Description
Stephen Pannell’s Protero label has always been about translating the soul of Northern Italy through the lens of the Adelaide Hills. For Pannell, Dolcetto isn't just a lesser cousin to Nebbiolo - it's a daily staple, a style he openly admits to drinking at home more often than almost anything else.
The fruit comes from a tiny, 0.7-hectare west-facing parcel known as Block 9 in the Kenton Valley, bordered by a chestnut grove. A dry spring and warm summer in 2025 pushed the harvest a few weeks early, creating a flawless, disease-free window for late-ripening varieties before the fruit was hand-picked in mid-March.
In the winery, the goal is purely about capturing that pristine fruit energy. The grapes spent fourteen days on skins in stainless steel with daily pump-overs, then were gently pressed off to extra-large French oak puncheons. It rested there for just three months before bottling in early 2026.
The style here is wonderfully fleshy and exuberant, leaning away from heavy extraction and toward bright, immediate joy. Think crushed dark berries, tart bramble, and a dusting of baking spice, all wrapped up in shifting, chalky tannins that grip and then melt away. You could overthink it, but the best move is to follow Langhe tradition: crack it young, pour it generously, and park it next to a plate of braised beef cheeks.
| Price Bracket | $31 to $40 |
| Type | Red |
| Body | Medium Bodied |
| Variety | Dolcetto |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Adelaide Hills |
| Australian State | SA |
| Size | 750ml |
| Vintage | 2025 |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
S.C. Pannell
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Common Questions
Delivery is free on orders of $199 or more.
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.
Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.
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We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.
To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you.
If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.
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No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.
No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.
Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.
What that means for you:
- One price, same for everyone — no minimum to hit to unlock the best rate
- No mixed-six gymnastics to qualify for a discount
- Our single-bottle price is typically at or below a traditional retailer's by-the-dozen rate
Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.
**And if you find it cheaper elsewhere?** Let us know. If the same wine is available at a lower price at another retailer (including at their mixed-six or by-the-dozen rate) we're happy to match it.
If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.
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