The stunning Shaw & Smith Viticulturalist dropped in on Monday for a chat about all things vinous, clutching an early release sample of the 2003 Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz as a sideline. I say sideline, as frankly she was the most attractive Viticulturalist I have ever met, blowing apart the archaic caricature of your 'Dirt ingrained into the fingernails' vineyard worker.
The mould busting Viticulturalist proved to be a sign of things to come, for the exuberant Shiraz she beared hinted at how much more depth there is beyond the 'blockbuster' South Australian Shiraz stereotype.
Drawn from a unique site in the warmer Adelaide Hills sub district of Macclesfield, this feminine red shines with a mid purple/red hue, showing both its obvious youth as well as its inherently medium bodied nature. The nose shares clear links with the lifted perfume of some of Australia's best examples of Shiraz Viognier, echoing the soft, red berry and spice characters of that overly fashionable modern blend, but without the tart apricot that ruins the bulk of them.
From here the palate is equally sensual, providing a silky flow of plush red fruits, supported by some subtle, palate enriching vanillin oak, creating a perfectly rounded palate profile that is quite light and forgiving, with the finish being supported by fine boned, faintly grainy tannins and a shot of spirited alcohol.
This is an incredibly sophisticated Shiraz that lies on the softer side of medium bodied, with a gorgeous palate of pure, soft pastel red fruits.
I have no doubt that this style of Shiraz is a trend creator, with its velvety, effeminate mouthfeel an easy thing to love (And genuinely drinkable past for the first glass, a perfect wine for the Gary Walsh's amongst us).
But, (Rant start here)I have a faint reservation with this style that I think purports to many Australian Shiraz Viognier blends as well, and all comes down to a question of depth. In many circles, wines such as these are being mentioned in the same breath as the wines of the Rhone, and specifically with the styles inherent to Cornas and Cote Rotie. My belief is that while wines such as this Adelaide Hills Shiraz are seductive to the nth, they lack that extra layer of complexity, depth & tannin that would even put them into the same ballpark as the aforementioned Shiraz based wines of the Rhone.
Admittedly, cool climate Shiraz is something that many are only recently beginning to master, but I think that there is something more to it than beautifully plush, spicy, one dimensional fruit flavours of this style, or the lifted aromatics of Shiraz Viognier. Where is the body, the backbone of the wine? Where are the flavours that go beyond simple fruit and gain real spicy complexity? Why do we lavish praise on simple, sexy fruity wines when better expressions of cool climate Shiraz (Bannockburn, Craiglee, Dalwhinnie) are so much further down the complexity track? Is it any wonder that our wines get a reputation in the complexity-hungry UK press of being sweet and dare I say it, boring?
What is going to happen when the current crop of Shiraz Viogniers (Some are excepted, e.g. Clonakilla) reach several yrs of age and we pull them out in happy anticipation, only to find that they have fallen over, taken captive by the nasty stink of some average quality Viognier!(Rant over)
In the end, this wine has me torn. Like its packaging, like its Viticulturalist, itÂ’s sexy as hell. I happily lapped up the sensual fruit flavours of this beautifully soft wine, but my lasting impression never moved beyond simple lust.
90/100
Junior