S.C. Pannell | McLaren Vale

In a very short space of time, Stephen Pannell has gone from being one of Australia’s best and brightest young talents to one of their most lauded winemakers. He is a two-time winner of the fabled Jimmy Watson Trophy, the most prestigious wine award in Australia and also winner of the top prize at the Alternative Varietals Wine Show three out of the last five years.

Stephen moved into his own McLaren Vale winery in 2014, and now owns 36 hectares of vineyard. This control over his fruit has enabled him to take quality to an even higher level. One of the key factors behind his success is the freshness in all his wines, something he achieves by picking earlier. “I can only pick early due to better viticulture”, he says.