Shaw + Smith winery was founded in 1989 by Michael Hill Smith (of Yalumba) and Martin Shaw (his cousin, a well-travelled wine consultant) with the goal of producing elegant, refined cool-climate wines at a time when no one in Oz was talking cool-climate. They focused on Adelaide Hills for their project. This was whole-bunch pressed and native fermented in new and used French oak, where it spent 9 months with some lees stirring, and another 2 months on its lees, in tank, before bottling. The wood is present in this youthful, expressive wine, but handily balanced by weighted pear, white peach, apple, and ample cream on the medium bodied palate. Hazelnuts, brioche, lemon pith layer on the confident, structural palate. Acidity backbones this lengthy wine, and river stones texture and bed it through the spicy, lingering finish. Drinking very well now, but will continue to gain in depth over 5+ years. If you can't wait, pour with halibut, sablefish and fresh spring vegetables.
July 2018