Shaw + Smith

M3 Chardonnay

M3 Chardonnay bottle image
M3 Chardonnay bottle image

POS Materials

Tech Sheet Download Bottle Shot Download Acclaim Linkout

Shaw + Smith

M3 Chardonnay

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.

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Tasting Notes

A beautifully complex nose showing lemon, apple and white peach along with biscuit notes. The palate displays trademark M3 elegance and restraint with an extra dimension of creaminess through the finish. A wine of depth and concentration that balances generous fruit flavours with savoury characters and crisp acidity.

Food Pairing

Superb alongside grilled Pacific Sea Bass with a caper butter sauce.

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.

All Products →

Tasting Notes

A beautifully complex nose showing lemon, apple and white peach along with biscuit notes. The palate displays trademark M3 elegance and restraint with an extra dimension of creaminess through the finish. A wine of depth and concentration that balances generous fruit flavours with savoury characters and crisp acidity.

Food Pairing

Superb alongside grilled Pacific Sea Bass with a caper butter sauce.

Brand Materials

Tech Sheet Download Bottle Shot Download Acclaim Linkout
97
POINTS
“This is a very attractive and deceptively powerful chardonnay from a high-altitude site (500m) and one that delivers a latent, smoldering depth on the nose. Toasty, hazelnut-like oak breathes up through flinty complexity and a wealth of white peaches, melon, limes and grapefruit. The palate's super taut, really succulent and powerful, holding this thing tight for start to finish. Electrifying tension to this wine; new heights have been reached. Drink now to 2020+.”
James Suckling
91
POINTS
“Limpid yellow-gold. Fresh nectarine and melon aromas, lifted by a zesty orange pith nuance. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering subtly sweet honeydew and peach flavors that tighten up and become spicier with aeration. Finishes very long and sappy, featuring lingering hints of sweet butter and smoky lees.”
Vinous
91
POINTS
“Racy and crisp, nectarine and subdued oak; bright, fresh and juicy with a long finish.”
Anthony Dias Blue Lifestyle
91
POINTS
“Racy and crisp with nectarine and subdued oak; bright, fresh and succulent with a lengthy finish.”
The Tasting Panel
90
POINTS
“The 2014 Chardonnay M3 Vineyard opens with apricot, melon and pink grapefruit notes with a buttered toast and cedar laced undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate delivers plenty of expressive fruit with a lovely silken texture, finishing with linering savory notes.”
Wine Advocate
16.5 points out of 20“Classic creamy barrel-fermented Chardonnay aroma – with a touch of spice and some melon fruit. On the palate too this is a lively harmony between the new freshness (note only partial malo) and the generosity of moderate barrel use. Not particularly concentrated on the mid palate but elegant.”
Jancis Robinson
17+ points out of 20“Sweet, cooked apple fruit. Excellent kid-gloves oak giving just enough complexity. Mineral and lean on the finish. Expert!”
Jancis Robinson

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

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

Analytical Data

pH level:
3.2
Acidity:
7 g/L
Alcohol:
12.5 %
Residual sugar:
<2 g/L