Shaw + Smith Shiraz

Shiraz bottle image

Wine Description

First vinified in 2002, Shaw + Smith Shiraz has quickly garnered attention a standout cool climate Austrlian shiraz.

Sourcing immaculate fruit from the cool Adelaide Hills region, Shaw + Smith carry out whole berry fermentation in open-topped steel vats allowing for gentle yet thorough extraction and optimal aromatics.  Maturation in French oak allows tannins to soften and aromas to harmonize before bottling under screw cap.

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Acclaim
“Medium deep colour. Pure blackberry, graphite, grilled almond aromas with camomile/ herb garden notes. Generous, supple and smooth with fresh blackberry, graphite, roasted hazelnut/almond notes, fine loose knit slinky tannins, appealing richness/ volume on the mid-palate and underlying demi-glace notes. A light chalky/ al-dente finish with bittersweet/ chinotto complexity. Very impressive fruit driven style with underlying maturation notes and beautifully composed tannins.”
— The Vintage Journal, Jul 2022
"The Shiraz from this well-known Adelaide Hills estate screams cool climate via its evocative autumnal vibe on the nose. It’s sappy and earthy with brambly red berries, plums, savory herbs and peppery spice. The plate is less vibrant, with slightly pinched acidity and taut, austere tannins, but overall this medium-weight Shiraz should knit together nicely with another few years in bottle and until around 2030."
— Wine Enthusiast, Apr 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam over Red Clay, Quartzite and Shale
Training method
Double-Guyot VSP
Elevation:
1,254 - 1,386 feet
Vines/acre:
740 - 1,110
Yield/acre:
2.4 tons
Exposure:
Northern
Year vineyard planted:
2002
Harvest time:
March - April
First vintage of this wine:
2002
Bottles produced of this wine:
60,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
15 - 30
Fermentation container:
Open-Top Stainless Steel Tanks
Fermentation temperature:
up to 90 °F
Maceration technique:
Cold Soak Maceration and Punchdown
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques and Barrels
Size of aging container:
228L - 500L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
14 months
Age of Aging Container:
New to 3 years
Length of bottle aging:
8 months
Total SO2
57
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.75
Acidity:
5.1 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Total SO2
57
Residual sugar:
0.4 g/L
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Wine Production

Hand picked, sorted and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak for fourteen months, of which one third was new.

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About the Vineyard

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.