2023 S.C. Pannell Little Branch Grenache
2023 S.C. Pannell Little Branch Grenache

2023 S.C. Pannell Little Branch Grenache

97 pts
S.C. Pannell |McLaren Vale |Grenache
A landmark release from Steve Pannell’s Blewitt Springs vineyard – pure, perfumed Grenache that confirms Little Branch as one of the country’s most exciting new projects.
Price:
$85.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Little Branch has fast become one of the most exciting new Grenache projects in Australia. The fruit comes off Steve Pannell’s own Blewitt Springs vineyard, a site he hunted for years before finally finding it in 2021 – a small block of 30-year-old vines rooted in ancient Maslin Sands and ironstone, sitting high and exposed above McLaren Vale. It’s classic Blewitt Springs terrain, and in Steve’s hands, the results are extraordinary.

The 2023 vintage was long and cool, allowing a slow build of flavour and fine natural acidity. The winemaking is typically understated: hand-picked fruit, 14% whole bunches, wild ferment in steel, then old French oak to settle. No fining, no shortcuts, just pure expression.

The wine is fragrant and precise, all red fruit, rose petal and spice with that sandy, mineral tannin line that defines the site. It’s effortlessly balanced – bright, textured and quietly intense, sitting in that rare sweet spot between elegance and power. Collectible, yes, but it’s almost too good not to open.

97 points
"...the explosive perfume on the palate utterly compelling, the finish relentless. Stunning."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

Gary Walsh

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front 96 Points

Blewitt Springs. 30+ year old vines. I liked the inaugural 2022 vintage, though I like this better again.

Raspberry, with just a couple of frogs in the mix lending a welcoming touch of sweetness, lavish spice and perfume gives it something of an exotic character. It’s bright, tannin is lightly dusty offering a pumice stone grip, there’s some blood orange and cranberry freshness, almond, subtle dried herb and some earthiness, with a juicy but fine finish of excellent length and precision. Top shelf. It’s 95+ or 96, though I reckon I’ll go with the latter because of its perfume and lacy charm.

Marcus Ellis

Marcus Ellis

Halliday Wine Companion 97 Points

The second release from the Pannell-owned site in Blewitt Springs, planted to Maslin Sands peppered with ironstone. Fermented in steel with 14% whole bunches; raised in an old 2800L French oak vat. Steve Pannell loves grenache, of course. Also, nebbiolo. The kinship of those varieties in the current zeitgeist is hard to deny. Here it is writ large. Definitively grenache though, with a flex of fruit succulence through the middle (seemingly a feature of this site, based on the early evidence). Such transparency allied with depth, the tannins expansive, authoritative, sandy, refined, natural. Pressed rose, dried cranberry, sour cherry, umeboshi, warm terracotta, mace, freshly ground cinnamon, a hint of musk, the explosive perfume on the palate utterly compelling, the finish relentless. Stunning.

Ryan Montgomery

Ryan Montgomery

James Suckling 96 Points

So pure and refined with aromas of wild raspberries, dried strawberries, cinnamon bark, pencil shavings and dried herbs. The palate is vibrant with crunchy tannins, focused acidity and a high-tension mouthfeel, showing dark cherries, hibiscus, kirsch and citrus peel. A serious yet bright and highly drinkable grenache that is built to last. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

2023 Vintage
As with the year that preceded it, 2023 was a La Niña year. The season
was challenging from the start, and the harvest was one of the latest on
record with small yields. It was characterised by long hang times and,
therefore, great tannin development.

- 30-year-old dry-grown trellised vines
- 50-million-year-old soils of Maslin Beach sands flecked with ironstone
- 140m above sea level
- Purchased by Stephen and Fiona in 2021

Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked on 18 March from 30-plus-year-old trellised vines and immediately destemmed, leaving whole berries with 14% retained as whole bunches. Fermentation took place in stainless steel open-top fermenters with twice-daily pumpovers. After 10 days on skins, the wine was gently pressed and settled in tank for 12 days before transfer to an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation.

Racked three times and bottled without fining or additions on 20 September 2024.

Wine Analysis

Alcohol: 14%

pH: 3.49

Total Acidity: 5.4 g/L

Total Sulphur: 64 ppm

Tasting Note
“Calm and composed, soft and inviting, subtle and kind, but then the textural landscape is revealed with hills and valleys of fine tannin shaped by pinpoint accurate tone. Not a hair out of place.”
– Stephen Pannell

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Grenache
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Reviewed By James Suckling
The Wine Front
Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Advocate
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

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.

Visionary winemaker Stephen Charles Pannell Discover S.C. Pannell

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