Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc bottle image

Wine Description

Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.

2019 is the 30th vintage that Shaw + Smith has made. The Sauvignon Blanc has always remained true to region and style, but is better now than at any time during the 30 years.

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Acclaim
“This nails the brief of refreshing, varietal character, drinkability, flavour and charm. It hits the high notes of juicy texture, a crisp finish, a balance between sauvignon blanc's tendencies to tropical fruits, grassiness, herbal elements and, from the Adelaide Hills, passionfruit, with all these characters folded together just so and well. It's got great perfume and a general sense of crunch and vivacity, with freshness in spades.” — James Halliday, Aug 2024
“A popular wine, displaying all the pool-side party tricks with a nudge of sophistication. A cool vintage, making for a lighter weighted expression than normal. Vibrant accents of guava, lemon drop, nettle and hedgerow. Good crunchy length, if not a bit tangy.” — James Suckling, Jul 2023
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam over quartzite and shale
Training method
Double-Guyot VSP
Elevation:
1,254 - 1,815 feet
Vines/acre:
740 - 1,110
Yield/acre:
4.4 tons
First vintage of this wine:
1990
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Fermentation temperature:
50-54 °F
Maceration technique:
Sur-Lie Aging
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
3 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
Total SO2
126
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.01
Acidity:
7.1 g/L
Alcohol:
12 %
Total SO2
126
Residual sugar:
3.7 g/L
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Wine Production

Hand picked. Cool fermentation in stainless steel followed by maturation on lees. Early bottling to retain freshness.

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About the Vineyard

From our estate vineyards at Balhannah and Lenswood, complemented by fruit from a small number of highly valued growers.

The 2019 growing season was one that challenged even the most experienced and well equipped vignerons. Those that made the most of it produced small crops of very clean fruit with wonderful flavour and intensity. Natural acidity is a feature in all of the wines despite the warm dry summer.