2007 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay Reviews
Max Allen, The Weekend Australian
“This beautiful Adelaide Hills chardonnay gets better with each vintage. I t’s a gorgeously subtle white wine with a core of lemony fruit and just a hint of very smart, powdery oak. As good as new wave Aussie chardonnay gets.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age – Epicure, November 2008
“Shaw + Smith’s great Adelaide Hills chardonnay evolves with every vintage. The 2007 edition has the usual harmonious composition of deliciously intergrated stone fruit and citrus aromas, creamy nutty complexities and underplayed French oak. The palate is fine yet rich with great precense and length of clean flavour.”
Sally Gudgeon & Ralph Kyte-Powell Sun Herald
“One of South Australia’s best chardonnays, this gets better and better with each vintage. Peach and pineapple aromas are a lush introduction, with nutty, mealy complexity in the background. The palate is smooth with a long, fine afterglow.”
Tony Love, The Advertiser August 2008
94 points
“Plenty of elite chardonnay crafting comes to life immediately in the glass with essential creamy notes and aromas of stone fruit salad sprinkled with mint leaves. Then comes an exciting grapefruit citrus underlayer that enlivens the palate while holding everything together. Complete and ultimatel y pleasurable.”
James Halliday, The Australian
“The M3 Chardonnay is at the top of the Australian tree. Fine and elegant, all the components are seamlessly married, with quality oak framing the nectarine and citrus fruits.”
Mike Burnett, Launceston Examiner August 2008
“I t is an elite group of producers that seem to get their wines right year in year out. The Shaw and Smith label, based in the Adelaide Hills and founded by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith in 1989, is one of those. Shaw and Smith is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s M3 Chardonnay has evolved into a high-quality and enticing style….. Those who try the wine are likely to find this an attractive development i n the M3 style. Overall, the oak is restrained to let the mix of layered fruits shine through. The benefits of this producer’s stated careful handling are evident in this elegant chardonnay that sits comfortably with the best.”
Gary Walsh, Winorama Boccaccio e-newsletter July 2008
94 points
“Flinty, matchsticky, creamy almond meal, white peach, sweet lemon and green banana sprinkled with cinnamon oak are the fine and very appealing flavours (according to me). I n the mouth it has good fruit weight coupled with minerality in a complex White Burgundy style. With a lightly glossy creamy mouthfeel, excellent savoury inputs and a long dry flinty finish there’s nothing out of place - it presents itself in a cool, gentle and most stylish manner. Best I have tasted from the M3 vineyard. Drink : 2009 - 2014”
Darryl Thomas Sunday Territorian May 2008
“The new vintage of this elegant chardonnay, with flavours of pear, honeysuckle and spice that are well complemented by subtle nutty oak characters and citrusy acid. Drinking quite well now but will cellar for five or six years.”
Kerry Skinner Illawarra Mercury August 2008
“A benchmark, cool -climate chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills crafted in part from the fruit of imported clones from France’s famous Burgundy region. Elegant, complex and creamy with pristine peach and citrusy flavours, hints of savoury notes, beautifully balanced oak and a fresh clean finish. Drink it with roast pork.”
John Crook Westside News August 2008
“When grapes for a wine have been hand-picked, chances are that the wine world will be a touch excited as it awaits the release of that particular vintage. Excitement has certainly been experienced with the release of the Shaw and Smith 2007 M3 Chardonnay, where Adelaide Hills grapes have been carefully selected for what is a superb drink. The M3 is a blend of three different chardonnay cultivars, including Bernard selections from Burgundy. Full of flavour, and therefore this wine drinker i s full of praise. Cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith should be absolutely delighted with the high rate of acceptance by lovers of a good chardonnay. I t’s not just good, it’s brilliant and should remain that way into mid-2013 with careful cellaring. This wine is priced the higher end of the scale, yet worth every dollar.”
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
95 Points “This is another ripper from Shaw and Smith. It tastes lemony and toasty, yeasty and long, its creamy mouthfeel shot through with long reaches of citrussy acid. It's an outstanding combination of elegance and power - indeed of complexity and drinkability."
Fergus McGhie, Canberra Times 27th August 2008
“Shaw and Smith’s M3 Chardonnay has now firmly entrenched itself amongst the best chardonnay in Australia. The ’07 is a cracker with complex creamy lees character, a wonderful rich texture balanced perfectly by long, tingly acidity. It’s layers of white peach, orange, nougat and lemon citrus flavours will excite any true wine lover.”
Adelaide Review Hot 100 South Australian Wines
“Shaw & Smith continue to hone in on the M3 chardonnay project with careful refinement each vintage. This was not the easiest harvest but here’s a bright example of Adelaide Hills nectarine, white peach and pear flavoured chardonnay, crystal clear palate, gently dressed in spicy oak, finishing savoury and even.”
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator November 2008
93 Points “Round, polished and focused, with a mineral edge to the earthy pear and pineapple flavors. Shows elements strongly reminiscent of Puligny wines, including a solid, refined structure, an open-textured finish, and a deft hand with oak.”
Good Living - Sydney Morning Herald, November 2008
95 Points - Huon Hooke’s Pick, Lighter Chardonnays
“A masterpiece of subtle complexity. This mid-yellow coloured chardonnay is driven by peach and nectarine fruit but has an undercurrent of butter, butterscotch and nuts. Its beautifully polished with a long, savoury aftertaste.”