2021 Shaw + Smith 'M3' Chardonnay Adelaide Hills

Winemaker Notes:Aiming for elegance, restraint and the ability to age, acid is bright and there’s generosity of flavour. Typically it shows white flowers, citrus, and nectarine notes. Food Pairing: Superb alongside grilled Pacific Sea Bass with a caper butter. sauce.

The Shaw + Smith winery was built in 2000, giving us the ability to whole-bunch press cold grapes, and allowing the evolution of style reflected in the first M3 Chardonnay from that 2000 vintage. The most significant event since then came in 2012 with the purchase of the Lenswood vineyard. Chardonnay was originally planted in Lenswood for sparkling wine production but as site knowledge has evolved, it now fulfils its potential for fine still wine, with finesse, flavor, and great natural acidity. Hand picked and whole bunch pressed. Fermented and matured on lees in French oak barriques and puncheons. 

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Decanter - "Restrained, elegant and complex, with no hint of tropical fruit but relevant citrus and white fruit notes in this cool-climate Chardonnay. Oak integration is stunning and the wine shows personality, vibrancy, mouthwatering acidity and a precise, long finish."


James Suckling - "This is such a beautifully crafted Adelaide Hills chardonnay! Complex, flinty nose with notes of toasted baguette, lime zest, Asian pear and fresh pineapple. I love the underplayed power on the very focused, medium-bodied palate. Fine tannins underline the long and intense wet-stone finish.”