Images: Ben Macmahon, Macmahon Images. Pictured: International Judge Peter Richards MW
The winners of the 2025 MGA Insurance Group McLaren Vale Wine Show have been revealed at the 52nd annual McLaren Vale Bushing Lunch today, with the Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache scooping the prestigious Best Wine of Show. This exceptional Grenache also earned Proprietor & Winemaker Giles Cooke MW and Director Patrick Gilhooly the honour of being crowned the 2025 McLaren Vale Bushing Monarchs.
This year’s competition was fierce, with 707 entries judged by a distinguished panel of sixteen experts. The panel was led by Toby Barlow from Treasury Wine Estates and featured international judge Peter Richards MW from the Wine Blast Podcast, as well as esteemed panel chairs Jack Glover, Steven Paul, and Stuart Hordern.
The Thistledown 2024 Grenache distinguished itself not just for its flavour profile but also for its illustrative representation of its terroir, a quality that resonated well with the judges and led to its standout performance during the taste-off. Toby Barlow shared, “The most pleasing element of the Best Wine of Show taste-off was the quality and personality across all the trophy winning wines. Respectful mentions go to the Shiraz, Chenin Blanc and Grenache dominant blend which polled well and evoked some good discussion. However, it was clear from the vote that the Grenache had captured the judges’ attention and was a clear winner.
“The Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Blewitt Springs Grenache has captured that elusive balance of bright aromatic, even long flavours and a tannin framework that really spoke to site and region. The Best Wine of Show in the 2025 McLaren Vale Wine Show is a compelling example of Grenache grown in a region that is gaining global recognition for this variety.”
He added that all of the entrants had advancements in both vineyard management and winemaking, particularly praising the region’s embrace of Grenache and Mediterranean varieties that pinpoint viticultural improvements and evolving winemaking techniques aimed at enhancing site expression and freshness.
Erin Leggat, CEO of the McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association, said, “The Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Blewitt Springs Grenache exemplifies our region’s unique capacity to balance grace and intensity in equal measure, underpinned by highly-skilled, thoughtful winemaking, precision viticulture and meticulous vineyard stewardship.”
Other notable awards at the show included the Chairperson’s Trophy, which went to Mitolo for its 2024 Trovato Fiano, and the International Judge’s Trophy claimed by Ministry of Clouds for their 2024 Grenache. Reynella took home the Wines of Provenance Trophy with vintages spanning a decade of their Basket Pressed Cabernet Sauvignons from 2022, 2017, and 2012. Meanwhile, Hardys was recognised for its 2012 Eileen Hardy Shiraz with the Best Museum Wine award.
The wine show results highlight McLaren Vale’s dynamic range and the region’s ongoing evolution as a wine-producing area noted for both its rich history and innovative approaches to winemaking and viticulture.
See the Winners:
BEST WINE OF SHOW & BUSHING MONARCH
Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache
CHAIRPERSON’S TROPHY
Mitolo 2024 Trovato Fiano
INTERNATIONAL JUDGE’S TROPHY
Ministry of Clouds 2024 Grenache
WINES OF PROVENANCE TROPHY
Reynella 2022, 2017, 2012 Basket Pressed Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST MUSEUM WINE
Hardys 2012 Eileen Hardy Shiraz
BEST SHIRAZ
Dune 2024 Shiraz
BEST GRENACHE
Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache
BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Richard Hamilton 2021 Hut Block Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ
Chalk Hill Wines 2023 Alpha Crucis Seaview Syrah
BEST SINGLE VINEYARD WINE ANY STYLE (OTHER THAN SHIRAZ)
Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache
BEST SINGLE VINEYARD VITICULTURALIST
Sue Trott, Trott Vineyard
BEST SMALL PRODUCER OF SHOW
Paralian Wines
MOST SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITOR
Vinarchy
BEST TWO YEAR OR OLDER GRENACHE
S.C. Pannell 2023 Old McDonald Grenache
BEST TWO YEAR OLD SHIRAZ
Serafino 2023 Black Label Shiraz
BEST TWO YEAR OR YOUNGER CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Coriole 2023 Mary Kathleen Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST OTHER RED & BLENDS
Battle of Bosworth Wines 2024 ‘Heretic’ Touriga Nacional Graciano Mataro Shiraz
BEST SHIRAZ BLEND
Shottesbrooke Vineyards 2024 Engine Room by Hamish Maguire Shiraz Mataro Grenache
BEST GRENACHE BLEND
Paralian 2024 Blewitt Springs Grenache Shiraz
BEST TEMPRANILLO & BLENDS
Gemtree Wines 2024 Luna Temprana Tempranillo
BEST NERO D’AVOLA
Hugo Wines 2024 Nero D’Avola
BEST ROSÉ
Mazi 2025 Limited Release Grenache Mourvèdre Rosé
BEST FIANO
Hugo Wines 2025 Fiano
BEST TRADITIONAL WHITE WINE
MMAD Vineyard 2024 Chenin Blanc
BEST NEW AND EMERGING WHITE WINE
Harrison 2025 Tan Fresca Grenache Blanc
BEST THREE YEAR OR OLDER SHIRAZ
Wirra Wirra 2022 RSW Shiraz
BEST THREE YEAR OR OLDER CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Richard Hamilton 2021 Hut Block Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST ONE YEAR OR YOUNGER SHIRAZ
Dune 2024 Shiraz
BEST ONE YEAR OLD GRENACHE
Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache
TROTT FAMILY AWARD
Jim Ellis, Ellis Butchers
D’ARRY OSBORN AWARD
Willunga 100
