2021 S.C. Pannell Basso Garnacha, McLaren Vale

A contemporary expression of Vale grenache with a whiff of gum leaf, for tradition's sake. A skirt of sandy tannins, carved from the seabed with the precision of a scalpel. Kirsch, fecund strawberry, white pepper, Seville orange and tea tree. Frisky yet ample, with the levity of drinkability the endgame despite a somewhat drying finish.

92 points Special Value Ned Goodwin MW winecompanion.com.au

Stephen Pannell Winemaker

Primary fruit, raspberry, bright red cherry, musk and a floral punch. The tannins are just as Grenache tannins should be, sandy and long. It's light- to medium-bodied and youthful on the palate, with slowly building intensity. The idea for an early-release, low-sulphur, unfiltered Grenache had been bubbling away for a few years and in 2017 access to the right fruit from a dry-grown vineyard, sparked the Basso project in to life. From the Latin Bassus, meaning low, Basso is low in additions and speaks clearly of the place from which it comes.