Thistledown Our Fathers Smart Vineyard Old Vine Grenache 2024

Thistledown’s This Charming Man Old Vine Grenache 2024 is one of the wines of the year – and indeed, it won the actual Wine of the Year at the Halliday Wine Companion awards. Remarkably, this release of Our Fathers Old Vine Grenache is off the same vineyard and could, by rights, have gone into the This Charming Man release. The quality is as good, and Thistledown would have made more profit that way.

Our Fathers though is Thistledown’s annual not-for-profit label. This is where the wine of the year becomes the story of the year. An Our Fathers wine has been released every year since 2014, with all profits going to charities both in Australia and in the UK. In the words of Thistledown’s Giles Cooke MW, “benefactors have been varied, (though) the majority of the money donated goes to mental health charities. We have recently committed to support Breathrough Mental Health Research in Australia.”

This Our Fathers Old Vine Grenache 2024 would sell in a heartbeat in the cut and thrust of retail. That it’s released as a not-for-profit venture is unbelievable. Even at $70, it’s an absolutely compelling proposition.

It’s the same vineyard as the Wine of the Year. The same variety. The same quality. Indeed it’s modern McLaren Vale at its very best.

Review:

Great tannin, complex aroma and flavour, irresistible length through the finish. This wine takes finesse and makes it feels powerful. It tastes of tonic water and redcurrant, anise, botanicals in general, red cherry, earth, cola and orange blossoms. It wins you over immediately, holds you captivated, and then gives your heart a squeeze through the finish. The extra kick of specialness through that finish is electric. Thistledown had a wow year in 2024. This wine is more than just icing. This is an incredible grenache. 96+ points.

This wine is available direct via Thistledown’s website here.