JAMES HALLIDAY

96 points
“A wine of marvellous finesse; elegant but intense melon, citrus, nectarine and pear; malolactic and barrel ferment inputs there without trumpeting their presence. Vibrant. Drink: 2012.”

BEN CANAIDER AND GREG DUNCAN POWELL

“This wine needs a slogan like ‘when food is important, only M3 will do’. It's a chardonnay that does everything at the table apart from set it and clear it away. Long, lean, incredibly subtle, it is also rather complex and therefore will appease food snobs and wine snobs alike.”

HUON HOOKE

“…a great, world-class chardonnay. The’04 M3 is a major milestone.”

GREG DUNCAN POWELL

“Is a $40 chardonnay twice as good as a $20 chardonnay? With the M3 the answer is a rare yes. It’s the Australian epitome of elegant chardonnay and rewards patient, attentive drinking. The goodies are revealed slowly and it unfolds like a really well-made film, keeping you surprised and intrigued right to the very end.”

MAX ALLEN

“An uncompromisingly different expression of Aussie chardonnay from an Adelaide Hills winery with more experience than most with this deceptively malleable variety. Floral, tangy, almost brittle, like dry wafer biscuits, but with a core of yellow tropical fruit. “

AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE MAGAZINE

96 points
“The best M3 yet: a very exciting wine of understated complexity.”

WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 WINES OF 2006

93 points
“This one has real presence, a seamless wine that delivers plenty of personality. Lithe and refined, it has lovely peach, orange and spice aromas and flavors, harmonious, multilayered and very, very long.”

MATT SKINNER

“Among the examples currently flying the flag for Australia's new breed of Chardonnay, Shaw and Smith M3 is a very deliberate attempt to create pure, textured age-worthy Chardonnay that you don't need to use a knife and fork on. Controlled and elegant, M3 lends itself to a broad range of food styles… Delicious.”

WINE ENTHUSIAST

November 2006
90 points

INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR – TANZER
90 points