Thistledown, Bachelor's Block Single Site Shiraz, Ebenezer, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2020

Producer Profile

Masters of Wine, Giles Cooke & Fergal Tynan, founded Thistledown Wines in 2010 after discovering iconic vineyard sites in the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills.

They make hand-made, small batch wines that perfectly illustrate the benefits of great sites and intelligent, minimalist winemaking.

Viticulture

The first "single site" release and a wine that sets the benchmark for contemporary fine wine from the Barossa. Produced from hand-picked fruit from defined part of one single block in the revered Ebenezer sub-region, Bachelor's Block effortlessly blends precise picking times, whole bunch natural fermentations, gentle vinification with extended time in fine French hogsheads to yield a wine of taut power, finesse and savoury freshness.

Winemaking

The aim is to maximise the potential of the site. Hand-picked relatively early in order to preserve the fresher aromatics. The fruit was left to cold soak for a couple of days before the natural fermentation began. They used approx 35% whole bunches in the ferment, which was hand plunged twice daily. Post ferment maceration lasted a further 5 days before pressing to 300 litre French hogsheads - where it lay for 14 months before bottling .

Oak Ageing

Time: 14 Months
Type: 300 Litre French Hogsheads
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 33

Tasting Note

Thistledown have been working with this grower for a number of years and though all of his fruit is very solid, one particular block always stood out, irrespective of the year. In 2020 they carefully hand-picked a portion of the block allowing them to do whole bunch ferments which added another dimension to the already epic fruit. A complex and savoury nose with hints of graphite, liquorice, spice and blackberry. The palate is well balanced with dense, smoky black fruits and beautifully polished, glossy tannins that provide a mouthfilling yet succulent, energetic finish.

Food Matching

Braised ox cheeks, roast rib of beef.

Awards

James Halliday 96 Points
'Sourced from a single, propitiously sited block in Ebenezer. Hand picked, fermented spontaneously with a seasoning of whole bunches, before maturation in French wood. Subdued aromas of blueberry, licorice, clove, dried nori, sassafras and kirsch. Plenty of oomph. But classy. No jam, or overt angles. The acidity, briny. The tannins, an immaculate sheath, as polished as it is detailed, articulating the fruit and spicy underbelly as a long, chinotto-soused finish. This opens up nicely with time, becoming floral. But still a nascent proposition, needing a whack into a decanter. Superlative, full-bodied shiraz, for those who appreciate structure and refinement. 96 Points, NG(MW), September 2022.
Robert Parkers The Wine Advocate 96 Points
The fruit profile here is very, very different to the 2020 Where Eagles Dare (Eden Valley). The Ebenezer region provides red dirt and bloody meat with ease; here, the 2020 Bachelor's Block Ebenezer Shiraz brings the earth right into the glass, but it couches it in a way that it seems supple and sophisticated. This is plush and thrilling and, most importantly, satisfying, because when great wine hits all of these marks, it's a reason to get excited. 96 Points, EL, September 2022.