2023 Thistledown The Vagabond Grenache
2023 Thistledown The Vagabond Grenache

2023 Thistledown The Vagabond Grenache

95 pts
Thistledown |McLaren Vale |Grenache
A fragrant, textural McLaren Vale Grenache from old bush vines in Blewitt Springs, showing the finesse and energy Thistledown has made its name on.
Price:
$60.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

Thistledown is the project of UK-born Masters of Wine Giles Cooke and Irish wine all-rounder Paddy Gilhooly, who fell hard for Australian vineyards early in their wine journeys. With the help of local winemakers and impeccable vineyard selections, they’ve built a reputation for Grenache that captures both the beauty and grit of McLaren Vale’s old bush vines.

The Vagabond comes from four dry-grown vineyards in Blewitt Springs, some planted back in the middle of last century on deep sands and ironstone. Each parcel is handled gently – lots of whole bunches, wild ferments in concrete and open top vats, and maturation in a mix of old puncheons and concrete egg. It’s a thoughtful approach that highlights perfume and texture rather than oak or weight.

The 2023 release feels full of energy – aromatic, layered and carried by those fine, sandy tannins that Blewitt Springs does so well. It’s medium bodied but far from simple, showing just how expressive Grenache can be when old vines and careful winemaking meet. A wine that’s immediately charming, yet clearly built to age.

95 points
"From four Blewitt Springs sites, all old, dry-grown bush vine. One parcel was fermented in a concrete pyramid with crushed fruit and whole bunches, the rest open fermented with 35% whole bunches; maturation mainly in old puncheons. 2023 has delivered grenache of beguiling perfume. In the best examples there's also depth, spice and the structural architecture to age. Such is the case here. Dusky dark rose, cherry, wild raspberry, ground cinnamon, rosehip and bergamot tea with a ferrous substratum. The tannins across the ’23 grenache bottlings at this address are excellent, assertive in a finely sandy and gently pithy way."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

94 points
"The 2023 The Vagabond Old Vine Grenache is bottled in lighter-weight glass than the 2022 iteration—305 grams less, to be exact, and not imported glass, either. Brilliant. This 2023 Vagabond is looking so fine and crunchy, delicate and floral, silty and a little febrile. It's attractive and great. Very young, it's still in its vivid, exuberant phase. It's super. Irresistible, in fact. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Companion)

 

Stuart Knox

Stuart Knox

The Real Review 94 Points

Deep ruby and purple colours in the glass. Mulberry, wood oil and cardamom aromatics. Dark berry fruits fill the core of the palate. It's medium to full in weight yet with a lift of acid ensuring it never sits heavy. Savoury spices and dark slate minerality all add to the complexity and character here with firm grained tannins ensuring length and precision to its flow, with the finish lingering very long.

Marcus Ellis

Marcus Ellis

Halliday Wine Companion 95 Points

From four Blewitt Springs sites, all old, dry-grown bush vine. One parcel was fermented in a concrete pyramid with crushed fruit and whole bunches, the rest open fermented with 35% whole bunches; maturation mainly in old puncheons. 2023 has delivered grenache of beguiling perfume. In the best examples there's also depth, spice and the structural architecture to age. Such is the case here. Dusky dark rose, cherry, wild raspberry, ground cinnamon, rosehip and bergamot tea with a ferrous substratum. The tannins across the ’23 grenache bottlings at this address are excellent, assertive in a finely sandy and gently pithy way.

Tasting Note
From 4 remarkable, old, dry grown, bush- trained vineyards in Blewitt Springs, sub-region of McLaren Vale, planted in deep sands with some ironstone.
This wine possesses a beautifully complex, aromatic nose of violets, wild cherry, rosemary and warming spice. The palate is energetic yet polished and smooth with vibrant cherry, spice, wild strawberry and liquorice on the palate. Medium bodied but multi-layered and textural with a very long, aromatic finish.

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Viticulture
As we like to pick ‘on the way up’ our season began quickly with several varieties ripening at once but then progressed nicely, with the ability to pick when it suited given the settled weather.

Winemaking
From 4 separate, old, dry grown, bush trained vineyards in Blewitt Springs, planted in deep sands with some ironstone. The fruit was hand picked, 68% 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.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Grenache
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Reviewed By James Suckling
The Wine Front
The Real Review
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 95
94
Alcohol 14.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Common Questions

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.

No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.

Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.

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.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.

Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Need a hand?

We’d love to help you out! Most questions can be sorted quickly through our Help Centre or by dropping us a line on chat or email. If it’s something urgent or you just really want to have a yarn about wine, food, or even the meaning of life, give us a call — we’re here for you.

Regular Enquiries

hello@differentdrop.com

Urgent Enquiries

02 8376 8775