Shaw + Smith Balhannah Shiraz 2021

A sultry aroma of blackberry, Bing cherries and kombu seaweed. Crushed juniper, clove and allspice meet sandalwood, brown mushroom and pine cones. It’s full of forestry and undergrowth with specks of kalamata olive and hawthorn. Sweetness of spice shines through unpinning the black berried fruit and herbal nuances. Extremely compact and weighty. There is a lot of wine here for the dollar and as per usual it shows off its pedigree with class and sophistication. Tannins are suede-like and acidity drives the flavours to the finish line which are way off in the distance. Drink now and will cellar for 5 years. A great wine for slow cooked beef tendon or oxtail.

Shanteh Wale

Contributor at Wine Companion

Shanteh cut her teeth at Sydney’s Award-Winning Quay restaurant where she worked for over a decade and was Head Sommelier from 2018 till 2022. She has been nominated for the Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year award on three occasions and claims that her experience as a Len Evans scholar as one of the highlights of her career. Shanteh hosts her own weekly podcast ‘Over A Glass’ with the Deep in the Weeds Network and spends her time writing for various publications and judging at numerous wine shows across the country.

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