Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay

Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay

Wine Description

Shaw + Smith own three vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah, Lenswood and Piccadilly, totalling 59 ha. The vineyards are planted with varietals that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz. Since purchasing the vineyard in 2012, significant investments have been made to further enhance the site. It had always shown potential for a single site wine and in 2014, a small amount was selected for our first ‘Lenswood Vineyard’ Chardonnay.

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Acclaim
“From two blocks of vines, this vintage of Lenswood shows exceptional fruit intensity—likely due to very low yields—rimmed in salt and toast. There’s a distinctive shape to the palate. It’s both broad and mouth- filling but also cuts straight down the middle, with tingly, crystalline acidity. Lemon and tropical fruits are tied in a bow by the oak and lees influence. This is a beautifully crafted wine now but it could continue to evolve in bottle for several more years.” — Wine Enthusiast, Dec 2023
“Pale colour. Intense white peach nectarine, grapefruit aromas, with tonic water/ flinty notes. Beautifully concentrated white peach, nectarine fruits, very attractive flinty, yeasty/biscuity notes, fine lacy textures, superb mid-palate viscosity and pure fresh linear acidity. Finishes chalky with abundant ripe stone fruit notes and beautiful mineral length. A textbook ultra-fine chardonnay with wonderful definition, creaminess and vinosity. Drink soon to take advantage of the fruit clarity, but should keep for a while.”
— The Vintage Journal, Jul 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard size
20 ha acres
Soil composition
brown loam over clay with some broken shale
Elevation:
1640 feet
Exposure:
east and west
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
500 litre Frech Oak puncheons
Total SO2
121
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.23
Acidity:
6.40 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Total SO2
121
Residual sugar:
1.10 g/L
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Wine Production

Whole bunches are chilled overnight, then pressed before fermentation in new and used 500 litre French oak puncheons. The wine spent a futher 10 months in barrel with gentle stirings.

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About the Vineyard

This wine is crafted with grapes selected from Blocs three and four in our Lenswood Vineyard. First planted in 1999, those blocs feature both East and West facing hills and reach 500 meters above sea level. The soil is composed of brown loam over clay with some broken shale and stone on the ridges.