“the Southern Hemisphere’s vineyards were picked in March, and its early-bird 2021 whites are landing now. Of the wines I have tasted so far, it’s the Aussies that have fared the best, with what they describe as a near-perfect growing and ripening season. Indeed, Shaw & Smith Sauvignon is one of the finest from this stable that I have tasted in years.” Jane MacQuitty (The Times)
Over the 32 years that it has been produced, the wine has been consistently rated as Australia’s top Sauvignon Blanc. 2021 was a near-perfect vintage in the Adelaide Hills region, giving the wine great intensity, resonance and length of this vibrant, juicy wine.
Shaw and Smith seek to grow the best possible grapes by managing vineyards sustainably, valuing vine health, soil health and low yields. The grapes are picked by hand and subject to rigorous selection, where only the best fruit is used in the production of the Sauvignon Blanc.
For the 2021 vintage, the grapes were sourced from the Shaw + Smith estate vineyards at Balhannah, Lenswood and Piccadilly. The 35-hectare Balhannah vineyard sits at 340 – 380 metres above sea level, while the Lenswood vineyard covers an area of 20 hectares and is at an altitude of 455 to 500 metres above sea level.
The growing season for the 2021 vintage was terrific: soaking winter rains provided plenty of moisture in the soil, that flowed into healthy crops. The summer was mild, with slow ripening giving the grapes lots of flavour and intensity
Pale lemon in colour. A wine with intense perfume, ranging from jasmine to nectarines, limes, peaches, passion fruit, melon and more. The palate is a riot of fresh, fleshy passion-fruit, nectarine and lime flavour. Very supple, fleshy and complete. A wine of great balance with bright acidity and a delicious finish.