Vibrant fruit,

and

spice.

Medium bodied with vibrant fruit and spice.

Drink now or cellar for up to 15 years
Produced using sustainable practices
Vegan
Ideal serving temperature: 16-18°C
Decant alongside slow cooked lamb shoulder

Tasting notes

Vintage Guide

Reviews

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2021

Shaw + Smith
Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz

Shaw + Smith
Shiraz Half Bottle

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Notes

Style

Shaw + Smith Shiraz is a medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power. All the beauty of cool climate Shiraz is here to behold. Violets on the nose, with red cherries, satsuma plums, roasted hazelnuts. Medium bodied, with soft tannins that close the deal.

Season

The growing season for 2021 was terrific, a joy after the traumas of 2020. Soaking winter rains gave us plenty of moisture in the soil, and that flowed into healthy crops. The summer was mild and slow ripening giving lots of flavour.

Vineyard

From our low yielding vines in Balhannah and our exceptional growers in central Adelaide Hills.

Vinification

Hand-picked, then either de-stemmed and fermented as whole berries, or fermented as whole bunches with stems. We like gentle handling and long ferments so the tannins are fine, and the perfume of cool climate Shiraz is not lost. Matured in mainly older French oak.

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.