The cool-climate of the Adelaide Hills has proven to be a haven for Pinot Noir and is quickly establishing a reputation akin to the benchmark Australian regions. Tim Knappstein from Riposte harnesses the qualities of the region and the varietal with effortless ease with his The Sabre. Bright colour in the glass is followed by a lifted floral nose with a savoury edge. The palate is fresh, clean and superbly powerful. A delight.

The colour is vibrant pale yellow with hues of gold. The aroma is like spring in the Adelaide Hills. A veritable ripening of stone fruit, especially white peaches and nectarine in the market gardens, butter melon, rock melon and cooking leeks in butter. The French oak smells are a terrific frame for the stone fruit. Overall it has a 3 dimensional quality to the aromas, ripening stone fruit and some creamy & succulent French oak.

Bright crimson in colour with a light floral bouquet, exuding red berry flavours with gently drying tannins &; the masterful use of French oak add to the balanced complexity providing a wine to enjoy young or allow time to develop in the cellar.

The fruit for this wine was grown at the Hill Smith Vineyard at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. The vines at this east-facing vineyard grow in alluvial loam, limestone, shale and quartz, at an altitude of around 400m. Thanks to near-perfect weather, 2021 promises to be one of the best Adelaide Hills vintages in recent memory.

Sourced and grown in the Adelaide Hills, this is a fine example of how good Chardonnay from this region can be. This is a blend of 3 different cultivars of the Chardonnay grape. Bunch pressed and in part wild fermented. Partial malolactic fermentation imparts further complexity. A beautifully textured and complex wine.

A Riesling that is both delicate and textural. The 219 is expressive and more overt than other years, with wonderful flavours. The grapes were all hand picked. Half were whole bunch pressed and half were crushed and pressed, each fermented separately. The wine was blended and then spent four months on lees prior to bottling. Riesling Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They make wines exclusively from the Adelaide Hills, from varieties that suit the cooler climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own two vineyards, in Lenswood and Balhannah. Balhannah is also home to the winery where the Tasting Room is open daily. Shaw + Smiths first vintage was in 1990, and the early vintages were made at Wirra Wirra and Petaluma. In 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. In 2012 they purchased an established 20 hectare vineyard in Lenswood. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team to continue the evolution of Shaw + Smith, including Master of Wine David LeMire, Senior Winemaker Adam Wadewitz, Business Manager Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.