S.C. Pannell Old McDonald Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale Grenache 2019

S.C. Pannell Old McDonald Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale Grenache

Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

Vintage: 2019

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Grenache

ABV: 14%

Aromas of raspberry, five spice, toasted nuts and sweet summer tomatoes on the nose. Fresh raspberry, rosewater and orange zest are prominent on the palate and exotic spice flavours drive the finish. Medium-bodied, there is a dense core of fruit typical of the Old McDonald vineyard, supported by complex, persuasive tannins.

Steve’s interest in Grenache and desire to make medium-bodied styles stretches back to the mid 1990s when he first arrived in McLaren Vale. Given the warm, Mediterranean climate, Grenache grows as well in ‘the Vale’ as any of the more revered Grenache regions including France’s Rhône Valley, Priorat in Spain and Italy’s Sardinia. The grapes for this wine grow on 77 year old unirrigated vines in the Old McDonald vineyard in Blewitt Springs. Soils in this sub-region are sandy, with an underlying clay and ironstone base. The vines are south-east facing, in terraced contours and sit 80 metres above sea level.

In a very short space of time, Stephen Pannell has gone from being one of Australia’s best and brightest young talents to one of their most lauded winemakers. He is a two-time winner of the fabled Jimmy Watson Trophy, the most prestigious wine award in Australia, and also won the top prize at the Alternative Varietals Wine Show three out of the last five years. Stephen moved into his own McLaren Vale winery in 2014, and now owns 36 hectares of vineyard. This control over his fruit has enabled him to take quality to an even higher level.

https://pannell.com.au