Stephen’s interest in Grenache stretches back to the mid-’90s. 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 the Vale and perfectly at home with our food and lifestyle. In 2021, the opportunity to purchase a nine-hectare Grenache vineyard planted in 1922 in the heart of Blewitt Springs, including two bush vine blocks, one facing the morning sun and the other warmed by the setting sun, was too good to pass up. Finally, Stephen had a home for S.C. Pannell Grenache.

The second year of the current La Niña cycle saw a wild, wet winter and spring, followed by a mild summer and a dry autumn, leading to véraison being two weeks behind normal. Poor flowering due to wild spring weather, which included high winds, frost, and hail, led to lower- than-desired yields. However, a long, slow ripening period allowed tannins to mature fully, making this vintage one to watch.

These grapes were picked by hand on 14th March from vines in their 99th vintage greeting the morning sun. Whole berries were gently shaken from the rachis and transferred to a stainless steel open-top fermenter for twice-daily pumpovers. The wine was pressed on 29th March and settled for seven weeks before racking off gross lees. It was dispatched to a 10-year-old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and maturation. It was racked once and bottled on 1st August 2023 without additions, fining or filtration. This is the first release. Alcohol 14.5%; pH 3.33; total acidity 6.5g/L; total sulphur 61ppm. 

“All to say and nothing at all. The greatest of all red table wines defy easy description. They are powerful yet restrained, elegant whilst commanding attention, medium-bodied with tension and tannin. They have purity and clarity, and speak of the season and the soil. No one character dominates; the flavours are layered and unfurl slowly.”