Shaw & Smith M3 Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

The Shaw & Smith M3 Vineyard Chardonnay is a regional benchmark Adelaide Hills chardonnay from the very talented duo of Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith. Sleek, mid-weighted and highly contemporary, this modern Australian exemplar has amassed a huge following amongst chardonnay lovers. 

"Light, bright yellow hue with a gentle trace of smoky reduction on the lemony bouquet, the palate delicate and refined with lemon and grapefruit, malt biscuit, a kiss of fresh oak, and an extended aftertaste of lovely balance."  Huon Hooke

The 2023 vintage was sourced from the Lenswood, Piccadilly and Lobethal vineyards. The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, fermented and matured on lees in the finest French oak barrels for 9 months.

"Energetic and intense with notes of lemon curd, grapefruit pith and ginger snap. The wine has beautiful natural acidity and a weight and complexity that is a triumph of the season. Drink: Now to 2029."  Shaw & Smith

Expert reviews

"Light, bright yellow hue with a gentle trace of smoky reduction on the lemony bouquet, the palate delicate and refined with lemon and grapefruit, malt biscuit, a kiss of fresh oak, and an extended aftertaste of lovely balance. Drink: 2024-2035."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points 

"In case you were not aware you are drinking some of the first grapes picked from the S+S high density planting of the Piccadilly vineyard. Lemon verbena, grapefruit and wet concrete. Celery stem, fresh ginger and printer paper. Peach cheeks and almond nougat. A wash of electrifying acidity, coconut jelly creaminess and finishing with a sake like leesy quality. This is intense in flavour as we have come to expect from the M3 perhaps with more savoury shapes than previous years. It’s compact and muscular but with nice elongated lines of acidity and freshness of citrus fruit. For a chilly vintage this is showing very well now and will cellar up to 5 years. Serve with baked buttery bbq pork char siu bao buns. Drink: 2024-2029."  Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot - 95 points

"Nothing in this life can be certain except death, taxes, and the quality of M3 Chardonnay. Or at least that’s how it feels with this blue-chip modern Aussie Chard, which just doesn’t have bad vintages, even in a problematic Adelaide Hills vintage like 2023. This Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2023 feels just bottled but very correct, all filigreed white stonefruit, banana-y freshly bottled every bit and then a pure, pristine palate with fruit that seems riper than 12.5%, and oak that just cleverly adds extra layers. That’s the kicker – it feels perfectly formed, even if it is too young and banana-y. Acid is very prominent in this vintage, though it is not hard (but proper taut). It’s a masterful Chardonnay and will only get better (you can probably add a point in a year or so). Would I buy it?: yes yes."  Andrew Graham, Australian Wine Review – 94 points

"A mellow and understated chardonnay but with plenty of detail in spice, gentle savouriness and winemaking seasoning, cool acidity, a tightly wound fruit profile, general minerality and high drinkability. Overall, elegant and refined, sleek across the palate and quite compact with a light juiciness in tow. Nougat, lime curd, green apple and ginger in the bouquet, a similar set of descriptors to taste, with a lively trail of spice following on. High in the pleasure stakes, this continues to be an impressive Hills chardonnay. Drink by 2032."  Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points

About the winery

 Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith 

Shaw & Smith began over a long lunch in 1989 when cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith decided to realise a long held dream to make wine together. Today they own three vineyards in the Adelaide Hills; at Balhannah, Lenswood and Piccadilly, totalling 59 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.

Shaw & Smiths' first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines and built a winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. The 35 hectare Balhannah vineyard is planted predominantly to Sauvignon Blanc and close-planted Shiraz on property surrounding the winery at 340 - 380m elevation. The soil is free draining sandy loam over red clay with underlying quartzite and shale, with varying amounts of ironstone pebbles.

In 2012, the pair purchased an existing vineyard in the cooler zone of Lenswood, about 10km north west of the winery. The 20 hectare vineyard is at an elevation of 455 – 500m and was planted in 1999. Undulating with east and west facing aspects, the vineyard is planted mainly to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The soils are brown loams over clay with broken shale on the ridges.

In 2019 Shaw & Smith celebrated its 30th anniversary with the purchase of a cool-climate vineyard site in Piccadilly Valley just below the Mt Lofty summit. The land is in the highest, coldest and wettest part of the Adelaide Hills at an altitude of 550 metres. The 4 hectare site has been planted to chardonnay and pinot noir, with vines closely spaced at 11,000 vines per hectare, a density that’s considered the maximum in places like Burgundy and Champagne.

Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. They also use a number of different clones of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.