2024 Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir

Adelaide Hills pinot can sometimes skew a bit simple and tutti-frutti, but Adam Wadewitz has steadily guided Shaw + Smith into much more serious territory. The focus here is on the higher, cooler pockets of Lenswood and Piccadilly, places where the vines really have to work for a living.

The 2024 season threw some wild weather at flowering, which naturally thinned out the crop. While there isn't heaps of it to go around, those small bunches gave the fruit a massive amount of concentration. They destemmed most of it and let the ferment tick over gently, keeping the whole vibe fresh and unforced.

It is a darker, more brooding style than previous years, moving away from simple berries into wild bramble territories, damp earth, and a bit of chinotto spice. The wood stays entirely in the background, leaving a solid, gravelly tannin profile to do the heavy lifting on the finish. It is a proper, structural red with plenty of cellaring bones, but it has enough upfront charm to pour right now if you want a pinot with real muscle.

95 points
"There is lovely energy and vibrancy, with a savory finish that will evolve nicely in the bottle."
- Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)