Pictured: Matthew Deller MW, Wirra Wirra CEO with Giles Cooke MW, Thistledown Founder.
McLaren Vale icon Wirra Wirra has secured one of the region’s most prized vineyards, acquiring the award-winning Trott Vineyard in Blewitt Springs in a move set to elevate its global standing.
The winery will work closely with Thistledown Wines, which has sourced fruit from Trott Vineyard for over 13 years. Together, the two producers aim to position the site among the world’s leading Grenache terroirs, despite current challenges in the industry.
“Trott Vineyard is a rare asset in Australian wine,” said Matthew Deller MW, CEO of Wirra Wirra who also own Ashton Hills and Hahndorf Hill in the Adelaide Hills.
Trott Vineyard is a benchmark for Australian Grenache, planted in 1952 on deep Maslin sands. Its reputation was underscored at the 2025 MGA Insurance Group McLaren Vale Wine Show, where the Thistledown 2024 Sands of Time Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache was named Best Wine of Show, Best Grenache and Best Single Vineyard (non-Shiraz). Long-time custodian Sue Trott also received the award for Best Single Vineyard Viticulturist.
“Its fruit produces a style of Grenache that stands comfortably alongside the great sites of the world,” Matthew said. “We are committed to protecting its identity and working with Thistledown, whose achievements with the vineyard have played a vital role in elevating McLaren Vale Grenache internationally.”
The Trott name has long history with Wirra Wirra, as the former owners, Sue and the late Roger Trott rebuilt Wirra Wirrra in 1969.
The opportunity to acquire the vineyard was one the family-owned winery could not let slip. Vineyard management will be led by Wirra Wirra’s Viticulturist, Anton Groffen, with a focus on preserving original vine material and maintaining the site’s structural and soil integrity.
Pictured: Paddy Gilhooly, Anton Groffen, Matthew Deller, Emma Wood and Giles Cooke.
Thistledown Wines, a boutique South Australian producer founded in 2010 by Giles Cooke MW and Paddy Gilhooly, has built a reputation for crafting expressive, site-driven wines that reflect the character of their vineyards.
For Cooke, that sense of place is at the heart of everything they do, particularly in wines like Sands of Time, where the vineyard’s unique personality shines through.
“Working with Wirra Wirra secures the future of this site and allows us to accelerate its global recognition,” he said.
Specialising in small-batch Grenache, Shiraz and Chardonnay sourced from premium vineyards, Thistledown is known for its refined, contemporary style, with a focus on elegance, purity and terroir expression.
“Trott Vineyard deserves its place among the world’s leading expressions of Grenache,” Giles said.
