2024 Shaw + Smith - Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills (750ml)

Shaw + Smith began in 1989, when cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith decided over a long lunch to make wine together. Their shared ambition was to craft refined, energetic wines drawn exclusively from the Adelaide Hills, and more than three decades later winemaker Adam Wadewitz continues that pursuit, with this Sauvignon Blanc having become something of a benchmark for the variety across Australia.

The fruit is hand-picked from the estate's Balhannah and Lenswood vineyards, sites chosen for their cool elevation and contrasting soils, sandy loam over red clay at Balhannah and brown loam over broken shale at Lenswood. After gentle whole-bunch pressing, the juice settles before a cool fermentation in stainless steel that locks in the grape's natural aromatics. A short rest on lees follows, adding a little texture before early bottling under screw cap preserves the wine's freshness.

Pale lemon in the glass, it opens with lychee, orange blossom, cut grass, and candied lime, backed by a flinty edge. The palate is light to medium-bodied, precise, and generous, moving through green apple skin, grapefruit pith, and lemon peel to a long, zesty finish. It works well with seafood, fresh salads, or a bright fattoush.