Shaw + Smith’s cash cow. The wine that enables them to explore Shiraz and Chardonnay with greater freedom. I still think they show considerable care when sourcing fruit and making the wine and it’s not a bad Sauvignon Blanc. But really, you can see why the wouldn’t want to play with the recipe too much. The emphasis, as always, is on clean fruit flavour.
Passionfruit, basil and grass is cut with grapefruit and lemon citrus. There’s texture in the form of very subtle savoury lees characters and a slightly syrupy richness. The acid punch is mostly evident on entry but it does make a return on the back-palate. It’s in the middle that the wine gets a bit lost. Not a great deal of length but those who buy it probably won’t care in the least. 89
Region: Adelaide Hills
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $25
Tasted: August 2013