifted. Sweeter than the ‘19 with a skein of freshness and bunchy (20%) tannins tucking in the exuberance. Expansive. The broader of the siblings. Long and juicy. Delicious.” – Ned Goodwin MW
SKU No.: 3414389
Style No.: 870423