Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Shaw & Smith is the benchmark Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Picked from premium vineyards in the cooler parts of the Adelaide Hills, this was the wine that challenged the tsunami of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that captivated the Australian public for a time.

"Zesty and fresh with notes of ripe lemon, pear and gooseberry. The palate is tight, pure-fruited and wildly intense with energy that sets it aside from the pack. The acidity is integrated and appropriate. No wonder it is a favourite of many."  Toni Paterson

"From our estate vineyards at Balhannah and Lenswood, complemented by fruit from a small number of highly valued growers. Hand picked. Cool fermentation in stainless steel followed by maturation on lees. Early bottling to retain freshness.

Outstanding quality from a growing season that threatened, at times, to be tricky. After some heat in January, the moderate, dry and sunny months of February and March delivered beautifully balanced fruit. Crop levels were slightly below average, enhancing flavour and intensity."  Shaw & Smith

Expert reviews

"Very pale, young-wine colour. The bouquet is wonderfully fragrant and fresh and scented with lemons, limes, grapefruit and subtle floral notes. The pungent passionfruit notes are minor here. The palate follows on from there, crisp and dry, intensely fruity and fresh, light but powerful, with refreshing qualities that make you want another sip. An outstanding Australian sauvignon blanc, still a baby but already delicious. (PS: I can't recall a better S + S savvy than this one.) Drink: 2018-2023."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points

"Zesty and fresh with notes of ripe lemon, pear and gooseberry. The palate is tight, pure-fruited and wildly intense with energy that sets it aside from the pack. The acidity is integrated and appropriate. No wonder it is a favourite of many."  Toni Paterson, The Real Review - 95 points

"If it's not broken, don't fix it. The innumerable buyers (or restaurant customers) know what they are getting with this consistently excellent example of sauvignon blanc. It's pitched between green pea/grass on the one hand, tropical on the other. It scores for its overall balance and juicy length."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points and Special Value Wine  ★ 

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.