{"product_id":"2024-thistledown-the-cunning-plan-shiraz","title":"2024 Thistledown The Cunning Plan Shiraz","description":"\u003cp\u003eThistledown made its name with old-vine Grenache - it was Halliday's Grenache of the Year in 2022, 2025 and 2026 - but Giles Cooke MW has a sneaky soft spot for McLaren Vale Shiraz, and The Cunning Plan is his best value offering. The 2024 is a seriously good-value red with a lot more polish than its price suggests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fruit comes from the Moray Park vineyard in McLaren Flat, a low-yielding site on ironstone, limestone and clay, planted around the turn of the century. Winemaking's kept simple. The grapes are destemmed with as many whole berries kept intact as possible, wild fermented, then matured in French oak with only 10% new, so the wood stays in the background.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's all about ripe plum and blackberry, a good dose of that peppery, star anise spice the Vale does so well, and a lick of wild herbs. It's a touch lighter on its feet than you might expect, with juicy fruit and fine, velvety tannins that hold it together without any heaviness. Classic McLaren Vale Shiraz from a class producer, and fine value again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"There’s the classic ease to this, tannins cradling rather than constricting fruit. Fine value, as always.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"That exotic sway of pan-fried spices that McLaren Vale so excels in... This is very good.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Thistledown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68118644195371,"sku":"2024 Thistledown The Cunning Plan Shiraz","price":29.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2023ThistledownTheCunningPlanShiraz_55fbca1d-9258-49c0-ac9b-392b86161449.png?v=1794270302","url":"https:\/\/www.differentdrop.com\/products\/2024-thistledown-the-cunning-plan-shiraz","provider":"Different Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}