2024 Thistledown Sands of Time Blewitt Springs Grenache

One of Australia’s truly great red wines.

3 Trophies at McLaren Vale Wine Show 2025 including Best Wine of Show

98 points The Real Review | 97 points Halliday Wine Companion| 97+ points The Wine Advocate | 95 points The Wine Front

Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia
RRP $80 | Old-Vine Grenache | Profound • Silken • World-Class

“A breathtaking Grenache from 70-old vines in Blewitt Springs — layered, graceful and deeply resonant. One of Australia’s truly great red wines.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Brilliant crimson with a luminous ruby rim — elegant and translucent.
Aroma: Intensely perfumed with wild strawberry, raspberry and blood orange layered over dried herbs, fine spice, and ironstone minerality.
Palate: Medium-bodied, silky, and perfectly balanced. The palate glides with red fruits, pomegranate and fine spice before unfurling into savoury complexity. Tannins are whisper-fine, acidity precise, and texture almost weightless — a masterclass in restraint and purity.
Finish: Long, pure, and hauntingly persistent — the essence of old-vine Grenache captured in a single glass.

Critical Acclaim

• 98 Points – The Real Review
  “A wine of great depth and presence. Fragrant, textural and supremely elegant — the pinnacle of modern Australian Grenache.”

• 97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion
  “Sheer brilliance. Grenache of rare finesse and beauty — powerful yet ethereal, perfectly balanced.”

• 97+ Points – The Wine Advocate
  “A profound wine — layered, pure and detailed. A thrilling expression of site, variety and sensitive winemaking.”

• 95 Points – The Wine Front
  “Raspberry, blood orange, spice and fine sandy tannins. Long, savoury and wonderfully composed.”

Vineyard & Winemaking

Sourced exclusively from century-old, dry-grown bush vines planted in the deep Maslin Sands of Blewitt Springs — one of the most revered terroirs in McLaren Vale.
These ancient vines produce tiny yields of intensely flavoured fruit, combining power with poise.

Crafted by Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW, this wine is handled with the lightest of touches:

• Hand-picked fruit

• Wild fermentation

• Gentle extraction

• Aged in large, seasoned French oak for 10 months

Every decision is guided by purity and texture — preserving the vivid aromatics, sandy tannins and natural elegance that define this site.

Region

Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale — the spiritual home of Australia’s finest Grenache.
High elevation, ancient sands and cooling breezes create wines of clarity, fragrance and structure, unmatched anywhere else in the country.

Food Pairings

• Roast duck with five-spice and plum glaze

• Chargrilled lamb cutlets with rosemary and garlic

• Porcini and truffle risotto

• Slow-roasted Mediterranean vegetables

• Aged Manchego or Pecorino

Why We Love It

The 2024 Thistledown ‘Sands of Time’ Grenache is a modern Australian icon — profound yet effortless, powerful yet pure.
It captures the timeless beauty of old-vine Blewitt Springs fruit with a transparency and grace few wines achieve.

With scores of 98, 97, and 97+ points, it stands among the very finest Grenache wines in the world — a benchmark release that cements Thistledown’s place at the top of Australia’s Grenache revolution.

Elegant. Ethereal. Extraordinary.
The 2024 Thistledown ‘Sands of Time’ Blewitt Springs Grenache is a masterpiece of purity and place — a 98-point expression of Australian greatness.