Thistledown Suilven Chardonnay

Ever since historic Scots, James Busby and John MacArthur founded the Australian wine industry in the early 19th century, the relationship between Scotland and Australia has been an enduring one.

Guardians of a long history, Thistledown Wine Co. continues the tradition of Scottish ingenuity and great Australian wine. From their small-batch winery in the idyllic Adelaide Hills, they work with pristine fruit sourced from iconic vineyard sites. Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW, with the helping hand of Peter Leske, craft lithe, energetic wines that illustrate the benefits of great sites and intelligent, low-intervention winemaking. Giles and Fergal share a particular passion for Grenache and, in ever more detail, Thistledown continue to unpick the rich patchwork of South Australian Grenache, reassembling it in their own inimitable style. This unique blend of superb fruit sources and experience in both the New and the Old Worlds helps craft wine of subtlety, texture and detail, wines perfectly suited to complement rather than overwhelm fine food.

Chardonnay,

Grown in the cooler Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, the focus is on site selection and then individual barrel selection to craft our ultimate expression of the king of white grapes.

Hand picking, whole bunch pressing and natural fermentations in barrel enhance the pristine quality of the fruit while the selection in barrel allows us to pick out only those barrels that show the energy, nerve and complexity of which great Chardonnay is capable.

Refreshing white fruits, with a hint of spice and light oaking on the nose. Zippy acidity and stone fruits such as peach, and some minerality adding some texture.

A really versatile Chardonnay that pairs well with so many foods but our favourites would include rich fish dishes with buttery sauces, steak bearnaise and grilled veal.