2024 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

A fine, flinty, tense and taut chardonnay set to a leaner expression. Still, it dials in enough peachy fruit, tart citrus freshness and lithe nougat notes, with touches of green herb and cinnamon spice in tow. That reads like a good and long list, and it is. The wine offers drinkers a more refreshing, fine expression, with minerality as a byword. Very polished, too. Neat.

94 points Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay is one of Australia's most consistently acclaimed cool-climate Chardonnays, renowned for its precision, texture and understated power. Produced in the Adelaide Hills by cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW, the wine takes its name from the original vineyard owners, Michael, Martin, and Matthew, and represents the estate’s flagship white wine. Since its first release in 2000, M3 has become a benchmark for modern Australian Chardonnay, seamlessly blending fruit purity with subtle winemaking complexity.

The fruit is sourced from high-altitude vineyards in Lenswood, Piccadilly and Tiers subregions, where cooler temperatures and long growing seasons allow Chardonnay to develop intensity and natural acidity. Grapes are hand picked and whole-bunch pressed to French oak barrels (around 30 percent new), where fermentation is carried out using wild yeasts. The wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation and is aged on lees for around nine months to build savoury texture and complexity.

The nose is finely detailed with aromas of white nectarine, lemon curd, struck flint, cashew and subtle spice. On the palate, it is taut and refined, with citrus and stone fruit at the core, wrapped in a creamy, mineral-edged frame. There’s an elegant balance between richness and restraint, leading to a long, chalky finish.

Food pairing: ideal with grilled whiting, roast chicken with tarragon, lobster rolls, leek tart or creamy mushroom pasta. Also excellent with soft cheeses or seafood risotto.

Cellar potential: beautiful now for its tension and purity, but will reward 5 to 10 years of cellaring, developing layers of hazelnut, brioche and savoury depth with time.