Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay

M3 Chardonnay bottle image

Wine Description

Named for the initials of the winery's three owners (Michael, Martin, Matthew), M3 Chardonnay is sourced principally from the Shaw + Smith vineyard at Lenswood. Low yields are achieved by aggressive pruning and pre harvest bunch thinning. All fruit is hand picked to avoid damage. Whole bunches are chilled overnight prior to pressing and barrel fermentation takes place in new, one and two year old French barriques. Wild yeast fermentation and partial malolactic fermentation add complexity and mouth-feel. Finally, the wine is rested in barrique, with some lees stirring to build complexity. Special care is taken not to over oak the wine, maintaining fruit integrity.

accordion plus icons
Acclaim
“Pale straw-green; it may be autosuggestion, but this has great freshness, vibrancy and finesse, the flavours pitched halfway between white peach/stone fruit on the one hand, grapefruit/citrus on the other. Obviously fermented in French oak, but it is not obviously oaky.”
— James Halliday, Aug 2017
View more acclaim Arrow Right
accordion plus icons
Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Lenswood, Woodside, Lobethal
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam overlying Quartzite and Shale
Training method
Double-Guyot VSP
Elevation:
1,254 - 1,815 feet
Vines/acre:
740 - 1,110
Yield/acre:
3.2 tons
Harvest time:
March
First vintage of this wine:
2000
Bottles produced of this wine:
60,000
accordion plus icons
Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
Barriques and Puncheons
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
15 days
Fermentation temperature:
68 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques and Barrels
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
11 months
Age of Aging Container:
New to 3 years
Length of bottle aging:
8 months
Total SO2
112
accordion plus icons
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.2
Acidity:
7.3 g/L
Alcohol:
13.2 %
Total SO2
112
Residual sugar:
1 g/L