Shaw + Smith
Shaw + Smith is an alliance between cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith. Their aim is to make contemporary, high quality wines that are outstanding examples of their type made from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills.
Shaw + Smith specialise in grape varieties suited to the cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & Shiraz.
The vineyard is located on a 28 ha property planted at Woodside Vineyard with new plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir at Balhannah.
M3 Chardonnay
The leading edge of Australian Chardonnays are not the high alcohol, buttery wines of warmer regions, but rather the more restrained and elegant styles from cooler climates. Adelaide Hills now produces some of Australia’s finest and most sought after
Chardonnay.
Many Australian Chardonnays do not carry bottle age well, they look excellent for the first few years of life before galloping into middle age. Sixth vintage of this major refinement of style by Shaw and Smith. M3 Vineyard Chardonnay is a serious attempt to produce a finer style of chardonnay that has the capacity to age in bottle and reflects the cooler growing conditions of the Adelaide Hills.
Entirely from Shaw and Smith’s M3 Vineyard at Woodside. Low yields achieved by aggressive pruning and pre harvest bunch thinning. Hand picked to avoid fruit damage.
Vinification: Fruit chilled overnight, prior to whole fruit pressing. Barrel fermentation in new and one year old French barriques to produce an ethereal smokiness and nuttiness. Malolactic fermentation for complexity and mouthfeel The 2016 vintage growing season was overall warm and dry. Spring frosts affected certain parts of the Adelaide Hills, hence quantities were down slightly.
TECHNICAL DATA
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.
The vineyard
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.
Winemaking
The grapes for M3 are hand picked, chilled and whole fruit pressed prior to barrel fermentation and maturation in French Oak. Some wild fermentation, extended time of yeast
lees and partial malolactic fermentation impart further complexity and flavour.
Wine style
M3 is at the forefront of the on-going refinement and evolution of Australian Chardonnay. We aim for elegance, restraint and the capacity to age in bottle. 2008 M3 Chardonnay is distinctly savoury, slightly austere, with restrained fruit and great palate length.Grown, vinified and bottled at Shaw + Smith.
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WINERY RATING |
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2016 |
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