97 points - "An intense note of raspberry essence mixes with dried rose petals and subtle kelp aromas. It's almost playing cat and mouse - you think it's presented itself, and then more aromas appear: fresh leather and sour cherries. The palate is a beam of flavour, echoing the nose. A crescendo of silty tannins carries the flavours along, never interfering with graceful expression. This is glorious grenache providing off-the-charts enjoyment. It's so complete in its youth and will only gain greater complexity with age." - Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

97+ points - "The 2024 Fool on the Hill Grenache is from Eden Valley, and the wine is abundantly aromatic and eloquent of its place. The tiered vineyard site is up near Pewsey Vale and overlooks the Barossa from its vantage point of 500 meters above sea level. The wine is aromatically soft, textural and plump in the mouth, with rose petals and blood orange, red apples and redcurrants. With a hint of pomegranate molasses, the quartz comes through, and there's an integrated base of savory flavor that balances the exuberance of it. It's a highly attractive, gorgeous wine that speaks of the Eden in its splay of rocky tannin. It is chewy and powdery and fills the mouth with floral perfume. It fermented in concrete, which was a "layer cake of whole bunch and whole berry," says founder and winemaker Giles Cooke MW. The ferment received no pumping over, i.e., a very gentle extraction. Post ferment, it matured for 10 months in three- to five-year-old French puncheons. When I think of the three Grenache wines, I, perhaps controversially, given the others are from McLaren Vale, admire the tannin structure of this one the most. They all are magnificent wines." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

96 points - "This from a new site to the brand, the Trial Hill vineyard, now owned and managed by Joel Mattschoss. This speaks the Thistledown dialect, expressly pure fruited yet intrinsically savoury, floral, elegant yet deep, finely but properly structured. There’s the usual cohort of red fruits, but it’s a little more earthy and spicy than its Vale peers. Day two is when this truly shines, becoming more fragrant with musk and souk spices. This is a wine to watch." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

93 points - "Cherry, blackcurrant, sage, spice, white pepper and dusty things It’s juicy and full of blackberry pastille, tannin is good, with something of a stony character, fine ‘minerally’ acidity, raspberry frog with spicy finish. It’s maybe a little too sweet and minty, though it’s a distinctive wine of high quality. Very Eden." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

As one of the “outsiders,” we’ve always been drawn to people with a similarly maverick streak—those willing to do things the hard way. But the path to success is rarely an even, linear one. Doubters, cynics, and dilettantes line the path, and it takes an iron will to continue on. When the destination is not yet known, or even in sight, one’s sanity may even be questioned. This only serves to galvanise and to spur one forward.

The Fool on the Hill is sourced from a beautiful, contoured site high above the Barossa Valley. Isolated and challenging, those pioneers who originally had the foresight to plant must have sometimes questioned their sanity.

2574 Bottles Produced

Tasting
The signature Thistledown lifted aromatics are present, but the palate offers more sinew and spice than those from McLaren Vale. Textural, almost chewy but polished dark cherry, mineral, and warm spices carry through to a finish of incredible length.

Viticulture
The first vintage from Joel Mattschoss’ Trial Hill Vineyard. These old bush-trained vines have been brought back into rude health, and their fruit is filled with energy, intensity, and mineral-strewn complexity.

Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked early in the morning before swift transport to the winery, where 20% whole bunches were retained. Wild fermented in concrete pyramid before pressing to large format seasoned oak for 11 months.

Wine Analysis
• Varietal: 100% Grenache
• Alcohol: 14%
• Total Acidity: 5.7 g/l
• pH: 3.6
• Residual Sugar: 1 g/l
• SO2: 72 mg/l

Vintage Conditions
The 2024 vintage, being the first El Niño season, was expected to be warm and dry, but if anything, the early season conditions were the opposite. Unsettled, cool, and sometimes wet weather resulted in erratic fruit set, but from the end of January onwards, the weather was settled and very dry. Aside from a few days of heat in March, the season continued with moderate temperatures and mild conditions, allowing for picking all varieties at the ideal moment.

Certifications
This wine carries the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Trust Mark.
It is both vegetarian and vegan friendly.