Cool climate Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir is the hottest wine in SA

Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir 2016 has taken out the number one spot in the Hot 100 Wines as voted by The Adelaide Review.

The coveted, annual list is a celebration of South Australian wine and sets out to find the most drinkable wine from the state. This year, the Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir was chosen from among an overwhelming 1400 entries by the stellar judging crew led by Tasmanian winemaker, Peter Dredge.

Pioneers of Adelaide Hills cool-climate winemaking, Shaw + Smith have been making wines in the Hills since 1989 and Pinot Noir commercially only since 2007.

Winemaker Adam Wadewitz is chuffed with the result: “The 2016 is getting pretty good reviews all round but to be given the title of number one in the Hot 100 is truly exciting stuff. I thought Wednesday’s win at the Adelaide Oval was good, but this is dynamite.”

You can purchase the Shaw + Smith 2016 Pinot Noir by clicking here

12/01/2018 at 2:24 PM Permalink

2015 Sauvignon Blanc classification

Today is International Sauvignon Blanc Day, and while we weren't aware of this fact until around lunchtime today, it is still fitting that the team has been tasting through our new vintage Sauvignon Blanc batches for classification. 

Martin Shaw, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire tasted individual batches of the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc and the consensus was that this vintage shows consistent and even quality, with the different vineyard sources all performing very highly. 

In David's words: "Lovely aromatics, crisp acidity and great flavours."

The 2015 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc is scheduled for release in July 2015. 

24/04/2015 at 4:30 PM Permalink

S+S GUIDE TO ADELAIDE'S BEST WINE BARS

The S+S team travels frequently and between us, we spend quite a bit of time in restaurants and wine bars. We have started to put together a list of some of our favourite venues around Australia to share our experiences and thoughts with you, starting this month with Dan Coward's guide to Adelaide wine bars. 

Once upon a time Adelaide had the Universal Wine Bar and Krug at the Exeter Hotel and that was about it. Well the Krug is still there but the wine bar scene has exploded dramatically in the last few years. Go west for cocktail lists, late night juke joints and the forever young Apothecary 1878, or head east for the vinous beating heart. The Tasting Room, part of the iconic East End Cellars, slices charcuterie and pours a small but interesting list by the glass, while offering you a whole wine shop of bottles to drink in with a small corkage charge. Across the road Mother Vine blends the classics – Sherry, Nebbiolo and Burgundy – with top Aussie producers like Wendouree, Ochota Barrels and SC Pannell. Just round the corner Africola completes the picture with quirky local labels next to South African pioneers. 

With the best views of the city, newly opened 2KW (at 2 King William Street) has had a stunning fit out. Dress smartly and drink classically. Venture down Waymouth Street and Proof (behind the brilliant Press) provides the perfect dark corners to imbibe from an extensive wine list curated by journo Tim White and local young gun Dave Currie. Another making waves is Travis Tausend at Cork Wine Café on Gouger Street, where quirky cloudy bottles are the order of the day. Cantina Sociale (pictured) is rambunctious, complete with wines from barrel and great snacks, while the latest welcome entrant on the scene is Bar Torino, next to Chianti on Hutt Street, championing all things Mediterranean. Finding interesting wine in Adelaide has really never been so much fun.

13/03/2015 at 4:27 PM Permalink

Vintage 14

What started as an early start to vintage, slowed down with some unseasonal rains allowing the vineyards to recover from heat.  This was followed by a cool slow ripening period, keeping the grapes longer on the vines, increasing fruit intensity and flavour - always a good thing. Now we are in full swing with the cellar on 24 hour shifts. Dan, one of our vintage interns tweets "My hands are finally getting leathery, discoloured and generally manly. Thank you #v14@shawandsmith"!

Challenging vintages show the extraordinary value of years of experience and knowledge.  Ray Guerin (Viticulturist of the Year 2013) and winemaker, Adam Wadewitz have just come from the Woodlot vineyard, Balhannah and believe its some of the best Sauvignon Blanc flavours they have seen.  Chardonnay looks like the stand out variety for the season.  We are still a couple of weeks off picking the shiraz and although the yields are looking low, Ray and Adam are excited about the potential quality.
 

11/03/2014 at 9:29 AM Permalink

Recent winner of a case of Award Winning '09 Aged-Released Shiraz

Congratulations to Denis MacFarlane - you won a case (6) of award-winning 2009 Aged Release Shiraz.

Thank you to everyone who has entered our recent competition.

13/10/2013 at 4:25 PM Permalink

Ray Guerin - Viticulturist of the Year 2013!

GREAT NEWS - OUR VITICULTURIST RAY GUERIN HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED VITICULTURIST OF THE YEAR!

As every winemaker knows  grape quality is key so best practice in the vineyard is vitally important to us at Shaw + Smith.

Ray was the unanimous choice of the panel, announced last night at the 2013 Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year awards.

Ray is as dedicated as they come and we couldn't be happier for him!

25/09/2013 at 1:30 AM Permalink

Winner of the luxury weekend at Southern Ocean Lodge

Congratulations to Jacquie Elliott from QLD - you are the winner of the Shaw + Smith luxury weekend at Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island.

Thank you to everyone who has entered our luxury weekend at Southern Ocean Lodge competition.  We have had an overwhelming response and are so pleased to partner with Southern Ocean Lodge  and Habitus to bring you this amazing prize.

08/07/2013 at 10:39 AM Permalink

2013 Vintage Report - Martin Shaw and David LeMire MW

Winter / Spring rainfall - Winter rainfall for Balhannah was 70mm below the long-term average though irrigation dams were full by late July. In Mid-September rainfall virtually ceased. From October through to harvest there was only an additional 80mm recorded.

Flowering – Flowering was underway early, beginning on November 10th, and weather conditions were excellent. This meant 2013 had the potential to be a high-yielding year, and it was important to control yields to achieve ripeness and concentration.

Weather up to and including harvest - The season was warmer than usual with an occasional one and two day heat spike. The positive was the consistently cool nights that tempered the season in general.   It was a year of high irrigation demand to establish adequate vine growth early in the season then to retain it through to harvest. However it was a very easy year in terms of disease risk, with no disease issues at all. Harvest began early on February 16th for clone 777 Pinot Noir, and was underway for Sauvignon Blanc on February 21st.

Stand out varieties  - Some great examples of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. The caveat being that you needed good vine health to endure heat spikes and a moderate yield to allow you to pick at the optimum time. Thinning fruit to achieve our target yields was crucial, and in the case of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, some blocks were thinned twice, and some three times.

Overall quality – taking into account a warmer than average growing season and a compressed harvest window we have been pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of fruit from the 2013 Vintage. The white wines look very solid, but it may be the reds that have the edge at this early stage as they continue to impress in the winery.

15/04/2013 at 4:36 PM Permalink

Meet the Judges: Michael Hill Smith MW

Meet the Judges: Michael Hill Smith MW (Decanter.com, Monday 25 February 2013)

Michael Hill-Smith MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair
Michael Hill Smith MW works in many areas of the wine trade, including at his own vineyard, Shaw + Smith. Find out about one of our two Regional Chairs for Australia in this interview...

Tell us a little about yourself – where are you based and where do you work?
After passing my MW in 1988, I set up Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills with my winemaking cousin and close friend Martin Shaw. After 23 vintages this still remains my major focus – augmented by wine judging, masterclasses, wine consulting (for clients including Singapore Airlines), and an unseemly amount of travel.

Tell us a bit about your expertise and how you got into wine?
As I was born into a wine family, wine has always been part of my life. Yet it was not until my early twenties that I became aware of the diversity and wonder of wine.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while working in the wine industry?
Always be true to your palate – regardless of the reputation or provenance of a wine. Objectivity is creditability.

Who has been your biggest inspiration during your wine career?
Without question, Len Evans - Decanter Man of the Year 1997. His carrot and stick approach gave me the confidence to move to the UK to study for the MW, and to set up Shaw + Smith on my return.

What are your most memorable wine moments from the last ten years?
It’s hard to isolate any one standout [moment] in a myriad of good bottles, fine food and interesting people. As a mate of mine points out - "Working in wine is work – but not as most people understand the concept".

Which kinds of wines do you think should be given more attention in 2013?
Wines from dynamic and talented people, driven by quality not fashion. In Australia this often equates to small-to-medium sized producers making exciting regional wines with a sense of place.

Which wines are you drinking at home at the moment? Is there a strong wine scene in your city?
Burgundy, both white and red; aged Aussie Riesling; top quality Pinot Noir and the best of Australia's 'new wave' Chardonnays.

And yes, as Adelaide is home to many winemakers so it has a healthy and inquisitive wine scene.

What’s your desert island wine?
1978 DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) La Tache for the evenings and Dom Perignon Rosé on tap during the day.

What single piece of advice do you have for people just starting out in wine?
Drink wine mindfully – think about what you are tasting, and take the time to learn about the wine in your glass.

When judging, what are you looking for in great wine?
Balance, length, intensity, complexity, and a sense of uniqueness.

Finally, what are you looking forward to most about judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards?
Catching up with the old and bold, and the best and brightest. The camaraderie amongst judges is what keeps me coming back."

Read more at http://www.decanter.com/people-and-places/interviews/583661/meet-the-judges-michael-hill-smith-mw#FIjXoxHuxR3YHgTI.99

07/03/2013 at 8:05 AM Permalink

2013 Vintage

2013 Vintage Photo Gallery

From left - (1) winemaker Wadewitz & Creagh talk strategy. (2) the vibrating fruit sorter, and (3) destemmed but not crushed Pinot Noir. 

Hand-picked Pinot Noir from our Lenswood Vineyard, This is the first time we've had this fruit, which gives us clones new to us, 114 and 115, joining our 777 and MV6.

From left (1) Lenswood Chardonnay Clone 76, (2) Woodside Chardonnay Clone 76, and (3)Sauvignon Blanc from Johnson Road East, a south facing block at Balhannah. 

Our presses work hard but press softly. And this sight glass shows the colour of Chardonnay juice treated oxidatively to give a more complex, savoury style. The wine will end up a very pale lemon yellow colour. 

One of 6 new open fermentors that have just arrived in the nick of time. The base is angled to allow easy removal of skins for pressing after fermentation. 

25/02/2013 at 11:14 AM Permalink