They illustrate what I'm hoping modern McLaren Vale Shiraz will be, which harks back to a tradition of what it looked like in the 1960s, without all the artifice of winemaking.
Steve Pannell, owner/winemaker
About The Wine
This is one of the single block offerings from S.C. Pannell's beloved Koomilya vineyard.
Where the DC block is all about ferocious tannin and structure, JC has a more supple and approachable personality. It's a wine where the tannins are beautifully ripe and meshed perfectly to the fruit.
For any truly great wine, balance is the key. This wine is bold yet perfectly balanced ensuring a long a distinguished life ahead.
This was named 26th in the James Suckling Top 100 Wines of 2018 with a staggering 99 points.
This is one of the finest Shiraz Pannell has crafted to date.
About S.C. Pannell
Quite simply, Stephen Pannell is one of Australia’s finest and most imaginative winemakers. He’s a Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, a McLaren Vale Bushing King winner, a two-time Max Schubert Trophy winner, International Red Winemaker of the Year and Decanter Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Contributors to the World of Wine. Nick Stock described him as potentially “one of the greatest Australian winemakers ever to make wines in our age”.
Steve’s wines are made with modern Australian food and wine culture at the front of mind. The wines come from a range of stunning McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills vineyards, and are made from sustainable varieties that properly suit his South Australian climate. They're built around brightness of fruit and savoury tannin structure, and whatever your poison is Steve has you covered!
He is truly one of the most forward thinking and inspirational Australian winemakers alive today.
McLaren Vale, SA
From The Producer
A Single block Shiraz from approximately 80-year-old vines. Hand harvested on the 14th of February. The fruit, which spent 14 days on skins with the hard pressings removed; was then transferred to stainless steel until early May then moved to puncheons for malolactic fermatation and maturation.
Bottled on the 28th June 2016, spending a total of 14 months in oak.
Blend : Shiraz (100%)
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2035
Bottle Size : 750ml
Critic Reviews
"Aromas: The difficulty with truly great wine is describing it. The nuance and complexity seem almost out of grasp. JC is an assault of many aromas and flavours that sweep together in one fluid motion, bound in the Koomilya signature of split redwood and mahogany. Palate: Silky tannins play across the back palate, soft yet powerful, enveloping and supple with deep spice and cassis flavours that surprise and delight." - Steve Pannell, owner/winemaker
26/100 in Top 100 for 2018 "A slightly firmer and more fragrant style to the ultra-rich DC Block bottling of the same vintage. This has impressive depth and concentration. Aromas are in the spectrum of dark, red and purple berries. There is an astutely handled, spicy oak influence courtesy of the 2700-liter French oak vats. The palate carries on with a wealth of fine, long and sleek tannins, which deliver a fresh plum-stone finish. Try from 2023" - James Suckling
"Nothing works up a thirst like a walk around a vineyard. By the time we got to the top of the JC block at Koomilya, where 80-year-old shiraz vines stand in shallow ironstone-riddled soil, I was ready for a good red. Made from those vines, this is a very good red indeed: restrained perfume of red fruit and black olive, tightly structured but translucent at the same time, tinged with the dusty taste of the bush that fringes this special vineyard site." - Max Allen (Australian Financial Review)
"It’s rosy, it’s ferrous, it’s unabashedly Australian and grounded in the tradition of many of the great red wines produced in this country from special sites. Dense and tannic, but not heavy, black olive and tar, raspberry coulis and black fruits, a gentle chewiness, bitter dark chocolate and a little bit of bush and mint perfume. Walnuts. Savoury things, but succulence and bucolic charm laid on thick. Long. It’s a dead set classic." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Delivery is Free for any order of $99 or more, or just $10 for any orders less than $99. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mixed pack! In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Byron Bay we deliver with our own vans. All other areas are serviced by Australia Post.
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