Shaw + Smith

Brand Description

Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by the current owners, cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith. Michael had just completed his Master of Wine in the UK, and Martin was running a “flying winemaker” business in Europe when they decided – somewhat on a whim – to make wine together. While a family business, Shaw + Smith is more about a partnership of two cousins with a unified vision and complimentary skills, now joined by a small team of bright talented wine people who are dedicated to taking the business forward. Shaw + Smith aims to make exciting, refined wines exclusively from the Adelaide Hills that rank amongst Australia’s best. They specialize in varieties suited to the cooler climate region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.

Location of Vineyard

Shaw + Smith owns two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, with a total of 136 acres (55 hectares) under vine. The Balhannah vineyard, which surrounds the winery, was planted in 2000 with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz. The soil is free-draining sandy loam over red clay, with underlying quartzite and shale. The average altitude is 1,375 feet (420 meters). The Lenswood vineyard was planted in 1999 primarily with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc. The soil is brown loam over clay, as well as thinner topsoil areas on the ridges with broken shale and stone. The property is undulating with some very steep areas that provide east and west facing orientation and aspect. The property stands at 1,640 feet (500 meters) at its highest.

Winemaking Philosophy

Growing outstanding grapes, working with the best growers, and using minimal intervention to make exciting wines with a strong sense of place is the core philosophy of Shaw + Smith. Stylistically, a slow evolution of the wines over time has occurred. Sauvignon Blanc winemaking has changed little, although the quality of fruit has improved significantly as the plantings have gone higher and cooler. Chardonnay continues to refine and evolve due to access to better vineyards, earlier picking to protect valuable acidity, whole bunch pressing, a preference for wild yeasts, less malolactic, and less battonage. Pinot Noir has improved as the vines have aged, and as they move to more whole-bunch and whole-berry in fermentations. The refinements for Shiraz are ongoing: better vineyards and a move to whole-bunch and whole-berry, along with less reliance on new oak.

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“A scintillating nose of mace, clove, blue-fruit persuasions, lilac, pepper-dried salumi, fennel seed and kelp, akin to nori of the sort found at Tokyo's arsenal of exceptional sushi counters. On the slightly richer side of mid-weighted. Yet, the slippery skein of tannin is so immaculately placed that there is neither heat nor an ounce of sloppy, sweet fruit. Everything is compressed into a polished bone of tension and savory refinement. The acidity is saline and lathered with tapenade. More of a syrah from an external perspective. An irrefutably brilliant one. I wish I had more to cellar, given the wine's noble stature. A ringer for refined Cornas, if not an oxymoron.” — acclaim for 2021 Shaw + Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz from James Suckling, Mar 2024

“An exceptional vintage for white wines. A lower pH, inherent freshness and phenolic bite, the artillery that delivers the impressive structural latticework necessary for further development. Really classy. Subdued aromas of cinnamon, sesame, quince, ginger and toasted hazelnut, with the barest hint of fruit. Better this way. The mid-weighted palate is pliant, nicely chewy and multilayered. The finish is exceptionally long, although I look forward to tasting again in another six or eight years after things unravel and meld. Stunning chardonnay, aligned with top-tier Chassagne and certainly among the finest tasted in recent memory.” — acclaim for 2022 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay from James Suckling, Mar 2024

“A tremendous vintage, the equal of any past wine and perhaps even finer than some of the quieter wines for which I held a candle. It is edgy, lime pith-imbued, generous as it billows on the palate, and enticingly oaked. Impressively light to the touch, but a firm and controlled spine brings rigidity and discipline, allowing the more transient and less serious flesh notes to fly.” — acclaim for 2021 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay from Decanter, Jan 2024

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