Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2015

The Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz is a beautifully refined medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz from the very talented duo of Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith. Complex, mid-weighted, elegant and Rhône Valley-esque, fruit is sourced from some of the finest Shiraz growing vineyards in the Adelaide Hills.

"The best shiraz yet under this label: deliciously intense with blood plum, raspberry, black cherry aromas laced with subtle pepper and spice nuances. Marvellous richness and a seamless, soft-textured palate which is fruit-driven, with barely perceptible oak."  Huon Hooke

The 2015 vintage was sourced from low yielding vines predominantly at Balhannah, in the central Adelaide Hills, and Macclesfield, the warmer and drier sub-region to the south. The fruit is hand-picked and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working.

"A medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power. The 2015 vintage is true to style with particular opulence and generosity:  a reflection of an excellent warm yet even season. Has the concentration and structure to develop fine tertiary characters  in bottle over the next 15 years."  Shaw & Smith

Expert reviews

"From central and southern (the latter warmer) parts of the Adelaide Hills, hand-picked, part destemmed, part whole bunch, open-fermented with gentle plunging. 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. Drink by 2030."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points and Special Value Wine  ★ 

"The best shiraz yet under this label: deliciously intense with blood plum, raspberry, black cherry aromas laced with subtle pepper and spice nuances. Marvellous richness and a seamless, soft-textured palate which is fruit-driven, with barely perceptible oak. Drink now or cellar."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review – 95 points

"Once again this time-proven shiraz rises to the top of a Winewise tasting. It has to be the best example yet – red, rather than black, berry aromas greatly enhanced by whiffs of whole bunch inputs and new oak. The palate is long and supremely fine - seamless really. Don't miss out."  Lester Jesberg, Winewise  ★★★★★

"Finally tasted. Like this quite a lot."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 94/95 points

"Deep, bright purple/red hue, the bouquet very fresh and loaded with blood plum, raspberry and black cherry aromas, with high notes of spice and subtle pepper. Excellent intensity of flavour, soft texture, seamless, with smooth gentle tannins and early accessibility. Oak is barely perceptible. A delicious wine in a modern, fresh, fruit-driven style. I'd love to see this again in a few years. Drink 2017-2030."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review – 95 points

Awards

Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion  ★ 

About the winery

 Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith 

Shaw & Smith began over a long lunch in 1989 when cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith decided to realise a long held dream to make wine together. Today they own three vineyards in the Adelaide Hills; at Balhannah, Lenswood and Piccadilly, totalling 59 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.

Shaw & Smiths' first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines and built a winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. The 35 hectare Balhannah vineyard is planted predominantly to Sauvignon Blanc and close-planted Shiraz on property surrounding the winery at 340 - 380m elevation. The soil is free draining sandy loam over red clay with underlying quartzite and shale, with varying amounts of ironstone pebbles.

In 2012, the pair purchased an existing vineyard in the cooler zone of Lenswood, about 10km north west of the winery. The 20 hectare vineyard is at an elevation of 455 – 500m and was planted in 1999. Undulating with east and west facing aspects, the vineyard is planted mainly to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The soils are brown loams over clay with broken shale on the ridges.

In 2019 Shaw & Smith celebrated its 30th anniversary with the purchase of a cool-climate vineyard site in Piccadilly Valley just below the Mt Lofty summit. The land is in the highest, coldest and wettest part of the Adelaide Hills at an altitude of 550 metres. The 4 hectare site has been planted to chardonnay and pinot noir, with vines closely spaced at 11,000 vines per hectare, a density that’s considered the maximum in places like Burgundy and Champagne.

Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. They also use a number of different clones of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.