Shaw + Smith Wine Weekend

Shaw + Smith

Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They focus on varieties that suit the cooler Adelaide Hills climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own three vineyards, in Lenswood, Piccadilly and Balhannah.

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, modern expressions of their varieties, their sites and the season.

Shaw + Smith’s first vintage was in 1990 and 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. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have also built a formidable team – including Master of Wine and Joint CEO David LeMire, Senior Winemaker and Joint CEO Adam Wadewitz.

Tolpuddle Vineyard

One of the most highly sought after wines of the last decade Tasmania’s Tolpuddle Vineyard has been on a roll since Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW purchased this Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyard back in 2011. These wines, made by talented winemaker Adam Wadewitz, capture the essence and excitement of modern Tasmania.

The vineyard was established in 1988 and took its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs: English convicts transported to Tasmania for forming an agricultural union. The leader of the Martyrs, George Loveless, served some of his sentence working on a property near Richmond, part of which is now Tolpuddle Vineyard.

The vineyard is planted with mature Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines, facing northeast on a gentle slope. The soil is light silica over sandstone and of moderate vigour, ensuring well-balanced vines producing grapes of great flavour and intensity.

MMAD Vineyard

MMAD Vineyard was purchased in 2020 by Martin Shaw, Michael Hill Smith MW, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW. They are thrilled to be collaborating on this exciting single vineyard project in Blewitt Springs.

The fine Maslin sands in Blewitt Springs, along with the raised elevation that exposes the vines to fresh south-westerlies from the Gulf St Vincent, give an aromatic character that is as distinctive as it is enticing.

Below the sand, and the element that drew the MMAD partners to this vineyard above all else is a layer of ironstone that adds both structure and complexity to the wine. This is rare earth, and the old vines are a precious resource and part of our viticultural history that we are grateful to have the chance to work with.

MMAD Vineyard has Grenache that was all planted in 1939, as well as Shiraz and Chenin Blanc, the oldest of which were planted in 1941 and 1964 respectively.