The Adelaide Hills was long considered too cool to ripen Shiraz. By the early 2000s, though, the potential for outstanding Shiraz from the right sites in the Adelaide Hills was compelling, and the first Shaw + Smith Shiraz was made in the 2002 vintage. Since then, Shiraz in the Hills has gone from strength to strength, its hallmarks being fragrance, intensity, and medium bodied elegance.
Time for a standing ovation. This is superb in its complexity, fruit power and persistence. It's a meaty, clovey, spice-ridden shiraz, but the core is spread with dense plum, redcurrant, anise and violets. That meatiness though: it's gorgeous. And when combined with wood smoke and peppercorns, it puts the stars within reach. It is simply gorgeous.
97 points Campbell Mattinson winecompanion.com.au 1 August 2019