Thistledown Suilven Chardonnay 2025

Written By Campbell Mattinson
Bottle of Thistledown Suilven Chardonnay.

Thistledown Suilven Chardonnay 2025
AU$75, 13% alcohol, screwcap, Adelaide Hills.

Belter of a chardonnay. It has flavour, tension, length and interest but it also has a bit of grip, which I like, and which serves and suits the wine so very well. It’s a smoky chardonnay with nectarine, quartz, mace, almond meal and nashi pear characters rollicking throughout; it’s complex, juicy and energetic at once. It also has a bit of drama through the finish, in length and character/interest/umami terms. I was onto my second glass before I really noticed the creamy vanilla aspect of this wine; it’s certainly there, but it’s so well integrated. Everything here feels masterful.

95 points – Campbell Mattinson.

Campbell Mattinson

Campbell Mattinson has been an independent journalist, wine critic and photographer for forty years. He founded The Winefront, is a former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion (and former editor of Halliday magazine), and is the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He is 100% independent, and tastes between 5,000 and 10,000 wines each year, blind and in comparative brackets as often as is practicable.

More about Campbell Mattinson

Mattinson is also the founder of the Mattinson Photography business.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
Previous

Briar Ridge Stockhausen Chardonnay 2025
Next

Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2024