Thistledown Great Escape Chardonnay – Citrussy, subtle oak influence and a bright yet creamy palate. With moderate alcohol, focussed, crisp citrus fruit and a mouth-watering finish, this is an accomplished, truly modern style of this noble variety.
Shellfish, oysters and aromatic Asian dishes.
The Great Escape is Thistledown’s benchmark, cooler climate Chardonnay produced from fruit grown in elevated vineyard sites which allow for a long ripening period which helps to maintain the natural sugar and acid balance of the grape. With moderate alcohol, focussed, crisp citrus fruit and a mouth-watering finish, this is an accomplished, truly modern style of this noble variety. Dry grown, old bush vines, grown on red-brown sandy loams with quartz and ironstone. Low intervention viticulture with minimal spray regime, cover crops and promotion of biodiversity.
Initial explorations resulted in access to many of the best vineyards, many of which were the previously unloved Old Vine Grenache. Incredible, historic fruit sources coupled with Giles’ increasingly adept efforts has quickly resulted in a reputation for being amongst the best in the country. Narrating the stories of these wines to an increasingly attentive global audience is Giles’ heartfelt commitment and mission.
Thistledown works closely with a diverse group of growers across the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek regions of South Australia and seeks out growers whose fruit is capable of expressing balance, varietal expression and a keen sense of place. In general, Thistledown sources fruit that is grown at about 3 tons per acre which we believe provides them with the optimal combination of concentration, fruit purity and balance. The regions of Barossa and McLaren Vale are blessed with a multitude of soil structures and we like to work with fruit that displays the effects of the changing nature of the soil explicitly – be that the rich, deep terra rossa soils of the Barossa Valley floor or the undulating, sandy soils of Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale. Much is talked about the role of old vines and they are indeed a fabulous resource. However, they are not a guarantee of quality and in some years, having a trellised, judiciously irrigated middle aged vine may well provide wine of better balance than a dry grown old vine. We therefore like to work with a spread of trellised and bush vine vineyards, old and new, dry grown and irrigated. The consistent factor must be limited yields and balance.
To find out more about the Thistledown winery please go to their website
To see our full range of Thistledown wines go to their page on our website
Best known as one of the leaders of the contemporary Grenache movement, Thistledown Wines make small batch Grenache, Shiraz and Chardonnay from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. Alongside Wild & Wilder Wines, benchmark regional varietals and Mediterranean blends, and Millions Suns, sustainably certified wines from The Riverland, they produce world class wines with quality, value and sustainability at their core.
Like the Thistle itself, Thistledown wines may appear robust on the surface but they seek deep flavours, a core of beautiful fruit and complexity that can be peeled back, layer by layer.
.Thistledown Great Escape Chardonnay – a great example of this truly wonderful Aussie varietal
£19.99 a bottle
12 in stock
Thistledown was founded in 2010 by Master of Wine, Giles Cooke whose vision was to craft wines of precision, elegance and energy. Wines that not only faithfully expressed the sites from which the fruit was grown but challenged the accepted norms of Australian wine at the time.
Thistledown craft elegant, energetic and detailed Grenache, Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley, and contemporary style Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Eden Valley and Barossa
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s most charming wine regions and home to a large number of premium wine producers. The wine history of the area is similar to many other wine regions: industry developed after the first plantings in the 1840s, only to struggle for economic survival as consumer tastes changed with resurgence in the 1970s – most notably Brian Croser with Petaluma. Today it is very much a boutique vineyard and winery region that is pitching for quality and winning awards. This region has the coolest climate of all South Australian wine regions. Nestled in the Hills, its climate influenced by altitude (350m to 700m) and winds from the St Vincents Gulf. Main wine styles: White – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling; Red – Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz.
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