Expressive,

          spice,

balanced.

Wine Club Member Exclusive

Medium bodied with vibrant fruit and spice.

Special Museum Release
Produced using sustainable practices
Vegan
Ideal serving temperature: 16-18°C
Decant alongside a slow cooked lamb shoulder

Tasting notes

Vintage Guide

Reviews

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2021

Shaw + Smith
Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz

2021

Shaw + Smith
Shiraz Half Bottle

Notes

Style

Re-released under the Shaw + Smith maturation program: allowing wines to gain complex tertiary characters from careful bottle aging in our temperature controlled cellar.

Some brick red notes showing some evolution, with complex spicy notes on the nose. On the palate, there is forest floor, clove, cinnamon, and dried herb notes. Firm but fine tannins are keeping this in fine shape, and it finishes with a lovely aged Shiraz saddle leather note

Season

2014 was not without its challenges, with small crops due to some unsettled weather during
flowering. In mid-February a string of hot days ended with a significant amount of rain over 24 hours. The following four weeks of dry, mild and
sunny weather from late February was just what the vines needed, and the results are very exciting

Vineyards

From low yielding vines at Balhannah, in the central Adelaide Hills, and Macclesfield, the warmer and drier sub-region to the south.
Low yields achieved by aggressive pruning and bunch thinning.

Vinification

Hand picked and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open
fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak barriques and some larger format for fourteen months.

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Reviews

No preamble need - this Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2021 is excellent. It's so drinkable. Thats the nub of it. Sure, we can swoon about the purple mulberry and beetroot Adelaide Hills fruit opulence, or how the slick of vanilla oak lifts it nicely. Or how the tannins are fine and finessed and the moderate alcohol and just-right acidity makes this, well, just right. The ripeness really is perfect - this is so moderate and delightful despite the volume of polished fruit. Ultimately, it's just a really enjoyable, full flavoured, gently spiced, polished, generous, round yet not fat, perfectly modern Australian Shiraz. Wow

Andrew Graham
96 Points

This is a beautiful release of Shaw + Smith Shiraz. It's ever-handed and well tempered but then it's all joy from there. A forest of berries, a walk through flowers, peppers flung through rubs of woody spice; the combination of fruitiness, savouriness, seriousness and fun is a highway to pleasure, built on wine. For all that the tannin is another dimension in itself; fine, lacy, assertive and savoury at once, complete with its own twiggy spice note. It's drinking beautifully and it will continue to do so.

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front
96 Points

Showing why Shiraz has been such a hit in the relatively cool climes of the Adelaide Hills, this wine has a seductive, alluring aroma of dark cherry and rhubarb with a sprinkle of sage. The palate is medium bodied but immensely flavoursome. The chalky tannin support is important while the oak has been expertly infused. Love this, particularly the dry and balanced mouth feel.

Ray Jordan - Wine Pilot
95 Points

Deep ruby. Ripe red plum, liquorice and mulberry with new leather, mocha, spicy/stalky vanillin oak complexity. Generously flavoured with chewy dark cherry, earthy, white pepper clove notes, supple textures accented by fresh acidity and al dente tannin. Well composed with an attractive savoury finish.

The Vintage Journal
94 points

Past Vintages

2020

Season marked by extremes. Low yielding, high quality vintage.

Drink now or cellar until 2035

Tasting Note

2019

Sporadic heat waves and cool periods in between led to high quality but low yields.

Drink now or cellar until 2034

Tasting note

2018

Warm and dry throughout most of the growing season. Beautifully balanced fruit.