S.C Pannell The Vale McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz 2016
2016
£32.50
Availability: 100 in stock
Rich black fruits and spice of the Shiraz are lifted by the perfumed musk and red fruits of the Grenache. Medium bodied wine with a silky texture. The finish is well structured with savoury, gritty tannins.
Australia
Dry
Full Bodied
Vegan
WINE PRODUCER
The ‘S.C. Pannell’ label was created in 2004 by Stephen and Fiona Pannell in McLaren Vale, yet Stephen’s path towards winemaking began many years beforehand. In 1969, his parents Bill and Sandra established ‘Moss Wood’ in Margaret River, which has become one of Australia’s most iconic and well-loved wineries. Yet despite this, when the chance came for Stephen to buy ‘Moss Wood’ from his parents, he chose to work at ‘Halvorsen Cellars’ in Sydney, followed by working his way around Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo. He began working for ‘BRL Hardy’ (now known as ‘Accolade Wines’) in the 1990s, for which he won the ‘Jimmy Watson Trophy’ (one of Australia’s most prestigious wine awards) for his first vintage at Tintara Winery. Since then, his reputation as a superb winemaker has only improved. When ‘BRL Hardy’ was taken over, Stephen and Fiona went solo; wine writer James Halliday stated essentially that he couldn’t believe it took such a talented winemaker as Stephen so long to establish his own brand. However, Stephen and Fiona owned neither vineyard or winery, though due to his reputation, he was able to source fruit from some pretty spectacular sites.
‘S.C. Pannell’ offers a wide variety of wines, from vineyards within the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale regions. The ‘Adelaide Tempranillo Touriga’ is a medium-bodied red with bright red fruits, spice and a juicy finish, perfect with chorizo or stuffed capsicums. The ‘McLaren Vale Field Street Shiraz’ has a beautiful aroma of fresh berries and a long, velvety finish, balanced by fine tannins and the sweetness of the fruit. ‘The Vale’ is a Grenache/Shiraz blend with black fruits, spice, a silky texture, and a long, savoury finish.
For more information on S.C. Pannell and their wines, visit their website.
A behemoth of a state, South Australia is responsible for over 50% of Australia’s wine production. With the first known planting here taking place in 1836, local vintners have had time to truly perfect their art. In fact, SA is also home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines on the planet, with around 38% of SA’s old vines being Shiraz.
South Australia Wine Region
Such a large area means that the terrain, climate and soil profiles vary immensely between regions, allowing for a vast array of varieties to thrive. Some of South Australia’s premier wine regions include; Barossa Valley, Mclaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra and the Adelaide hills.
Such a collection of prime wine regions has earned South Australia the grand title of Australia’s Wine Capital. But it doesn’t stop there, the prowess of South Australia wine producers mixed with fantastic growing conditions has garnered the state the privilege of being dubbed one of the 9 Great Wine Capitals of the World.
Find out more information on South Australia here
Towards the end of the 19th century, Europe was ravaged by an outbreak of Phylloxera, an aphid that injects a venom into the root of the vine while sucking out sap. The effect of the outbreak vastly influenced the global market. For example, France’s wine output decreased by over 40%, with the whole ordeal costing the country over 10 billion francs. Luckily for all, the grand ‘down-under’ remained a wine wonder, as the blight couldn’t take flight and reach the far away lands.
