Thistledown Walking With Kings Roussanne

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.

Roussanne, Grenache Blanc

70% hand-picked Roussanne from Sellicks Hill, 30% biodynamic Grenache Blanc from the Riverland.

Both varieties are hand picked and fermented separately. Roussanne is whole bunch pressed, lightly settled and wild fermented in French oak. Grenache is oxidatively handled prior to wild ferment in barrel. The two components blend prior to bottling.

A richly textured white wine inspired by the great whites of the Rhône, this is creamy, aromatic and jam packed full of exotic notes from the Roussanne and more vibrant, green apple from Grenache. The end result is a wine so versatile, complex yet so moreish.

Rich seafood, creamy sauces and Asian cuisine.

Jancis Robinson 17/20
70% Roussanne from Sellicks Hills, 30% biodynamic Grenache Blanc from Kangarilla. Both varieties are hand-picked and fermented separately. Roussanne is whole-bunch pressed, lightly settled and ambient-yeast fermented in French oak. Grenache is oxidatively handled prior to ambient-yeast ferment in barrel. The two components blended prior to bottling. Golden colour (rare for Australia!). Lively and racy but with good fruit density and a herbal top note too. Well done! Really interesting blend. 17 Points, JR, April 2025.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight On French White Wines & Their Global Influences blog

On the other side of the world to its Rhone home, Roussanne has found a new lease of life in some of the boutique vineyards of Australia. This is nothing new, some of the oldest Roussanne vines in the world are found down under. Similarly to the Rhone, Roussanne is planted in sites benefitting from heat which is needed to ripen its thicker, russet coloured grapes. These sites also need to have moderating effects, either from wind-chill or altitude to retain the acidity that can drop quickly, and to reign in the alcohol levels which can easily exceed 14 or 15% ABV.

Thistledown winery is a shop favourite. We have put on several sell out tastings with the founder, Giles Cooke MW, (Master of Wine), over the years. I think it is safe to say that we have championed Giles’ wines to the point where they now sell themselves, having a loyal and in some cases, fanatical following amongst our customers.

For this particular wine, Giles has used grapes picked from two different sites. The Roussanne element, making up 70% of this blend, comes from Sellicks Hill in McLaren Vale, South Australia. The Grenache Blanc, 30% of the blend, is from a biodynamic plot in the Riverland, still South Australia but much further inland on the border with Victoria.

McLaren has a warm, Mediterranean climate that is moderated by breezes funnelled up the St Vincent Gulf, perfect for Roussanne. The Riverland is hot, this is where the Grenache comes from. Riverland is more renowned for bulk wine production than for quality viticulture, yet Gilles has found some fantastic old vineyards to pick his fruit from which are all sustainably farmed.

Both varieties are hand-picked and fermented separately. Roussanne is whole bunch pressed, lightly settled and wild fermented in French oak. Grenache is oxidatively handled prior to wild ferment in barrel. The two components are blended prior to bottling.

Creamy, aromatic and jam packed full of exotic notes from the Roussanne and more vibrant, green apple from Grenache. The end result is a wine so versatile, complex yet so moreish. In fact, I think I would enjoy this moreish wine with some Moorish food! Think saffron, citrus, nuts, and spices.

Here is what esteemed wine writer, Jancis Robinson, had to say about The Walking With Kings:

Jancis Robinson 17/20
70% Roussanne from Sellicks Hills, 30% biodynamic Grenache Blanc from Kangarilla. Both varieties are hand-picked and fermented separately. Roussanne is whole-bunch pressed, lightly settled and ambient-yeast fermented in French oak. Grenache is oxidatively handled prior to ambient-yeast ferment in barrel. The two components blended prior to bottling. Golden colour (rare for Australia!). Lively and racy but with good fruit density and a herbal top note too. Well done! Really interesting blend. 17 Points, JR, April 2025.