Shaw and Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz Adelaide Hills 2017
A complex, finely-textured Shiraz expressing the conditions of each vintage and the character of a unique vineyard site. 2017 was a striking season, unusually cool and a perfect year to show a single site. The wine is very fragrant, textural and detailed.
From close-planted (5,500 vines/ha) low yielding vines at Shaw + Smith's Balhannah Vineyard, planted in 2005. It has a north-facing aspect and the soils are loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale. There was record rainfall throughout the growing season but importantly it reduced to average in November during flowering and was dry during March, the later part of ripening. Record low temperatures were also recorded resulting in a late, very cool vintage. Flavours are intense and the natural acidity is striking. Hand picked, sorted and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in 500 litre French oak puncheons for 14 months, followed by a further 14 months in bottle.
| Winery | Shaw and Smith |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Region | South Australia |
| Specific Appellation | Adelaide Hills |
| Wine Type | Red Wine |
| Grape variety | Shiraz / Syrah |
| Bottle Size | Bottle |
| Vintage | 2017 |
Browse all Shaw and Smith Wines
Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They make wines exclusively from the Adelaide Hills, from varieties that suit the cooler climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own two vineyards, in Lenswood and Balhannah.
Growing the best possible grapes, managing vineyards sustainably, and valuing vine health, soil health, and low yields are central to the Shaw + Smith approach. In the pursuit of quality, all grapes continue to be hand-picked, and the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, medium bodied expressions of their varieties that reflect their sites and region.
Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.
Shaw + Smith has always used sustainable, environmentally sensitive practices including farming individual blocks organically, using sheep to control weeds, facilitating beneficial insects in the vineyard and using seaweed fertilisers, and now use no herbicides, synthetic fertilisers or fungicides.
