2009 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc Reviews
James Halliday, The Weekend Australian 18-19 July 2009
96 points
The grapes are hand-picked (leaving sunburnt and otherwise defective bunches unpicked), crushed, must-chilled and cold-fermented with various yeasts, with one month lees contact. Simple. It has a highly aromatic bouquet of nettle, citrus and herbv, the vibrant palate with great thrust and persistence. A distinguished vintage of a distinguished line.
The Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines 2010 13th May 2010
Is this the finest S+S SB ever? An early glimpse at this wine last year suggested that it is and repeated encounters ever since (many such goes, I am fortunate to report) have confirmed this thought. Purity and length are the only two elements worth considering after the flavour boxes have been ticked and this wine excels in both disciplines.
Julia Harding MW, www.jancisrobinson.com 15 July 2009
18 Points
Beautiful aromatic nose. Lemon, apricot and peach - terrific crystalline fruit. Fine peach flavour and great intensity with citrus freshness and no greenness. Long and zesty.
Nick Stock, Wine 100 September 2009
92 Points
Nice basil leaf and bright herbaceous fruit characters sit across citrus and tropical fruit aromas. The palate has a juicy, crisp style and very tidy, bright acidity holding everything in place, finishing with zesty, clean appeal.
Peter Forrestal, The Sunday Times 12 July 2009
This is the archetypal Aussie sauvignon blanc, celebrating its 20th vintage: intense, focused and juicy, with a tight structure and taut acidity. Delicious.
Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser 1 July 2009
Whites beat the heat
......... Shaw and Smith has a far greater Hills profile and produce one of the country's best-known sauvignon blancs. Celebrating the winery's 20th anniversary, the 2009 version has everything that has given this wine a huge following - fresh, zingy, almost tropical fruit with just a sense of the varietal's more obvious herbaceousness. As well, there's an exciting grapefruit pith textural line, underpinning a satisfying mid-palate weight. ...
Ken Gargett, Courier Mail 8 September 2009
.... Unlike so many wineries, Shaw & Smith have decided there are a few wines they can do well and have concentrated on them. Not for these guys tinkering around with the latest styles, fads and varieties. Yet when they started, the wines made could hardly have been said to fit the usual mould. In the early days, very few people were dabbling with sauvignon blanc. It was little more than the proverbial sparkle in the eye of most kiwi winemakers. Shaw & Smith took it on, defined it for Australia and still to this day lead the pack. Is there any other wine about which one could say that it has led its category ion quality almost every year for 20 years? Not that I can think of. And 2009 sits with the best. Possibly it's a little more along the herbaceous end of the spectrum than some buts its legions of fans will be very happy with the vintage.
Graeme Phillips, Sunday Tasmanian 20th September 2009
Fruit-pure and unwooded mainstream style here, elegantly put together with grassy/herbal leanness mixed with fleshier tropical fruit flavours, the palate lifted by a nice, bright line of crisp acidity running to a clean, refreshing finish.
Paddy Kendler, Herald Sun 29th September 2009
After 20 years, Australia’s best and deservedly most popular white sauvignon continues to challenge the Kiwi invasion with yet another credible and delectable local alternative. As usual there’s plenty of brassy passionfruit character to sniff and savour along with typical hints of green grass, herbs, guava and lychee. The acid is crisp and clean, adding a certain zest and vitality. Another plus is the versatility of the wine. It has the capacity to complement all foods from the sea, vegetarian meals and poultry.
Kerry Skinner, Illawarra Mercury 30th September 2009
When cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith kicked off their Adelaide Hills winery 20 years ago they created a sauvignon blanc that is now the benchmark for the variety in Australia. This latest vintage is a cracker, vibrant passionfruit and tropical fruit on the nose and palate, freshly cut grass characters, lively acidity and crisp finish. Drink it with a seafood platter.
Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser 7th October 2009
92 points
Again, more subtlety and field grasses, with faint wafts of tropical fruit salad and decent apple fruit flavours in the mouth and a presence that builds as you sip – that apple crunchy acidity attractive all the way. This Hills’ emblem remains one of the best.
Jon Helmer, Bellarine Times 6th October 2009
Rated in house as one of the top three sauvignon blancs they've ever produced! Terrifically pungent aromatics lead with beautifully balanced fruit and nice tight acidity on the finish. Rather than pump out as much product as they can to keep up with demand, Shaw and Smith have (as always) opted with the 'less is more' approach to ensure quality and brand integrity - the cornerstones of their identity - with the 2009 release. Preferring to concentrate more on getting the absolute best from the fruit sources available means there is less stock to sell, but the wine is a powerhouse of expression and style, and the price has been deliberately kept down to ensure its place in the market.... simply amazing value!
John Lewis, Newcastle Herald 4th November 2009
Even sauvignon blanc agnostics like me can appreciate this refreshing, zingy white from the Adelaide Hills winery of cousins Michael Hill Smith and Martin Shaw.
It is straw with olive green tints and has grassy scents. Crisp gooseberry flavour shows on the front palate and lime zest, herb and mineral characters join in on the middle palate. Slatey acid features at the finish.
Tony Love, The Advertiser Top 100 Wines November 2009
95 Points - Equal Top Scoring Sauvignon Blanc
The benchmark by which all other Australian sauvignon blancs are measured: ripe, rich palate with gooseberry/tropical fruit and an extra edge of intensity and length.... very good length.
OUT There Magazine November 2009
Winsor Dobbin
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
A Dozen Outstanding Australian Wines for Enjoying over the Holiday Period
There's a lot of fuss made about the popularity of New Zealand sauvignon blanc and what often gets lost is the fact Australia also makes some pretty good examples - like this zingy, zesty number from an Adelaide Hills winery that is in top form right now. Great with Thai fishcakes.
The KROW Issue 23 November 2009
Tony Keys
Apparently this is the 20th Vintage and as far as I can remember all have been good as is this one. What can be said? It's up there, it’s the one others use as a benchmark. 93 points and worth its $25
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2010
Nick Stock
92 Points
Nice basil leaf and bright herbaceous fruit characters sitting across nicely captured citrus and tropical fruit aromas. The palate as a juicy, crisp style and very tidy, bright acidity holding everything in place, finishing with zesty, clean appeal. 4 stars
Winewise
1st December 2009
Highly recommended
Slightly more tropical than usual, with herbaceous overtones and a definite whiff of passionfruit. Lively acidity lifts the finish.
Calcutta Saturday 26th December 2009
Harshal Shah
From Adelaide Hills, Australia, this wine is wonderfully fresh and racy and the perfect drink for any time of the day. Flavours of lemon sherbet, pineapples and cut grass make way to clean acidity and delicate balance, leading to a long, mouth-watering finish. Tasted in Delhi a few weeks ago.
Northern Star, 16th January 2010
Max Crus
“….. No Richie, but when you’ve got sav blancs of the record breaking calibre of Shaw and Smith ($25, 9/10), Murdoch Hill ($20, 9/10) and Alta by Sarah ($25, 9.1/10) you can see that the Adelaide Hills can handle the spin on a grassy pitch.”