About
Steve Pannell's Mediterranean-blend rosé — berries, citrus, subtle savoury notes, dry restraint. Polished, well-judged, no excess.
The fruit is all Grenache, 88 percent grenache noir with 12 percent grenache gris, off the Little Branch vineyard in Blewitt Springs. The vines there are unirrigated, which is where the name starts.
Stephen Pannell presses the juice off the skins straight away to keep colour pick-up to a minimum, then settles it before fermentation. The result is very pale, a barely-there coral pink, with raspberry and red peppercorn on the nose. Crunchy red apple and just-ripe raspberry run through the palate, with ruby grapefruit pith on the finish.
The Real Review named the 2024 its Australian Rosé Wine of the Year for 2025. Pannell's own suggestion for it is freshly caught squid or garfish off the barbecue. It sits at 13 percent alcohol and finishes dry, with enough grip to hold up to food. Serve it cold, but not so cold the spice disappears.
Producer note
Steve Pannell (S.C. Pannell) is a former Tilbrook Estate / Hardys senior winemaker, repeatedly named among Australia's top winemakers. 'Arido' means 'arid/dry' — the wine's stylistic intent.
Structure
Picked on Stef's structure profile.
