Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay aims for elegance, restraint and the ability to age, the acid is bright and there’s generosity of flavor. Typically, the wine shows white flowers, citrus, and nectarine notes. Low yields, long ripening and very cool weather made 2017 a standout year for Chardonnay. This vintage has great presence, showing white flowers and lemon blossom.
Pair this wine chilled with pan-fried whiting fish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A stunning chardonnay for the intensity and complexity it delivers, this has attractive flinty aromas aligned with white peaches and nectarines. The palate has mouthwatering intensity with fresh acidity and very attractive fruit purity. Grilled hazelnuts to close.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.