SMART VINEYARD, CLARENDON, McLAREN VALE

97 points & Special Value Rosette - Halliday Wine Companion
'From the iconic Smart vineyard. This was a parcel of fruit that Giles Cooke had access to in '24 but felt it didn’t interlock with those destined for This Charming Man. Not a quality thing – just how it looked on the bench. However, it screams Smart – pale in the glass, perfumed yet savoury, riffing through wild red berries, dried cherry, orange peel, white pepper, concrete dust, warm terracotta, dried rose and fennel seed. On the palate, that site – and maker – imprint is equally emphatic, with such fine, silty tannin, pristinely ripe yet delightfully sour-fringed fruit, calm precision and a racy, long-echoing conclusion. Oh, and it can’t be glossed over that all the profits go to charity. Just so exceptional, and on so many levels.'

96+ points - Campbell Mattinson
'This is where the wine of the year becomes the story of the year.'
'Great tannin, complex aroma and flavour, irresistible length through the finish. This wine takes finesse and makes it feels powerful. It tastes of tonic water and redcurrant, anise, botanicals in general, red cherry, earth, cola and orange blossoms. It wins you over immediately, holds you captivated, and then gives your heart a squeeze through the finish. The extra kick of specialness through that finish is electric. Thistledown had a wow year in 2024. This wine is more than just icing. This is an incredible grenache.'

* This product cannot have discount applied as proceeds go to Breakthrough Mental Health Research charity.