2017 Shaw + Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz

A complex, finely-textured Shiraz expressing the conditions of each vintage and the character of a unique vineyard site. 2017 was a striking season, unusually cool and a perfect year to show . The wine is very fragrant, textural and detailed. Record low temperatures were also recorded resulting in a late, very cool vintage. Flavours are intense and the natural acidity is striking. Hand picked, sorted and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working.

Bob Campbell, The Real Review - 96 Points

Slightly edgy shiraz with pepper-spice, floral, violet, raspberry and spicy oak flavours. A taut, high-energy wine with a promising future, thanks in part to a backbone of fine tannins and impeccable fruit-acid-alcohol balance.

Jamessuckling.com - 98 Points

Sharp-edged and serious, this raises a very different banner for what Australian Shiraz can be, from a cool, more elevated site. With its snappy bite of stalk and cherry, it suggests the slender refinement of Pinot Noir, but then the mid-palate rounds out with lush red berries and sprinkling of pepper in the tail. The nervy tension of this wine ensures the flavour keeps quivering in your mouth long after the last drop is drained.