2024 S.C. Pannell Blewitt Springs Grenache

Stephen Pannell’s infatuation with McLaren Vale Grenache dates back to the mid-nineties, long before the variety became the region's darling. He built his eponymous label on the belief that these vines produce better, more graceful medium-bodied reds than Shiraz ever could in this maritime climate.

This specific release pulls fruit from the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs - specifically a site Pannell affectionately dubbed 'Old McDonald', which supplied his very first independent Grenache. The 2024 season delivered a cool spring and a dry, warm autumn, yielding a crop with dialled-up natural acidity and striking aromatics.

The fruit was hand-harvested in early March and fermented in an open-top stainless steel vessel with a modest twelve per cent whole-bunch inclusion. It spent just ten days on skins with regular pump-overs before being pressed off and tucked into a large, seasoned French oak vat for maturation, eventually going to bottle completely unfined and without adjustments.

It's an open, juicy take on sand-grown Grenache, with crunchy red fruit, a dusting of floral aromatics, and a zippy citrus-like edge that keeps the palate completely refreshed. It's a ridiculously good entry point into the Pannell stable of Grenache wines and, for our money, one of the best bang-for-your-buck premium Grenache in The Vale.