Sands of Time Grenache – Highly aromatic, offering scents of sandalwood, dried orange, violets and gentle wood spice on the nose, it leads into a palate that is at once elegant and vibrant, yet concentrated and enduring. Silky and seamless, it presents a glossy, deeply appealing mix of wild strawberry, violets and the faintest whisper of cinnamon and woodsmoke. Both achingly beautiful and effortlessly drinkable in equal measure.
Sourced from one single vineyard, planted 1952, the bush trained vines on pure sand yield up a wine of immense purity and power that is both light and intense at the same time.
The wine is vinified naturally in a concrete pyramid, where whole bunches are placed alternately with de‑stemmed berries to create a layered ‘cake’, with 33% whole bunch employed. A very gentle, slow fermentation follows, before the wine matures in both oak and concrete. After a meticulous selection, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered after ten months.
Beef casserole, coq au vin.
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 us 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.
Sands of Time Grenache by Thistledown – great Grenache from an afficianado producer
£49.00 a bottle
4 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 McLaren Vale is predominately a red wine region, producing some of the best red wines in South Australia. Vineyards were first planted in the mid 1800s. One of the early pioneers Thomas Hardy established a business that evolved to BRL Hardy, one of the largest wine companies in the country. The region also has a healthy number of boutique wineries that consistently make fine wines and experiment with different wine styles. The climate is warm to hot with dry summers, and benefits from cooling breezes from the St Vincent Gulf. The main wine styles: Red – Shiraz (rich, ripe & generous), Cabernet Sauvignon; White – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc.
Originates from Spain (known as Garnacha). This grape generally produces soft, velvety, high alcohol wines with sweet, ripe blackberry flavour. Old-vine versions are prized in South Australia.
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