Description

Stephen Pannell marked 10 years of the S.C. Pannell label in style, buying a vineyard he’s loved for years, acquiring a winery and cellar door in the heart of McLaren Vale and scooping the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for his 2013 Adelaide Hills Syrah. He’s one of the most liked and respected winemakers in the business, loved also by a wine-drinking public looking for refreshing, aromatic white wines and reds that are approachable and moreish – in essence, wines that are serious while remaining irresistible to drink. It’s this that made him an irresistible choice as Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year in 2015. From its new permanent home in McLaren Vale, S.C. Pannell continues its quest for great “wines that are grown, not made” – wines that are delicious, that taste of where they’re from and that are a natural partner for the food and lifestyle of their home.

Stephen Pannell has twice won Australia’s most prestigious wine award, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy – most recently in 2014 for his 2013 Adelaide Hills Syrah – and his reputation is further hinted at by his being named one of the 50 most inﬂuential contributors to the world of wine by Decanter Magazine.
He earned his stripes working with some Australia’s iconic wineries including Wirra Wirra, Hardy’s Tintara and BRL Hardy, where he was Chief Red Winemaker from 1999 to 2003. He has worked numerous overseas vintages at such places as Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Burgundy, Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and G.D. Vajra in Barolo.
In 2014, Steve further cemented his relationship with the great grapegrowing region that is South Australia by setting up a cellar door in the heart of McLaren Vale.

James Halliday on Steve Pannell “….Steve radiates intensity, and extended experience has resulted in wines of the highest quality right from the first vintage. The Pannells have purchased two vineyards in McLaren Vale,the first planted in 1891 with a precious 3.6ha of shiraz. A second property was purchased in 2014, lifting the estate vineyards to a total of 22ha. Steve manages the vineyard with the aim of generating full flavour ripeness as close to 13% as possible. The future for the Pannells is limitless, the icon status of the label already established. 5 Red Star Winery.”

Stephen’s interest in Grenache stretches back to the mid-nineties. Upon arriving in McLaren Vale, a preference for making medium bodied wine led Stephen to Grenache and the love affair began. Given the region’s warm Mediterranean-climate and proximity to the ocean, Grenache is ideally suited to McLaren Vale and perfectly at home with our food and lifestyle.

Stephen proudly states, whenever given the opportunity, that McLaren Vale Grenache ages more gracefully than Shiraz. Grenache is well on its way to becoming McLaren Vale’s most recognised wine and our true wine of place.

“I have worked with the Old McDonald vineyard since 2004 and am constantly wowed by the quality of the vineyard and the wine it makes. The flavours achieved here are unlike any other vineyard I work with.” Steve Pannell

About this wine and vintage: “The second year of the current La Nina cycle saw a wild, wet winter and spring followed by a mild summer and a dry autumn. Veraison was two weeks behind normal, setting winemakers’ teeth on edge. All were keen to get into vintage but were forced to wait, which made for some very clean wineries prior to harvest. Poor flowering due to wild spring weather including high winds, frost and hail led to lower than desired yields. Quality was good due to the long, slow ripening period. Whites retained great acidity and reds developed depth of flavour and complex tannins. A vintage to watch!

Hand harvested on the 1st of March and delicately crushed. Fermented in one stainless steel open-top fermenter with regular pump overs, 20% whole bunch. Left on skins for 15 days before a gentle press. Settled in tank for 15 days before transfer to an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation. Racked twice and bottled without fining, additions, or adjustment on the 8th of February 2023. Alcohol 14.0%.

Energised and complex – so typical of McLaren Vale Grenache in a cooler year. The primary aromas are amped and loaded with tension: chorizo and sweet paprika followed by blood orange, pomegranate and Turkish delight. A year for darker flavours: blackerry and dark cherry compote served in a rose garden.

A blanket of flavour dialling up the power but delivered with grace and poise by tannins that throw shapes across the palate, starting with squares, progressing to spheres and finally the classic fine talc on a stylish finish that doesn’t fade. Medium bodied perfection. Cellaring: Many, many years of ageing potential, try 15+. – Steve Pannell

97 points, and Top 100 Wines of 2024, Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion “This vintage, a cool year and a fine one, the pinnacle Pannell grenache wines need extra time. This, from Blewitt Springs, and 80-year-old vines, is majestic, corseted to a degree by the commanding tannins of the year, but not diminished by them. The Pannell mandate of preservation of freshness is still on full display, if with some initial reticence. Redcurrant, rosehip, raspberry leaf tea, crushed rose, bergamot, dried orange peel, musk, mace and white pepper – so layered – underscored by a bass note of old-vine depth serenely cruising in low gear, in no rush, quietly confident. It’s a stunning expression.”

95 points, Ned Goodwin MW for JamesSuckling.com “This is a chunky, earthy expression of grenache in this exceptional vintage. Notes of pickled ginger, tamarind and dark cherries. Hints of moss and iodine across the forceful, slightly drying finish. This is an immense wine, typical of the style that defines the region, which produces some of the very finest expressions of grenache in the world. Drinkable now, but best from 2027″

94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “Potent, full flavoured, decidedly ripe in fruit spectrum, sweet in its profile albeit tempered with pleasing bitter herbal elements, savoury notes and saline mineral characters. That being said, there’s some slurpiness here, despite a web of fine, silty tannins lending crunch and sandy pucker. Scents of ripe plum, raspberry jam, black jelly beans, sage leaf and bergamot tea. Exotic, and delightful. The sweetness is apparent to taste, a slick film on the palate and yet tannin profile tends to a chew and grip. It’s a heartier red, in its way, and does it all well.”

95 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review “Deep, bright purple-red colour with a bouquet of blackberry pastille, black cherry and earthy/terracotta nuances in the background. Tremendous depth of flavour and also detail, the tannins firm and emphatic, the finish long and drying but also very satisfying. A smashing red wine.”

95 points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate “The 2022 Old McDonald Grenache is from 80-year-old dry-grown bush vines in deep Blewitt Springs sand. This lends the wine an aromatic lift, and a density of flavor without weighty tannins, part of the magic of the area. The nose leads with black olive tapenade, graphite, raspberry seed, cherry and clove. There’s a shisha pipe sweet tobacco character to the edges of the fruit in the mouth, and this quickly morphs into blood orange, raspberry, red apple skin and pressed roses. I think I like the aftertaste the most—it’s succulent and a little chewy, which says it would do very well with a decant to soften its edges (yes, it does have them) and draw out the long finish. This is a special wine, from a special spot, too.”

RRP $85 Our Special Price $77.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.