Nick's Article: Shaw + Smith 2015 Release Tasting

It’s so good seeing a winery firing on all cylinders. This Adelaide Hills winery has had a golden run since cousins Michael Hill-Smith MW and Martin Shaw got together to found the business back in 1989. They nailed the cool-climate sauvignon blanc genre and have really been the only credible threat (in terms of market position) to the sauvignon tsunami from Marlborough, New Zealand that has drenched Australia for a good 10 to 15 years.

They’re a well curated business, from the elegant shed they built to house the winery, office and tasting rooms, to Hill-Smith’s signature black knitwear, to the tight range of wines – they don’t rush at things. I – and I imagine a few others – have sometimes willed them to step out from behind the game face and mix it up a bit.

Keen intellect, a considered approach and a thorough understanding of the game they are in, from the dirt on which they stand in the Hills, to the far-flung export markets they pervade, all underpin their consistent success. They set very high standards and they demand the same of their growers, suppliers and employees. 

In recent years, they’ve assembled a gun team around them.Their list of employees reads like the Australian wine all-stars! For instance, David Lemire MW, one of the great Australian wine educators and marketers, came on board in an important role, as Hill-Smith long established that education would be key to the Shaw + Smith offering. 

Consultant winemaker, Steve Pannell, worked behind the scenes for some years and then Adam Wadewitz was poached from across the border in Victoria where he had piled on the accolades at Best’s and Seppelts in Great Western, taking on the senior winemaker role.

Ray Guerin, one of Australia’s most respected and talented cool-climate viticulturalists, was charged with all things related to viticulture, and the purchase of the Tolpuddle Vineyard in Tasmania dovetailed beautifully with Guerin’s previous experience working in Tasmania with Hardys. 

To the wines recently released and previewed and a word on the vintages: Martin Shaw, the winemaker of the pair, is not prone to exaggeration. So when he says that 2015 is the greatest vintage he’s experienced in his considerable time making wine in the Adelaide Hills you really ought to take note.

And if the 2015 Shaw + Smith sauvignon blanc is anything to go by, he’s called it very, very accurately. A cooler year with moderate crops, the early trend in my tastings is the happy marriage of great intensity with bright acidity delivering wines with power, precision and elegance.

The previous 2014 vintage was tougher. There were generally lower yields due to poor weather at flowering and things were a little skewed in the vineyard. Chardonnay and shiraz performed best. The 2013 vintage delivered solid quality, although a bit warmer and earlier than the average for the region.

  

Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2015 

A striking, fruit-saturated nose with nectarine, lime and passionfruit in abundance, this shows beautiful purity and freshness. The concentration on the palate is spellbinding where the same array of perfectly ripe fruits rests in a state of concentration and balance. This is utterly delicious and the finest release of this long-established benchmark. Drink now. 95 points.

 

Shaw + Smith Chardonnay M3 2014 

One of the most composed editions of this chardonnay, showing a clear white stone fruit thread on the nose, the right amount of savory nutty complexity and a clear flinty edge. The palate has a sleeve of spice-laced nectarine and citrus flavor, the oak rides through with toasty warmth and the finish is long and seamless. Drink now and up to 2019. 95 points.

 

Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir 2013 

A modern pinot with wild raspberry and strawberry fruits intermingled with plenty of toasty and spicy oak, a meaty edge, herbs and musky florals. The palate is lacy, supple and smooth, tannins are ripe but firm, it opens out nice and juicy through the finish. Drink now. 93 points.

 

Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2014

Bathed in brambly dark berry fruit aromas, there’s a streak of blueberry too, twirled up with clear whole bunch aromatics, some pepper, sappy notes and dark stony minerals. The palate’s crisp and fresh, juicy red and blue berry fruits are layered up through well-groomed tannins, baking spices, mocha and a fresh, juicy finish. Approachable now, best from 2018. 95 points.

Photo 1: Michael Hill-Smith (L) and Martin Shaw (R)

Contributing Editor Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.