Shaw + Smith, Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills
Shaw + Smith · South Australia › Adelaide Hills › Australia
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
89
/100
Reviews
23
professional
Vintages
No vintages
NV
Community Reviews
2929
Reviews
89.5
Avg Score
94
Highest
Taster #5904
· Nov 20, 2024
91/100
Lovely, gentle, easy yet thought provoking. Not too grassy. Underripe nectarine/peach and a tarragon herbaceousness. Bright but integrated acidity, and a clean, mineral finish.
2021 vintage
Taster #5835
· Sep 23, 2024
91/100
Gentle, peachy, textural with lovely grapefruit pithyness Benchmark SB showing well with a little time in bottle
2021 vintage
Taster #2283
· Aug 9, 2023
91/100
Shaw & Smith was recommended as a tasting destination in Adelaide Hills. Pity we didn’t make it, as this offering is excellent. Pale lemon in colour with restrained aromas of citrus & peach, slightly herbal with minerality in the background. On the palate, citrus, grapefruit, faint peach, green herbal (pea shoot?), floral, silky smooth texture, high acidity with a long finish to slightly spicy & saline, chalky minerality. This version of Sauvignon Blanc is restrained, elegant, complex & lovely. The …
2021 vintage
Taster #4240
· Jul 30, 2023
90/100
Brought to beach house on vacation. Very refreshing on the back porch in 88 degree weather with salt in the air. Notes consistent with prior. Lacks the eucalyptus and gooseberry of NZ counterparts. Well structured, good acidity, and without major flaw. Good QPR.
2021 vintage
Taster #4345
· Jul 13, 2023
86/100
Nice firmness and acidic lift, but brinier than expected. Also not much in my bottle to pin this to sauvignon blanc, or to New Zealand. Good, but.
2021 vintage
Taster #8987
· Jul 12, 2023
90/100
Such a refreshing wine on a warm day. Straight from the bottle a quick aroma of very ripe tropical / passion fruit. That went quite quickly and then melon and pear. Fruit on the Palate but dry with great acidity . Light in body. Lovely finish. Fabulous everyday summer wine
2021 vintage
Taster #4240
· Jun 6, 2023
90/100
Has some hints of cat pee that one would get from sancerre, but with a roundness that speaks not quite to California levels but something a bit more restrained. Lacking the (not good) astringency that sometimes comes from wines from this corner of the world. Very well done, especially for price. I don't see this developing further but should keep well for 2 years or so. Drank over 2 nights. I had half of the bottle. Vvv
2021 vintage
Taster #7275
· May 7, 2023
91/100
- Yellow gold color.
2021 vintage
Taster #6832
· Mar 29, 2023
91/100
Liked this more than I expected. Crisp acidity with slight lemon and minerality. Great at this price point
2021 vintage
Taster #5519
· Mar 19, 2023
91/100
Easy fun bottle. Had more body than I was expecting and was pleasantly surprised. Minimal/no grapefruit which worked out well as we had this with pork tacos. Would buy again if found on sale.
2021 vintage
Taster #3776
· Mar 8, 2023
88/100
A bit lemon and sea water on the nose. Lots of acidity and minerality in flavor.
2021 vintage
Taster #5139
· Feb 28, 2023
94/100
White peach and gasoline on the nose. Soft & silky mouthfeel. Passionfruit, lemon curd, sweet green apples, fresh meadow dew, bright salinity, finishing with river rocks. Very enjoyable.
2021 vintage
Taster #4969
· Feb 22, 2023
92/100
Delicious Australian Sauvignon Blanc. QPR very well balanced and very refreshing.
2021 vintage
Taster #2747
· Oct 8, 2022
91/100
Great Australian SB! White flower, pineapple, grass, green apple, soft minerals, tropical, melon, fresh long finish.
2021 vintage
Taster #1145
· Sep 26, 2022
Medium plus nose shows lemongrass, lime zest, gooseberry, white flowers, vibrant. Palate is mineral and citrus driven, grapefruit, hint of green herbs, hint of spice, very fresh style. Nice!
2021 vintage
Taster #1672
· Aug 23, 2022
89/100
Gooseberry and grapefruit on the nose, with cool citrus and tart apple. There is an intensity on the nose but that is nothing compared to the waves of complexity and concentration that come as you sip it. Classic, cool climate notes and a brilliant long finish. It is like the elegant and restrained cousin of Cloudy Bay. Brilliant.
2021 vintage
Taster #1292
· Jun 27, 2022
89/100
Adelaide Hills, Australia, 2021 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc ($25). Pale straw, low viscosity (12.0 alc.); herbaceous, citrus, boxwood, pyrazine, new mown hay nose; mid-body; softening acids; slightly short semi-crisp citrus finish. 15.5-16 UC Davis scale, 89-90 other scales.
2021 vintage
Taster #5416
· Jan 10, 2022
92/100
Day 1: Unique wine featuring tropical fruit, figs, grapefruit, flint, stone, mild honey and floral notes. Laser like acidity and very satisfying. 92 points Day 2: A little less of the fruit and more of the flint and stone character shining through. Still offers the tropical fruit and grapefruit. Still nice but I liked it on the pop and pour. 90 points Recommendation: NO brainer buy for less than $20. Drink on day 1 and enjoy.
2021 vintage
Taster #9483
· Dec 14, 2021
88/100
Citrus with crisp grapefruit notes, would struggle to find a better pairing with Tim Sum. Wonderful lunch with colleagues E and PP at Oriental Treasure before our road trip over the weekend. Must visit Adelaide one if these days! Malaysia, Dec 2021
2021 vintage
Taster #1653
· Dec 8, 2021
92/100
Very pale lemon in colour. The nose is a wow: an explosion of citrus and tropical fruit. On the palate it's beautifully balanced: lots of acidity to keep things fresh and balance the ripe fruit. This was a favourite of mine 10 or 15 years ago, but I've neglected it, focussing instead on Marlborough. What a fool! This is a joy, and simply delicious. Screwcap, 12%
2021 vintage
Taster #3123
· Mar 15, 2020
88/100
Better than most in the genre; less hysterical fruit, more balance and body, better roundness - while still being an overseas sauvignon. The acidity is bright, could work with some white fisk #podcast
2018 vintage
Taster #4629
· Oct 28, 2019
85/100
Pale, almost water-like green in the glass. Aromatic, loads of attractive notes including gooseberry, elderflower, mango, papaya, tomato stalk and nettle. Not as sweet as when I first tried it. The acidity has blended in nicely with the sugars and now offers a very tasty and smooth Sauvignon. A medium finish kind of ruins it in the end, but this is not something of crucial importance. I do remember this Sauvignon being much better in previous vintages though.
2018 vintage
Taster #4443
· May 16, 2019
Plum Market Luxury Tasting (Bad Hunter - Chicago IL) : Walk around tasting, brief note. Both a little too sweet and grassy. Not enjoyable.
2018 vintage
Taster #1078
· May 16, 2019
83/100
Plum Market Spring Wine Extravaganza (Chicago, IL) : Has a Kabinett-like quality in its gummy fruit candy, but that sweetness is not a good look for sauvignon blanc.
2018 vintage
Taster #8308
· Dec 6, 2018
85/100
Too sweet for me but otherwise reasonable.
2018 vintage
Taster #7565
· Jul 29, 2018
Adelaide trip; 7/26/2018-7/29/2018 (Adelaide and the surrounding environs) : Passion fruit, sweet, gooseberry, slight grapefruit…on the palate grapefruit, underpinned by passion fruit on the palate, does what it says on the tin.
2018 vintage
Taster #7565
· Jul 23, 2018
Shaw & Smith newest releases (Bel & Brio, Barangaroo) : Passion fruit, a little gooseberry, pretty floral top notes. And a little peachy stone fruit. Equally pretty on the palate, juicy acidity without being as sharp as e.g. some cheaper and/or Marlborough examples. Plenty of fruit here, easy, quaffable and well made.
2018 vintage
Taster #7565
· Jun 23, 2018
Qantas Winter Wine Festival (Town Hall, Sydney) : Clean, crisp, passion fruit, cut grass…sour acidity, textured burr on the mid palate with similar fruit flavours. Does what it says on the bottle.
2018 vintage
Taster #5845
· Aug 26, 2000
NobleRottersSydney - South Aust trip (3) - McLaren Vale (Wirra/Hardy's/Limeburgers/Universal) : Pale straw with green tint. Nose of apricot & passionfruit. Quite soft on palate (v cold) but with medium length. Pleasant and refreshing but very light body.
2000 vintage