Shaw and Smith Balhannah Shiraz 2020

The fruit for this 2020 Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz is, as the name suggests, from the Balhannah vineyard, which was planted in 2005. Balhannah, for those who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the Adelaide Hills region, is an area within the Adelaide Hills GI, north of Hahndorf. The vineyard is at 380 meters above sea level and is north facing. When I was there in 2022, the vineyard was undergoing layering (a method to increase the density of the plantings of vines. In the mouth, the wine speaks clearly of its whole bunches, which bring an exoticism and chalkiness to the wine. These notes will subdue over time and ensure that the wine remains detailed and complex as it ages. It smells of light fruitcake (the dense, spicy kind), and it is textural, chalky and lingering. The tannins hold the fruit in stasis and encourage it to pace itself out over the long finish. There are notes of clove, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, sultana, vanilla pod, black tea, cassis and blueberry compote. There is plenty of fruit here in the short term, but I wager this will be at its apogee some time in the future. I'd consider it from 2025 onward. If you are restless in the meantime, try the estate Shiraz. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Shaw and Smith have had a good year, with chief winemaker Adam Wadewitz recently named Winemaker of the Year in a major Australian publication. This single-vineyard bottling is aromatic and sweet-fruited, with succulent blueberry and red plum, fresh violets and a gentle spice. The palate is similarly juicy, satiny textured and wound by chalky, chiseled tannins. 

Sliced plum, cracked white pepper and some stems. Dried flowers, too. Medium to full body. Cloves and other spices. Finishes austere this year. Turns bitter. Missed it.