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.”
About this wine from Steve Pannell .. “This old vine Shiraz Grenache is our wine of place and it couldn’t come from anywhere else but ‘The Vale’. The blend is something altogether more than the sum of its two parts – it is the Vale in essence, taste and character.
A very cool, mild and stress-free vintage for vines, not winemakers! Good winter and spring rains were followed by a very mild, long summer. The results are wines with ample fruit complexity and great natural acidity. Most important however is the delicious fruit freshness and balance.
Blackberry, licorice, plum and dark fruit with the added complexity of iodine and ironstone adding an umami character. A complex and integrated nose finishing with nutmeg, clove, and musk.
These two varieties unite to achieve a seamless medium bodied wine with a structured texture. The Grenache controls the midpalate exuberance of the Shiraz and provides great length. Tightly wound, coiled and brooding. Long mouth-watering tannins. The mid pallet intensity makes for a very serious bottle of wine
95 points. Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion 2021 “Oscillates between shiraz grenache or vice versa, this vintage the former. It certainly smells of the Vale – a whorl of dark fruit, the dash of menthol, the cocoa-dusting of tannins and the floral lift. Fuller-bodied and richly flavoured, but not at all heavy – give it time to open up.”
94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Juicy and fleshy, yet savoury with it. Red and black berries, floral and spice, something like seaweed in the mix too. Tannin has a suede-like quality, the acidity well-settled, the finish long and plump, slightly saline as it goes. A pleasure to drink.”
RRP $41 Our Price $35.99
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