" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Wine from Shaw and Smith
Filter
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.
Growing the best possible grapes, managing vineyards sustainably, and valuing vine health, soil health, and low yields are central to the Shaw + Smith approach. In the pursuit of quality the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, medium bodied expressions of their varieties that reflect their sites and region.
Shaw + Smith’s 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.
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 (1 Pages)
Sort By:
Show:Products per page
Display: List / Grid
Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Aiming for elegance, restraint and the ability to age, acid is bright and there’s generosity of flavor. Typically it shows white flowers, citrus, and nectarine notes. The 2021 vintage was one of the best on record. Ripe and healthy fruit resulted in a beautifully balanced M3, with great flavors, and fresh acidity right through to the long finish.
Review:
Restrained, elegant and complex, with no hint of tropical fruit but relevant citrus and white fruit notes in this cool-climate Chardonnay. Oak integration is stunning and the wine shows personality, vibrancy, mouthwatering acidity and a precise, long finish.
-Decanter 96 Points
First vinified in 2002, Shaw + Smith Shiraz has quickly garnered attention a standout cool climate Austrlian shiraz.
Sourcing immaculate fruit from the cool Adelaide Hills region, Shaw + Smith carry out whole berry fermentation in open-topped steel vats allowing for gentle yet thorough extraction and optimal aromatics. Maturation in French oak allows tannins to soften and aromas to harmonize before bottling under screw cap.
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.
Hand picked, sorted and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak for fourteen months, of which one third was new.
Shaw + Smith Shiraz is a medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power.
Decant and enjoy with slow cooked lamb shoulder.
Review:
Lovely crunchy fruit to this, with spice and dried-meat undertones through the wine, from the nose to the palate. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Tangy and bright. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 (1 Pages)
- back
Selected Options
Wineries
Categories
Pricing
Countries
Regions
Grape Types
Wineries
Organic/Free Shipping
Force Majeure Epinette is made from 79% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot .
Epinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne (France) that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Epinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to their home in Washington state.
The wine itself is a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, proportions of which change depending on the vintage. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in lower areas of the vineyard with deep, well-drained soils, much less rocky than the soils of our Rhone varietals.
Review:
The 2018 Epinette is the Merlot-dominated release from this team, and it's 79% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, all from the estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Lots of smoky black cherry and darker currant fruits as well as notes of chocolate, graphite, lead pencil, and chalky minerality emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty is beautifully textured, with a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a blockbuster finish. It's up with the finest Merlots in the New World and will drink brilliantly for at least a decade, if not longer.
Previously known as Grand Reve, Force Majeure has skyrocketed to the top of the pyramid in Washington State, in no small part due to their talented winemaker, Todd Alexander, who moved from Bryant Family in Napa to Washington State to focus on this estate. While the focus is on their Red Mountain Vineyard, they make a bevy of world-class wines from throughout the Columbia Valley. Anyone doubting the quality coming from Washington State these days owes it to themselves to try these wines.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Round Pond Estate 'Kith & Kin' Cabernet Sauvignon is made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec.
Bursting with bright aromatics of cassis and crushed raspberry, they are balanced with an earthy hint of dried sage and clove. The wine offers an energetic play between acid and tannin on the front palate with notes of blackberry and violet with a touch of cocoa on the mid-palate. Fine-grained tannins follow throughout each sip leading to a long, rich, finish.
Review:
Big and rich, this deeply saturated and mouth-filling wine overflows with ripe, plump blueberries, black currants and black cherries accented with mint and dark chocolate. It’s delicious enough to drink young.
-Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
©2025 Timeless Wines. All rights reserved
