S.C. Pannell Single Vineyard ‘Smart Vineyard’ Grenache 2022

Hand harvested on the 16th of March and immediately crushed. Fermented in one stainless steel open top fermenter with regular pump overs, 20% whole bunch. Left on skins for 10 days before a gentle press. Settled in tank for 24 days before transfer to an old French oak vat and two puncheons for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation. Racked twice an bottled without fining, filtration, additions, or adjustment on the 6th September 2023. Alcohol 14%. 3.23 pH. Total Sulphur 53ppm.

Flavour Profile: Luxardo, cherry pits, rhubarb, raspberry, and nutty aromas present as a big truck loaded with flavour and headed for your palate without so much as a warning toot of th horn. Reluctant to describe our Grenache as Pinot-like, this vintage sees us reaching for descriptors that remind us of Pomard: red liquorice, caramelising sugar in a hot pan, and rose water.

Structure & Texture: Hits the palate with force and then flexes its tannins like a Venice Beach bodybuilder. It's a big whack of flavour and texture all at once, with an addictive energy that carries past the back palate before revealing a subtle wave of musk flavours - all without losing sight of a medium bodied focus.

Cellaring: Many, many years of ageing potential, try 20+. - Stephen Pannell