2006 Shaw + Smith Shiraz Reviews
Decanter World Wine Awards
Gold Medal
Tim White – The Financial Review 25-27 July 2008
98 Points “Now this is really fragrant and black peppercorn-scented, with blueberry currant, forest pi ps, and subtle cedar oak. Classy stuff. There’s plenty of the same pippy fruit and spice in the mouth; long, dry, polished tannins and subtle, background oak. There’s dried spices and amazing succulent fruit: just keeps on building. This is one of the best wines I’ve put in mouth in the past five years.”
Winewise June 2008
Rated Outstanding and Excellent Value “Here’s a wine that is rapidly staking a claim for best of its variety. That title will always be well disputed, but there’s no doubt in our mind that the top two wines in this tasting are strong contenders. This vintage has a vivid colour and a delightfully fragrant and spicy nose. The long, intense, elegant palate drives home all the impressions from the stunning nose.”
Huon Hooke - Good Living June 2008
Top Aussie Red 95 Points
“Another ripper from this Adelaide Hills winery. Meaty, peppery, mixed spice aromas, with blackberry and aniseed-mint emerging as it warms in the glass. Rich, layered and fruit-sweet to taste, with supple tannins, symmetry and length. A superb example of contemporary Australian shiraz. Now to 12 years plus.”
Nick Stock - The Adelaide Review Magazine Issue 339 May 2008
94 points
“This ’06 is fiercely aromatic, the spice and ripe red fruits are lifted by stripes of musky oak, also adding some toasty mocha complexity. The palate’s settled into resolved shape, fine tannins run the entire length, carrying dark fruits, spice and dark minerally flavours, all neatly balanced and tightly integrated.”
Peter Forrestal - West Australian
92 Points
“I like what these guys are doing with their Shiraz. This is another beautifully poised and elegant wine demonstrating fruit power and style in the one breath. Fruit is sourced from the Adelaide Hills and matured in French barriques. Complex meaty, gamey, savoury nose and a seamless palate of some length.”
West Australian 12th July 2008
Tyson Stelzer - WBM August 2008
95 Points
“This is a sensational vintage for Shaw & Smith Shiraz, rivalling the very best. I t’s spicy and peppery with a layered charcuterie complexity and a seamless line of fruit concentration running through its core. Fine, minerally tannins complete a very smart package.”
David Sly, SA Life
“The decision by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith to make shiraz the flagship red wine of their Adelaide Hills brand surprised many, who queried the ability to properly ripen such cool- climate fruit – though doubters have been silenced by sucessive vintages of luscious, balanced wine. The Macclesfield vineyard from which they source this fruit gets consistent ripeness that produces wine of vibrant, bright colour, with rich, savoury tones in a vivacious, fruit -driven palate. I t boasts a complexity lacking in much warm-climate shiraz.”
The India Wine Challenge 2008
Trophy Winner for the Finest Red Wine – 2006 Shaw + Smith Shiraz
James Halliday's Top 100 Wines, November 2008
97 Points "For some arcane reason, this missed the tasting net for my latest Wine Companion but has made up for lost time. Brilliant crimson, it has voluminous plum, black cherry and spice aromas, replayed on the very intense and focused palate that has glorious length and line."
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2009
By Nick Stock
94 Points and Best of the Rest list
“Stripes of musky oak and ripe red fruits, quite perfumed and lifted, this is a forthright, modern style, overlaid by attractive mocha-scented oak toast. The palate is elegant and direct with fine dark fruit and mineral flavours, tightly integrated, and finishes purposefully. Cellar-worthy”.
2010 Australian Wine Vintages Top 100
Rob Geddes, MW
Read More...