97 Points
97 Points
95 Points

S.C. Pannell ‘Old McDonald’ Grenache 2023

SKU: PGOM202310 UCAU

$79.99

Unit price: per

Crafted by the well known Stephen Pannell, who has been making wine in the region since the mid-1990s.

97 Points, Halliday Wine Companion

The wine has a deep ruby colour and a complex nose of red fruits, spices, and earth, the palate is full-bodied and concentrated, with flavours of ripe raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and spices, the tannins are well-integrated, and the finish is long and lingering.

Critic Scores

97 // James Halliday

"From 81-year-old vines planted in deep Maslin Sands. Fermented with 12% whole bunches over two weeks, then settled in tank for a month; élevage in a 4500L old French oak vat. This is spicy, lifted, with the depth that this site always displays, the layering of fruit, spice and mineral inflection all visible, but the old-vine intensity viewed through a cooler lens. Red fruited, with berries, cherries and pomegranate, fresh red florals, musk and blood orange, the tannins so impeccably fine and graceful, yet no less purposeful and savoury. The fruit clings to the tannins – like flesh to a cherry pit – without spilling out. It’s a beautifully poised iteration of this cuvée, and just such a delight. This young and energetic 2022 Grenache Old McDonald offers an intense core of slate and blackberry with touches of charcuterie and mixed spices providing a strong Rhône feel. It has great tannins with rusty/rocky flavours. The fruit is still tightly bound, but it has impressive power, integrity and length to seriously deliver over the coming years."

97 // James Suckling

"Perfumed aromas of dried strawberries, dark cherries, cinnamon bark, blueberry bush, violets and spices. The seamless palate has a creamy texture, finely tuned tannins and bright acidity in complete harmony with a long, mouthwatering finish. From 81-year-old vines that give depth and tension to this nervy, refined grenache. Almost the purest, most refined release from Pannell’s single-vineyard range this year. Excellent. Drink or hold."

95 // Erin Larkin

"The final vintage of the Old McDonald Grenache is the 2024, so this is the second-to-last release we will see from this vineyard. Its fans will mourn its passing but will find much comfort in the arms of Little Branch. Here, the 2023 Old McDonald Grenache is lighter framed and more delicate than the powerhouse 2022 tasted alongside. 2022 was such a magnificent season, and here is my fervent advice to anyone who would like to hear it: the 2022 is a vintage to cellar, while the fragrant, lighter 2023s will bring you all the pleasure in the short to medium term. The diaphanous quality of this 2023 is one of its key attributes (alongside more enhanced freshness/perceived acidity, elevated spice top notes and levity of fruit), but those seeking plushness will be looking only at the 2022. Choose your player. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."

Product Details

Red

2023

Grenache

S.C. Pannell

McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

10-15 Years

Stelvin

14.5%

750ml (Bottle)

In Stock

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Description

•Old McDonald Vineyard, McLaren Vale
o Plaisted’s Vineyard
o 80-year-old dry-grown ‘bush on wire’
o 50-million-year-old soils of Maslin Beach sand
o 80m above sea level
o Farmed by Matt Hatwell

The fruit was harvested by hand on 3rd March and delicately crushed. The wine fermented in a single open-top stainless-steel fermenter with regular pumpovers. Some 12% whole bunches were included. The wine was left on skins for 15 days before a gentle press. It settled in tank for 13 days before being transferred to an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation. It was racked twice and bottled without fining, additions or adjustments on 27th May 2024. Alcohol 14%; pH 3.45; total acidity 5.4 g/L; total sulphur 64ppm.
“Like a room full of balloons ready to be squeezed: potentially loud and brash on one hand but soft and pleasant to hold in the other. The textures promote the red fruits; there’s richness, but it maintains McLaren Vale Grenache’s natural medium-bodied nature.”
Tasting Profile

Light

Full

Low Tannin

Tannic

Sweet

Dry

Low Acidity

High Acidity

Aroma:

Black Cherry, Savoury, Strawberry

Palate:

Earthy, Red Cherry, Strawberry

Food Pairings:

Game

Pork

Red Meat

Tasting Notes

Description

•Old McDonald Vineyard, McLaren Vale
o Plaisted’s Vineyard
o 80-year-old dry-grown ‘bush on wire’
o 50-million-year-old soils of Maslin Beach sand
o 80m above sea level
o Farmed by Matt Hatwell

The fruit was harvested by hand on 3rd March and delicately crushed. The wine fermented in a single open-top stainless-steel fermenter with regular pumpovers. Some 12% whole bunches were included. The wine was left on skins for 15 days before a gentle press. It settled in tank for 13 days before being transferred to an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation. It was racked twice and bottled without fining, additions or adjustments on 27th May 2024. Alcohol 14%; pH 3.45; total acidity 5.4 g/L; total sulphur 64ppm.

“Like a room full of balloons ready to be squeezed: potentially loud and brash on one hand but soft and pleasant to hold in the other. The textures promote the red fruits; there’s richness, but it maintains McLaren Vale Grenache’s natural medium-bodied nature.”

Tasting Profile

Light
Full

Low Tannin
Tannic

Sweet
Dry

Low Acidity
High Acidity

Aroma:

Black Cherry, Savoury, Strawberry

Palate:

Earthy, Red Cherry, Strawberry

Food Pairings:

Game

Pork

Red Meat

S.C. Pannell

Esteemed by his contemporaries in Australia, Steve Pannell has been named as one of the 50 most influential contributors to the wine world by Decanter Magazine and has twice won Australia's coveted Jimmy Watson trophy - most recently in 2014 for his 2013 Adelaide Hills Syrah. Having produced vintages at Wirra Wirra and Hardy's Tintara before working overseas in Burgundy's Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Bordeaux's Chateau Mouton Rothschild and G.D. Vajra in Barolo.

Pannell's ethos is simple: "I try to create wines that suit our climate and way of life - wines to drink with the food we grow, make and eat in Australia."

The portfolio is based on parcels of old-vine, dry-grown Shiraz and Grenache from McLaren Vale and continued to expand to include Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Touriga Nacional in addition to aromatic whites from the Adelaide Hills. Pannell's preferred winemaking techniques include open fermentation using natural yeasts. By maturing his wines in large format oak, Pannell retains each variety's integrity, showcasing its quintessential characteristics.

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