2024 S.C. Pannell Blewitt Springs Grenache | McLaren Vale

🍷 New Release | S.C. Pannell's New Expression of Blewitt Springs Grenache

From One of Australia's Greatest Grenache Winemakers

Sand-Grown Blewitt Springs Grenache – Raspberry, Spice, Blood Orange & Beautiful Flowing Tannins

The First Release of an Exciting New S.C. Pannell Grenache

Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia

100% Grenache

New Release

RRP $45

If there is one Australian winemaker whose name has become synonymous with the modern revolution in McLaren Vale Grenache, it is Steve Pannell.

And now comes something new.

2024 S.C. PANNELL BLEWITT SPRINGS GRENACHE

This is the first release of an exciting new expression of Blewitt Springs from S.C. Pannell.

And at $45 a bottle, it provides a brilliant introduction to the style of Grenache that has made Steve Pannell one of the most important figures in the variety's Australian renaissance.

This is Grenache grown on the famous sandy soils of Blewitt Springs.

Not big.

Not heavy.

Not over-extracted.

Instead:

Raspberry. Spice. Blood orange. Perfume. Freshness. Fine tannins.

Exactly what modern McLaren Vale Grenache should be.

Tasting Notes

This is beautifully juicy, aromatic and vibrant Grenache.

Expect:

• Fresh raspberry
• Pomegranate
• Satsuma plum
• Blood orange
• Musk
• Turkish delight
• Exotic spice
• Floral perfume
• Fine, flowing tannins

There's lovely generosity to the fruit, but freshness is the key.

Classic raspberry and spice lead the way before pomegranate and satsuma plum build through the back palate.

Then comes a beautiful lift of blood orange, giving the wine freshness and energy.

Musk and Turkish delight add another aromatic dimension.

And the tannins?

They ripple and flow across the palate.

There's structure without heaviness.

Fruit without sweetness.

Intensity without extraction.

Juicy. Vibrant. Perfumed. Spicy.

Seriously delicious Grenache.

About the 2024 Vintage

The 2024 McLaren Vale growing season began with a cool spring, followed by rain in January and then a dry autumn.

Favourable conditions around flowering and fruit set produced healthy crops.

For the red varieties, the vintage delivered exactly the characteristics Steve Pannell looks for:

Terrific varietal aromatics.

Natural acidity.

Juiciness.

Flavour.

Balanced tannins.

And importantly:

Medium-bodied wines.

That's particularly exciting for Grenache.

Because Steve Pannell has never been interested in making Grenache taste like Shiraz.

The beauty of the variety is its perfume, freshness, texture and ability to deliver flavour without enormous weight.

And the 2024 vintage plays directly into that philosophy.

About Blewitt Springs

If you want to understand why McLaren Vale Grenache has become so exciting, you need to understand:

BLEWITT SPRINGS.

This elevated part of McLaren Vale has become one of Australia's most celebrated places for Grenache.

Its sandy soils are particularly important.

Grenache grown on these sands can produce wines of remarkable fragrance and finesse.

Rather than sheer power, you get:

Perfume.

Red-fruit purity.

Spice.

Freshness.

Fine tannins.

Beautiful drinkability.

Steve Pannell has spent decades exploring what Grenache can do in McLaren Vale.

And Blewitt Springs has become central to that story.

Winemaking

The philosophy in the winery is beautifully restrained.

100% Grenache

The fruit was hand harvested on 8 March.

It was fermented in a stainless-steel open-top fermenter with regular pump-overs and:

12% WHOLE BUNCH

The wine remained on skins for just 10 days before gentle pressing.

After settling, it was transferred into an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and maturation.

The wine was then bottled without fining, additions or adjustment.

Alcohol: 14%

The point isn't oak.

It isn't extraction.

It isn't winemaking trickery.

It's Grenache.

And more specifically:

BLEWITT SPRINGS GRENACHE.

Steve Pannell & Grenache

Steve Pannell's fascination with Grenache stretches back to the mid-1990s.

Long before McLaren Vale Grenache became fashionable, he recognised something important.

Grenache was extraordinarily well suited to McLaren Vale's warm maritime climate.

More importantly, it could produce the kind of wine he increasingly wanted to make:

Medium-bodied.

Perfumed.

Fresh.

Food-friendly.

Australian.

Pannell has even argued that McLaren Vale Grenache can age more gracefully than Shiraz and believes Grenache is well on its way to becoming the region's defining wine.

Looking at what's happening in McLaren Vale today?

It's increasingly difficult to disagree.

The Perfect Introduction to S.C. Pannell Grenache

This is where this wine becomes particularly exciting.

We've also got the extraordinary single-vineyard wines:

2023 S.C. Pannell Little Branch Grenache – 97 Points Halliday | 97 Points Wine Advocate

and:

2023 S.C. Pannell Smart Vineyard Grenache – 97 Points Halliday | 97 Points Wine Advocate

Those are serious, cellar-worthy single-vineyard expressions.

But this new 2024 Blewitt Springs Grenache gives you something different.

Immediate pleasure.

Classic Blewitt Springs character.

Steve Pannell's Grenache philosophy.

And:

RRP $45.

It is the perfect place to start exploring one of Australia's greatest Grenache producers.

And then move into Little Branch and Smart Vineyard to see just how far this variety can go.

Food Pairings

Grenache like this belongs on the table.

Beautiful with:

• Chargrilled lamb
• Porchetta
• Roast chicken
• Pork belly
• Spanish-style chickpea dishes
• Mushroom pizza
• Charcuterie
• Mediterranean vegetables
• Hard cheeses

Steve Pannell recommends it with a Spanish-inspired chickpea and spinach stew.

And don't serve it too warm.

Give it 20 minutes in the fridge before opening.

That freshness, raspberry fruit and perfume will absolutely sing.

Cellaring

This is the first vintage, so there's no long track record to rely on yet.

The winery suggests approximately:

10 YEARS

But the beauty of this wine is that you don't need to wait.

It's deliberately juicy, vibrant and expressive.

Drink now for its incredible fruit and perfume.

Or cellar it and allow the savoury, spicy side of Grenache to emerge.

Why We Love It

Because this could become a really important wine in the S.C. Pannell range.

It's a new release.

It's 100% Blewitt Springs Grenache.

It's grown on the sands that have helped make this part of McLaren Vale famous.

It's made by one of the most important figures in the modern Australian Grenache story.

And the winemaking is beautifully simple:

Hand harvested.

12% whole bunch.

10 days on skins.

Old French oak vat.

No fining.

No adjustments.

Just beautiful fruit and a winemaker who understands Grenache intimately.

And then there's the price:

RRP $45.

In a world where Australia's best Grenaches are increasingly pushing past $70, $80, $100 and considerably more, this looks like a seriously exciting entry point.

2024 S.C. PANNELL BLEWITT SPRINGS GRENACHE

A new release from one of Australia's great Grenache winemakers.

Raspberry. Pomegranate. Blood orange. Musk. Spice. Flowing tannins.

THIS IS WHAT MODERN McLAREN VALE GRENACHE IS ALL ABOUT.

👉 A brilliant new addition to the S.C. Pannell Grenache story and one of the most exciting new releases at $45. Secure your bottles while available.