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.
"Vibrant purple-black; seduces with swathes of dark cherries dipped in kirsch, florals, ferrous and woodsy spices, with toasty oak sewn to the shape of the fuller-bodied palate. Everything is in its place, creating an immaculate whole - the fine-grained tannins, the length, the freshness and detail. It's polished and totally convincing." 97 Points, Jane Faulkner (January 2018)
"Shaw + Smith Shiraz hits the jackpot. Cracking shiraz.
Pure, ripe, spicy, bold, long, savoury: the lot. Exquisitely well set with tannin. Blue, black and red berries. Crushed dry leaves, not to mention spices. Cloves. Cured meats. Fruit and then more. It’s a beauty. It finishes like a kite in a stiff steady breeze; it just wants to go and go and go." 96 points, Campbell Mattinson (December 2018)
"Deep, bold, bright colour, with a reserved bouquet of dark plum, black fruits, earth and graphite. The palate is full-bodied and dense, with substantial tannins that grip the finish and aftertaste. A trace of bitterness in the tannins. A highly-structured shiraz with lots of stuffing." 93 Points, Huon Hooke (July 2018)
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.
