Thistledown The Quickening Shiraz 2021

A deliciously vibrant style of Barossa Shiraz with succulent raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, hints of spice and elegant, glossy texture.
93+ points The Wine Front
93 points James Halliday
92 points Gournet Traveller Wine
As life-forces stir, a connection is born and a personality created. The Quickening celebrates the vivifying power of nature. This is the Barossa reimagined. An exuberant outpouring of energy, captured within a sculptured framework that reflects the rugged yet beautiful landscape of its conception.
Vintage Conditions:
Rare is the vintage that combines good yields and high quality but 2021 was just that. A remarkable vintage in that it was once again pandemic affected but that it was measured and mild with none of the heat spikes or drought conditions of recent years. With good levels of winter rains filling soil profiles, the mild weather with intermittent rains throughout the growing and ripening season ensured that fruit ripened over a long period of time and the vintage was one of the longest in recent history. The results are spectacular, healthy fruit, moderate sugars and complex
flavours, have resulted in wines of beautiful balance, fragrance and varietal typicity.
Viticulture:
Joel Mattschoss’ Eden Valley vineyard provides the majority of the fruit. This spectacular vineyard is planted on some of the most difficult, meagre soils of any we have seen. Littered with boulders composed of ironstone and pink quartz, it is a truly challenging site. Vineyards are trellised, cordon trained and spur pruned.
Winemaking:
This wine is all about great fruit, picked at the right time. Frequent vineyard walks determines exactly the right time, the fruit full of energy. Wild fermented, using some whole bunch inclusion play their role in ensuring that this wine is full of bright, fleshy fruit with great texture and spice. Aged in French oak for 8 months prior to bottling.