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After an epic year any winemaker would dream of, Thistledown Wines has taken one of the highest honours at The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2026 Awards. Claiming Red Wine of the Year was Thistledown’s Sands of Time Grenache 2024.
The kudos did not stop there, however, with Thistledown also ranking number 10 in The Real Review’s Top Australian Wineries list.
Handing out 98 points for the Sands of Time Grenache 2024, The Real Review’s Gabrielle Poy said, “It’s beautifully tactile and transparent. This is among the most exciting Aussie wines I’ve had in a long time.”
Already known for producing some of the region’s best Grenache, it’s no surprise Thistledown has once again found itself in the national spotlight.
Paddy Gilhooly of Thistledown Wines said, “it just stands out as having real energy and vibrancy.”
With a drop this good, a lot of us would shelve it and wait for the perfect occasion, but when asked what the perfect time to enjoy this one is, Paddy said, “We don’t need any particular celebration, to be honest. We just love to enjoy it with great friends and great company.”
“For us, there’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying it with someone else who also really appreciates what you’re having.”
Sands of Time is drawn from Blewitt Springs’ Trott Vineyard, a site Thistledown has worked on for more than a decade now.
Giles Cooke MW, Owner & Winemaker at Thistledown Wines said, “We’ve made single-vineyard wines from Trott for fourteen years, and its character defines Sands of Time. Trott deserves its place among the world’s leading expressions of Grenache.”
As for the name, there’s a good reason the wine has been dubbed Sands of Time.
“The vines are planted on really sandy soils, called Maslin Sands,” Paddy said. These sands date back millions of years and are now home to some of the oldest vines in the region. The more these vines struggle, Paddy tells us, the more intense the fruit they produce becomes. “None of those vineyards are irrigated.”
While the winning wine is out of stock directly from the Thistledown website, it’s well worth searching your local fine wine stockists for a bottle.
“We do however have some 2025 vintage, which is the newer vintage of that wine available on the website,” Paddy said, making sure to be clear this isn’t the winning bottle (although it’s still bloody good).
If you’re just tuning in to Thistledown’s landmark year, here’s what you’ve missed. A year, by the owners’ measure that’s been the strongest in the winery’s history.
In the Halliday Wine Companion 2026, the winery claimed three top awards for its 2024 Charming Man, Single Vineyard, Clarendon Old Vine Grenache. The wine was awarded Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, and Grenache of the Year. What a triple threat!
Thistledown was also awarded four trophies at the McLaren Vale Bushing Lunch including Best Wine in Show for its Sands of Time Grenache 2024. The new Viticulturist of the Year Trophy was awarded to Sue Trott, grower of fruit for Sands of Time Grenache 2024.
This year also saw a major change for the Trott Vineyard, with Wirra Wirra acquiring the site. This secures long term access to the vines for Thistledown.
Matthew Deller MW, CEO, Wirra Wirra said, “Trott Vineyard is a rare asset in Australian wine. Its fruit produces a style of Grenache that stands comfortably alongside the great sites of the
world.”
Giles Cooke continued, “We are grateful to Sue Trott, to Wirra Wirra, and to the critics and trade
who have championed this site. Working with Wirra Wirra secures Trott’s future and lets us accelerate its global recognition.”
Head to Thistledown Wines website here.
For more information on The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2026 Awards, click here.
