Shaw + Smith’s Adelaide Hills Shiraz is elegant and balanced, with an intensity not often seen in cool-climate styles. A warm and consistent 2016 vintage in the typically crisp Adelaide Hills has made for a Shiraz rich in dark fruit and spice. With scores up to 96 and 97 Points, the 2016 Shiraz is a bottle to be savoured.
Established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw, Shaw + Smith bring forth an exciting and thoroughly modern repertoire of critically lauded wines to explore and enjoy.
“Seduces with swathes of dark cherries dipped in kirsch, florals, ferrous and woodsy spices… It’s polished and totally convincing.”
- Jane Faulkner, 97 points
With two established vineyards to their name, the 2016 Shiraz is elegantly composed with a blend of fruit from the close-planted, low-yielding Balhannah vineyards of the former, and two other nearby sites. Shaw + Smith’s 2016 Shiraz represents excellent quality and excellent value in equal measure.
The superb 2012 vintage has resulted in wonderfully balanced Shaw & Smith Shiraz showing ample red berry fruit purity, notes of flowers and freshly cracked pepper, supported by fine polished tannins. Delicious now, it has the concentration and structure to age gracefully over a decade. Drink now-2022.
Andrea Pritzker MW, Langton's
…one of the great Shaw+Smith Shirazes... Finely textured and immaculately poised, fleshy black cherries, black plums and licorice unite in an elegantly medium-bodied style accented with layers of black pepper and game, reinforced by a small influence of whole bunch fermentation. Finely-textured tannin structure and outstanding persistence point to a confident future.
96 points, Tyson Stelzer (tysonstelzer.com).
Shaw+Smith started in 1989 and has runs on the board aplenty but its best is yet ahead of it. It is building to be a classic Australian wine producer. This 2012 Shiraz release adds to that impression... It feels so plush in the mouth. And yet so elegant. And yet so tannic. Generous but bright. Has some pepper. Cherry plum. Oak polishes it up beautifully. Tannin makes a firm strike but then curls out through the finish. Beautifully presented Adelaide Hills Shiraz, in all respects. Clean, spicy, fruit-driven, firm. Drink to 2024+
94+ points, Wine Front, Nov 2013
Bright crimson-purple; a harmonious bouquet of cherry, plum, blackberry and spice leads into a palate full of red and black cherry fruit set within a framework of life-sustaining tannins -- which also add to the complexity of today. Three trophies, International Wine Challenge 2013: Best SA Shiraz, Best Australian Shiraz and Best Australian Red. Drink to 2032.
97 points, Wine Companion, September 2013
Quite probably the best vintage of this wine to date... Aromas of… pepper and mild spice, red plum and black cherry – a whirl of whole-bunch complexity. The palate has compressed tannins and a smooth, polished, textural build, gentle oak sweetness and a calm yet strong finish. Impeccable; suave.
96 points, Decanter (UK).
Medium to deep garnet-purple in colour, the 2012 Shiraz is loaded with aromas of crushed blackberries, black cherries and mulberries with suggestions of black pepper, lavender and bay leaf. The medium-bodied frame has a good core of vibrant black and red berry flavours structured by medium levels of rounded tannins. Balanced acid lends freshness through the medium to long finish. Drink it now to 2018+
90 points, Wine Advocate, April 2014
ADELAIDE HILLS
Located to the east of Adelaide,the Adelaide Hills is part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Considered a cool-climate region, most vineyards are situated at elevations between 450 to 550 metres. Rainfall is relatively high and spring frosts often pose problems. Hot northerly winds also make bush fires a real threat in the region. Adelaide Hills is a jigsaw of meso-climates, with the best vineyards centred around Piccadilly Valley and Lenswood in protected sites facing north or north-east. Soils are derived from schistic and sedimentary rock; typically well-drained sandy loams over red clay interspersed with schistic gravels. A premium wine-growing region, Adelaide Hills is best known for crisp, lively Sauvignon Blanc and elegant cool climates styles of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
