2017 Shaw + Smith, Balhannah Vineyard Adelaide Hills Shiraz, 6x750ml
Availability: In stock
Case size: 6 / Bottle size: 750ml
Critics Score: 97
Publication: Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Drinking Dates: Now-2042
Established in 1989 by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW, Shaw + Smith's aim is to make contemporary, high quality wines that stand among the best of their type in Australia. The wines are made exclusively from fruit grown in the Adelaide Hills, one of Australia's coolest and most exciting regions.
The distinctive Balhannah site was planted in 2005, at 340 to 380 metres above sea level. It has always shown potential for a single site wine, and in 2013 the team made their first release from the close-planted vines (5,500 vines per hectare). Low yields are achieved by aggressive pruning and pre-harvest bunch thinning. The vineyard has a north-facing aspect and the soils are loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale.
The start of the 2016 growing season in September was warmer than average, leading to good canopy coverage and fruit development. Rainfall in January provided well-timed relief from the earlier warmer temperatures and aided the fruit development through the ripening period. These conditions resulted in the fruit being harvested two weeks earlier than normal.
The grapes were hand picked and fermented in open fermenters as predominantly whole bunches with the remainder whole berries, with gentle plunging and minimal working. The wine was aged in 500 litre French oak puncheons for 14 months, of which one third was new oak.