Australia’s top drop has been revealed – and it comes with a $95 price tag.
At the prestigious 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, McLaren Vale’s Thistledown Wines claimed the coveted Wine of the Year title with its This Charming Man Single Vineyard Clarendon Grenache (2024).
The wine, which comes from a vineyard more than a century old, beat out over 7000 entries from across the country. With only limited bottles available – capped at three per customer – the $95 Grenache has quickly become one of the most talked-about wines of the year.
Halliday Wine Companion Head of Tasting, Katrina Butler, praised the quality of this year’s winners.
“The sheer magnitude of talent, the calibre of wines, the dedication to not only the art of winemaking but the restoration and preservation of our land was as apparent and resolute as the wines before us,” she said.
The Grenache also holds personal significance, named in tribute to Bernard Smart, considered the “godfather” of the McLaren Vale vineyard.
“That this remarkable vineyard has sustained is down to one man, Bernard Smart, and this wine pays homage to this charming man,” the winery said.
Other big winners included:
Winery of the Year – Brokenwood, Hunter Valley, NSW
Winemaker of the Year – Virginia Willcock, Vasse Felix, Margaret River, WA
Viticulturist of the Year – Dr Dylan Grigg, Vinya Vella & Meristem Viticulture
Best Value Winery – Bondar Wines, McLaren Vale, SA
Best New Winery – Elanto Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
Across individual varietals, highlights included Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2023 (White Wine of the Year, 99 points), Koomilya JC Block Shiraz 2022 (Shiraz of the Year, 99 points) and All Saints Estate Museum Muscadelle NV (Fortified Wine of the Year, 100 points).
The full list of winners showcased the depth and diversity of the country’s wine industry, from Tasmania’s sparkling producers to the rich cabernets of Margaret River.
Images: Supplied
