2022 Vintage

The second year of the current La Nina cycle saw a wild, wet winter and spring followed by a mild summer and a dry autumn. Veraison was two weeks behind normal, setting winemakers' teeth on edge. All were keen to get into vintage but were forced to wait, which made for some very clean wineries prior to harvest. Poor flowering due to wild spring weather including high winds, frost and hail led to lower than desired yields. Quality was good due to the long, slow ripening period. Whites retained great acidity and reds developed depth of flavour and complex tannins. A vintage to watch!

Hand harvested on the 1st of March and delicately crushed. Fermented in one stainless steel open-top fermenter with regular pump overs, 20% whole bunch. Left on skins for 15
days before a gentle press. Settled in tank for 15 days before transfer to an old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and extended maturation. Racked twice and bottled without fining, additions, or adjustment on the 8th of February 2023.

Alcohol 14.0%.
3.37 pH.
TA 6.
Total Sulphur 56ppm.

Flavour Profile: Energised and complex - so typical of McLaren Vale Grenache in a cooler year. The primary aromas are amped and loaded with tension: chorizo and sweet paprika followed by blood orange, pomegranate and Turkish delight. A year for darker flavours: blackerry and dark cherry compote served in a rose garden.

Structure & Texture: A blanket of flavour dialling up the power but delivered with grace and poise by tannins that throw shapes across the palate, starting with squares, progressing to spheres and finally the classic fine talc on a stylish finish that doesn't fade. Medium bodied perfection.

Cellaring: Many, many years of ageing potential, try 15+

97 points & Top 100 Wines of the Year - "This vintage, a cool year and a fine one, the pinnacle Pannell grenache wines need extra time. This, from Blewitt Springs, and 80-year-old vines, is majestic, corseted to a degree by the commanding tannins of the year, but not diminished by them. The Pannell mandate of preservation of freshness is still on full display, if with some initial reticence. Redcurrant, rosehip, raspberry leaf tea, crushed rose, bergamot, dried orange peel, musk, mace and white pepper – so layered – underscored by a bass note of old-vine depth serenely cruising in low gear, in no rush, quietly confident. It’s a stunning expression." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "The 2022 Old McDonald Grenache is from 80-year-old dry-grown bush vines in deep Blewitt Springs sand. This lends the wine an aromatic lift, and a density of flavor without weighty tannins, part of the magic of the area. The nose leads with black olive tapenade, graphite, raspberry seed, cherry and clove. There's a shisha pipe sweet tobacco character to the edges of the fruit in the mouth, and this quickly morphs into blood orange, raspberry, red apple skin and pressed roses. I think I like the aftertaste the most—it's succulent and a little chewy, which says it would do very well with a decant to soften its edges (yes, it does have them) and draw out the long finish. This is a special wine, from a special spot, too. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

95 points - "This is a chunky, earthy expression of grenache in this exceptional vintage. Notes of pickled ginger, tamarind and dark cherries. Hints of moss and iodine across the forceful, slightly drying finish. This is an immense wine, typical of the style that defines the region, which produces some of the very finest expressions of grenache in the world. Drinkable now, but best from 2027." - Ned Goodwin (James Suckling)

95 points - "Deep, bright purple-red colour with a bouquet of blackberry pastille, black cherry and earthy/terracotta nuances in the background. Tremendous depth of flavour and also detail, the tannins firm and emphatic, the finish long and drying but also very satisfying. A smashing red wine." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

94 points - "Despite the cooler year, and the vagaries of the season, the Pannell grenaches of 2022 feel riper and fuller in essence. Not a bad thing, just a piece of commentary with the suite in front of me. Potent, full flavoured, decidedly ripe in fruit spectrum, sweet in its profile albeit tempered with pleasing bitter herbal elements, savoury notes and saline mineral characters. That being said, there’s some slurpiness here, despite a web of fine, silty tannins lending crunch and sandy pucker. Scents of ripe plum, raspberry jam, black jelly beans, sage leaf and bergamot tea. Exotic, and delightful. The sweetness is apparent to taste, a slick film on the palate and yet tannin profile tends to a chew and grip. It’s a heartier red, in its way, and does it all well." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)