Australian cousins Martin Shaw, by at least one measure the world's first flying winemaker, and Michael Hill Smith, Australia's first Master of Wine, share several distinctions.
They have managed to establish Australia's longest track record, since 1989, for seriously fine Sauvignon Blanc. And their determinedly hip winery in the wooded Adelaide Hills is the only one in which I have suffered a serious accident. One Sunday morning early in 2001 I marched at great speed into a plate glass window. I could tell I had injured myself seriously by the stricken faces I looked into once I'd recovered from a few seconds' blackout.
This 2003 Sauvignon may be their driest, most elegant
Sauvignon to date, indisputably influenced by the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills, and by the fact that the cousins are now free to play in their very own winery rather than making their wine at Petaluma's Bridgewater Mill facility. (Incidentally Steve Pannell, Hardys chief winemaker until he recently decided to spend more time with his family, as reported on purple pages, is currently being allowed to play here too.) Drought shrunk yields and concentrated the flavour of these carefully hand-picked grapes. I cannot see anyone, whether fan of Sancerre or Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, objecting to this extremely refreshing, fruity yet mineral-influenced wine.
The pair keep playing around with other wines, of which their M3 Chardonnay is increasingly complex. But by far their most exciting red to date is a brand new one, Shaw & Smith Shiraz 2002 Adelaide Hills. Based on hand-picked grapes from Macclesfield in the warmer climes of Adelaide Hills, this relatively delicate Shiraz is miraculously smooth and round, rather more Rhône-like than stereotypically Australian, may not age all that long but is already gulpably delicious. To my palate it tasted so sweet I suspected a little American oak but apparently it's 100 per cent French. The UK restaurant trade has been lapping it up but there are a few retail stockists which I have marked with a in the list of UK retail stockists of Sauvignon Blanc below. The Sauvignon is usually around £9.99 while the Shiraz is a bold £15.99. I just wonder whether warmer vintages than 2002 will produce subsequent Shirazes of this elegance.
According to winesearcher.com S&S wines are available only in
the UK and Australia but I have seen them widely stocked in
various Asian countries. To find a distributor near you visit http://www.shawandsmith.com/distribution.htm
UK retail stockists of S&S wines:
Waitrose (115 branches)
Andrew Chapman Fine Wines, Abingdon
www.australianwinesonline.co.uk
Bacchus Fine Wines, Warrington, Milton Keynes
Bennetts Fine Wines, Chipping Camden, Glos
EH Booths
Dunell's Premier Wines, Jersey
Execellars, Kennford, Exeter
Everich Wines, Norwich
www.everywine.co.uk
*The Flying Corkscrew, Hemel Hempstead
Harrods
*Luvian's Bottle Shop, Cupar & St Andrews
Martinez Fine Wines, Ilkley
Moriarty Vintners, Cardiff
Oz Wines, Southfields, London SW17 (mail order only)
Playford Ros, Thirsk, Yorks
Portland Wine Company, Manchester
*Reid Wines, Bristol
Richard Granger, Newcastle
Selfridges
Sommelier Wine Company, St Peter Port, Guernsey
Frank Stainton Wines, Kendal, Cumbria
Thirst for Beer, Gwynedd
Villeneuve Wines, Edinburgh & Peebles
Noel Young, Trumpington, Cambs