Thistledown, Gorgeous Grenache 2023

Grenache is Australia's signature grape variety and to say the Thistledown lads are mildly obsessed with it would be an understatement.

Buying grapes from top growers all across South Australia, they've crafted a wine that captures all that is great about Grenache.

Aromatic, deceptively light but with beautiful wild fruit, and smooth, silky tannins.

The grapes are sourced from a number of old vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale, some of which are those gnarly dry grown bush vines.

The grapes from each vineyard are vinified in small batches, and all separately. Wild ferments (i.e. with the yeast which is naturally occurring), with whole bunches, larger oak barrels and with no filtration or fining, the makers really do believe in letting the best expression from the original and natural character of the fruit shine through.

While it says Grenache on the bottle, and it's true for 95% of what's in the bottle, there's also 4% Shiraz, and 1% Mataro (Mourvédre), though not enough to call it a GSM blend.

This is mostly all pure, energetic Grenache and it is, like the label says, Gorgeous.