Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Shaw and Smith focuses most of its attention on just a small stable of wines -  a Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and M3 Vineyard Chardonnay. The M3 is made with special effort to retain brightness of flavour and its fluffy, fine and vibrant texture -  qualities that certainly contribute to the longevity its makers regard as an essential component in chardonnay quality. The Shiraz is successfully evolving into a complex, firm and spicy wine in a Rhône-inspired style while the Sauvignon Blanc remains the company's signature wine, and one that has helped establish the Adelaide Hills as Australia's leading region for this variety. I'm regularly taken by the very serious nature of some of the Pinot Noirs, many of which are simply delicious drinking and exceptional value. Based on purity and focus of fruit, the Shaw and Smith style is to augment these qualities with carefully measured elements of winemaking-induced complexity. The results are never too wild or extreme, but thoughtful and complex. These qualities are taken to artful new heights with the company's individual vineyard wines, being the Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz plus the Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These are top level wines of international quality. It's a joy to see what Adam Wadewitz -  one of this country's very finest winemakers -  is doing at the sharp, pointy end of wine quality.