2024 Thistledown Sands of Time Grenache, Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale

From Sue Trott’s Blewitt Springs vineyard, planted in '52 to deep Maslin Sands. The Trott vineyard typically throws a slightly darker fruit profile, and this wine can be a little slower to emerge after bottling, but this year it’s open, perfumed and engaging from the beginning. That’s not to say it’s simpler – far from it. Refined, elegant, suffused with pressed florals and dark spice notes, rosehip tea, dried black cherry, iron, fennel seed and warm stone, the shape and drive reminiscent of nebbiolo, though more Valtellina than Langhe. That comparison is just for communication, as this is strikingly its own thing, another arrow finding the bullseye to show why modern Australian grenache is one of world wine’s most exciting categories. Sublime.

97 points Special Value Marcus Ellis winecompanion.com.au

Thistledown Sands of Time Grenache from Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale is a profound, deeply expressive red wine that stands as one of Australia’s most compelling interpretations of old vine Grenache. Sourced from ancient bush vines planted in 1946 on the deep sandy soils of Blewitt Springs, this wine is a masterclass in elegance, perfume, and site transparency.

Thistledown has become a leader in the Grenache revival, and Sands of Time is their flagship expression. Winemakers Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW take a highly detailed approach—farming is meticulous, and the winemaking is low-intervention but precise. Fruit is handpicked at perfect phenolic ripeness, often with whole bunch inclusion to bring structure and aromatic lift. Fermentation is wild, extraction is gentle, and the wine is aged in large French oak for texture and polish without oak dominance.

The Blewitt Springs subregion is critical to the wine’s character. High elevation, cooling breezes from the nearby Gulf, and iron-rich sandy soils give the wine finesse, lifted aromatics, and mineral tension—far from the dense, overly ripe styles that once defined the region.

In the glass, it opens with wild strawberry, raspberry, rose petal, baking spices, and hints of blood orange and tea leaf. The palate is medium bodied with velvety tannins, bright acidity, and a savoury, sandstone-like mineral finish that lingers with grace and purpose. It’s soulful, structured, and built to age.

Sands of Time is a benchmark for contemporary Australian Grenache and a stunning pairing with duck, grilled lamb, or slow-cooked vegetables.