Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay – The Adelaide Hills produces some of Australia’s finest Chardonnay. Since it’s first release (vintage 2000) M3 Chardonnay has quickly established a reputation amongst Australia’s finest. Sourced primarily from the Shaw + Smith M3 Vineyard at Woodside which was planted in 1995 and takes its name from owners Martin Shaw, Michael and Matthew Hill Smith. A Sophisticated, barrel fermented wine with pure fruit character and restrained oak. Elegant and long living.

You can see our range of Shaw + Smith product at https://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/shaw-smith/

For more information on the winery go to https://www.shawandsmith.com/

Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.

The Lenswood Vineyard, about 10km north west of the winery, is planted mainly to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, at 455 – 500m elevation. Undulating with east and west facing aspects, the soils are brown loams over clay with broken shale on the ridges. The vineyard was planted in 1999 and is 20 hectares in total.

M3 now comes from selected sites over the Adelaide Hills, not from the vineyard previously called M3. Pale strawgreen; it may be autosuggestion, but this has great freshness, vibrancy and finesse, the flavours pitched halfway between white peach/stone fruit on the one hand, grapefruit/citrus on the other. Obviously fermented in French oak, but is not obviously oaky.
97 points

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay – a great wine from a superb winery in the Adelaide Hills, recognised everywhere for its quality and flavour.