Shaw + Smith introduces new offerings at their Tasting Room

Shaw + Smith is introducing two new tasting options for those visiting their Tasting Room at Balhannah from 16 February.

In addition to the highly successful Shaw + Smith Wine Flight visitors can opt for the
new Limited Release Wine Flight, or book for the Friday Table that includes a tour, tutored tasting, plus lunch.

Shaw + Smith Wine Flight - $20

Five Shaw + Smith current release wines served with three local cheeses.

Limited Release Wine Flight - $40

Five Shaw + Smith single site or aged release wines served with a South Australian artisan produce plate.

Friday Table - $240

A vineyard and winery tour, a comprehensive tutored tasting and lunch in the Shaw + Smith Map Room. Visitors can book for a maximum of twelve guests or just book and join the shared table. Tasting includes new and aged releases and limited single site wines.

Available every Friday from 16 February 2018.
Bookings essential with only 12 places available each Friday 11am – 3pm.

Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. In 2000 they built their winery at Balhannah which houses the Shaw + Smith Tasting Room designed by Melbourne-based designer Chris Connell.

It commands sweeping views over the Balhannah Vineyard to the Mount Lofty Ranges and was voted the number one Adelaide Hills Cellar Door by Gourmet Traveller WINE in 2017.

12/02/2018 at 2:22 PM Permalink

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

Halliday Wine Companion 2018

Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay 2015
Whole-bunch pressed to new and used French puncheons for fermentation and 10 months' maturation. The bright quartz-green colour signals a wine of exceptional intensity and purity, pink grapefruit embracing white peach, oak watching on from the sideline. A truly great chardonnay.
98 points

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2015
M3 now comes from selected sites over the Adelaide Hills, not from the vineyard previously called M3. Pale strawgreen; it may be autosuggestion, but this has great freshness, vibrancy and finesse, the flavours pitched halfway between white peach/stone fruit on the one hand, grapefruit/citrus on the other. Obviously fermented in French oak, but is not obviously oaky.
97 points

Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2015
The colour is bright, the bouquet full of red fruits, darker fruit notes and delicious pepper and spice nuances. These characters flow through to the medium-bodied palate of Shaw + Smith's most consistently outstanding wine, the '15 vintage making it seem so easy. 
97 points

Shaw + Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz 2014
A joyously lively cool-grown shiraz. The bouquet is particularly fragrant and fruit-driven, the medium-bodied palate laden with black cherry, spice, licorice and pepper. Its aftertaste is exceptional, underlining the length and quality of the wine.
97 points

Shaw + Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz 2015
Matured in French puncheons for 14 months, with a further 14 months in bottle before release. This is an exercise in power, bay leaf staring down any attempt to add red fruits, the tannins of the same ilk, ditto oak. Despite the power, the balance and synergy of the components is undeniable.
97 points

Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Long accepted as the benchmark for Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc, and you don't have to go past the bouquet to figure out why; just about every tropical fruit you can imagine is on display, from custard apple at one extreme, kiwi fruit and green pineapple at the other. It all adds up to a complete wine made to be enjoyed until the queue forms for the next release.
95 points

Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir 2015
Light crimson; the bouquet is fragrant and floral with red fruit, spice and forest notes, the palate building on the scaffold of the bouquet. Here the accent is on excellent texture and length replaying the cherry fruit in a savoury clasp.
95 points

03/08/2017 at 10:57 AM Permalink

Competition Winners

Congratulations to Stephen Connor, the winner of our Shaw + Smith Luxury Escape Competition 2017 and Laura Hall, the winner of the Shaw + Smith Instant Cellar.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks also to Bailie Lodges and Southern Ocean Lodge for their participation in this sensational prize.

02/08/2017 at 11:00 AM Permalink

WIN an Instant Cellar or Luxury Escape at Southern Ocean Lodge Kangaroo Island

Please click here for more and to enter.

06/06/2017 at 5:00 PM Permalink

News from Shaw + Smith

Continuing Shaw + Smith’s focus on education for both the trade and our customers, we will be holding our bi-annual series of workshops with the focus this year on Shiraz.
 
Given the evolution in cool-climate Shiraz production in Australia, these workshops are an opportunity to compare different examples, explore the issues specific to growing and making Shiraz in these climates, and assess the development of style and quality. Northern Rhone wines will sit beside leading Australian producers including the single vineyard Shaw + Smith Balhannah Shiraz and Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2015.  Presenters include winemakers Martin Shaw and Adam Wadewitz, plus David LeMire MW and Dan Coward.

Workshops will be held in WA, Vic, SA and Qld and are $95 for consumers. Trade are by invitation only.

Click on your state above for details and bookings.

In NSW please visit Prince Wine Store for their workshop event by clicking here.

02/05/2017 at 8:58 PM Permalink

Latest news from the team at Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Vineyard

Leading Adelaide Hills winery, Shaw + Smith, has recorded their best two months on record taking out a swag of awards, topping annual drinks’ lists and being named Best Producer at the Adelaide Hills Wine Show announced 25 November. As well as Best Producer (over 100 tonnes), Shaw + Smith also took out trophies for the 2015 M3 Chardonnay (Best Chardonnay) and 2016 Sauvignon Blanc (Best Sauvignon Blanc).
 

Shaw + Smith’s Balhannah Tasting Room also didn’t go unnoticed, winning the Chanticleer Award for Most Welcoming Visitor Experience.

This year also saw the release of Shaw + Smith’s first single vineyard Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, the 2014 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Chardonnay, to rave reviews including starring in the AFR Magazine’s Top 20 Wines of 2016 announced by Philip Rich at the end of November.  
 

In October, the wine industry also got behind Shaw + Smith, voting the winery Best White Wine Producer (over $25) at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards for the third time.
 

The highly acclaimed Tolpuddle Vineyard in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley continues to grab attention with the 2014 Pinot Noir being included in James Halliday’s Top 100 for 2016.
 

Co-founder Michael Hill Smith AM MW commented: “2016 has been a sensational year – from our winemaking team led by Adam Wadewitz, sales and marketing helmed by David LeMire MW, Murray Leake our Group Viticulturist, to our all important cellar door team. Martin and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

20/12/2016 at 4:00 PM Permalink

SA Life article - March 2016

There's a great article about Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc in the recent issue of SA Life:

In defence of Sauvignon Blanc (SA Life, March 2016)

...Embracing subtle beauty rather than bland simplicity, the Adelaide Hills wines suggest it's time to look at sauvignon blanc afresh. 

Shaw + Smith 2015 Sauvignon Blanc ($26)

'This brand has consistently driven the quality benchmark of Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc - and it drove the initial success of this brand. Winemakers Martin Shaw and Adam Wadewitz greatly value the continued interest in this wine, and have never allowed it to show signs of complacency. Fussy with their selection of fruit parcels, they craft a serious wine with restrained gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas, with the zing of grapefruit on entry but more weight in the middle palate with a nashi pear crush. It gives a rich satisfying mouthfeel before sliding into a fine, dry finish.' 

08/03/2016 at 11:00 AM Permalink

2015 Open Day Options Challenge Winner

There was some stiff competition on the day, but after reviewing all entries, Kate came out the winner of our 2015 Open Day Options Challenge and will receive the Magnum of 2013 Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir - Congratulations Kate! 

For those who came to Open Day 2015 and entered the Challenge, here are the wines that were tasted:

Wine 1. 
2015 Andrew Thomas 'Braemore' Semillon (Hunter Valley)

Wine 2.
2013 William Fevre Chablis (Burgundy)

Wine 3.
2010 Taylor's Cabernet Sauvignon  (Clare Valley)

16/11/2015 at 11:35 AM Permalink

Winner of the Shaw + Smith Luxury Escape Competition

Congratulations to Taria Jane Somers - the winner of our Shaw + Smith Luxury Escape Competition. 
 

We had an amazing response to this competition - thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks also to Bailie Lodges and Southern Ocean Lodge for their participation in this sensational prize. 

 

20/07/2015 at 2:00 PM Permalink