Steve has always been an avid lover of Nebbiolo. He spent time in the motherland, working and learning alongside Giuseppe Vajra, whose family has been farming Bricco delle Viole, the highest cru in Barolo, since the 1600s. Back in Australia, Steve started making Nebbiolo from the Protero vineyard under his S.C. Pannell line, and while these two wines come from the same place, they have styles quick distinct from each other. For one, the ‘CAPO’ ages on skins for 100 days, whereas the S.C. Pannell Nebbiolo sees just 23 days of skin contact. Seeing that much skin contact, it’s no surprise that this wine has a complex tannin structure. The 2018 vintage was, thankfully, a gentle and kind affair. Good winter rain, late bud burst and a cool, mild harvest gave the grapes natural acidity and vibrant fruit flavors. This is a wine that can age for 20 years or more.

Clones Mudgee and 230 (both piè franco) were hand harvested from Block 2 of the Protero Vineyard in Gumeracha on April 12th, 2018 from the top of the vineyard only. Each parcel was gently crushed and kept separate. Spontaneous fermentation followed, and the wines were kept on skins for 100 days before very gentle pressing. They were then blended and settled in tank for 13 days before being sent to old French oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation and maturation. The best barrels were selected in July 2019 and sent to a 2800L vat for extended maturation. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration on the 4th of August 2020.