2021 Thistledown The Vagabond Grenache

Highly Rated
A remarkable expression of old vine Grenache from McLaren Vale. Spectacular drinking.

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Sale price$60.00
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Description

Thistledown is no stranger to Grenache - in fact, they've admitted they're obsessed with the variety, and they work wonders with it.

Their Vagabond Grenache is a deep, contemplative expression, seeing multiple different vinification methods - some parcels seeing whole bunch, some aged in concrete, some in oak, and some seeing time in concrete egg. The resultant wine is filled with floral aromas, the palate overflowing with black cherry, wild berries and a warming touch of spice. It's a polished wine, made with extreme finesse and superbly complex, yet it manages to maintain so much freshness and energy.

If you love a Grenache, you'd be crazy to look past this one. It's a spectacular wine to sit back and philosophise with.

From 4 separate, old, dry grown, bush trained vineyards in Blewitt Spring, planted in deep sands with some ironstone. All the fruit was hand picked with each vineyard vinified separately. One vineyard was wild fermented in a concrete pyramid which had layers of whole bunch and crushed fruit. This ferment had no mechanical extraction. The balance was wild fermented in an open fermenter with 35% whole bunches, hand plunged twice daily. This portion was aged in puncheons while the pyramid fermented was pressed back to a concrete egg and oak puncheons for maturation.

95 Points - "Deep, bright red/purple colour, with a fragrant bouquet of black fruits and fresh herbs, aromatic and bold, a hint of coconut, the palate lusciously fruit-sweet at its heart and backed by firm but gentle tannins that are in good balance while supplying appropriate structure. Extra length. I'd give it a year more, but it's a good drink now. I especially enjoy its freshness and vitality." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

95 Points - "So much perfume here. Dried flowers, thyme, spice, orange peel, raspberry and strawberries. It's medium-bodied, quite tense and firm, fine sandy grip to tannin, brightness and so much energy, a subtle meaty edge, dry with plenty of grip and superb shape to the long finish, and fresh red fruits and fragrance to close. An outstanding expression of Grenache." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

95 Points - "Such a fine vintage, reverberating across such a great wine. Pithy cherry, cranberry, raspberry bon-bon, anise, thyme and basil. The leitmotif, the thrust of a superbly extracted tannic kit, sandy and pixelated, juxtaposed against the parry of fruit so refined that one can only believe." - Ned Goodwin MW (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 Points - "Aromas of red cherries, baked strawberries, violets, crushed stones and suede. Medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins. Succulent and mouthwatering. Mineral notes add definition and a hint of saltiness, which creates wonderful integration with the pretty red fruit. Floral as well. Lovely. Vegan. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - JamesSuckling.com

Thistledown

Thistledown wines was founded by UK natives Fergal Tynan, and Giles Cooke, the two MWs met while they began their WSET studies and formed a fast and strong bond.

While they have vineyards and wineries across the globe, Thistledown holds a special place in their hearts, with many of Giles' first forays into MW wine travel happening around Australia.

With renowned local winemaker Peter Leske on hand year-round, Giles is still quite hands-on with Thistledown, ensuring to be downunder throughout the year at key points in the winemaking process.

Giles Cooke MW Thistledown

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Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

Ordering

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  • Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
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We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!

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We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

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