Due to vintage conditions, no straight Grenache was produced in 2007 or 2008. The 2009 Grenache has a deep garnet-purple color and intense black raspberry and warm blackberry aromas with some hints of baking spices and a whiff of iron ore. Full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, it has a nice backbone of zingy acid and firm grainy tannins going long into the finish. Approachable now, it has the stuffing to develop and cellar to 2018+. Stephen Pannell not only has wine in his blood (his parents owned Moss Wood and now Piccardy in Western Australia) but he has spent considerable time working in the wineries of Bordeaux, Burgundy and South France not to mention some of Australia’s biggest names: Seppelt, Knappstein and Hardys. He’s now doing his own thing in McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills and producing some inspired wines these days with an emphasis on producing stellar Grenache whilst also trying his hand at a personal passion, that elusive grape Nebbiolo.Importer: Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376

The 2006 Grenache was sourced from 45-year-old vines and aged for 16 months in seasoned French oak hogsheads (300-liter barrels). Unusually dark-colored for Grenache, the nose exhibits notes of charcoal, black cherry, lavender, and mineral. This is followed by a firm, hard, structured wine with a compact finish. Seemingly out-of-balance, purchasing this wine is a roll of the dice. Importer, Ben Hammerschlag, Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376