Shaw + Smith is an alliance between cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith. Their aim is to make contemporary, high quality wines that are outstanding examples of their type made from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills. Shaw + Smith specialise in grape varieties suited to the cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & Shiraz.

This undoubtedly one of the best chardonnays in Australia. Serious and built to last, it’s refined and elegant and made with true craftsmanship, using wild ferments and allowing the fruit to shine. Stone fruit, lemon zest and grapefruit are at the heart of this white combined with subtle biscuity notes. It’s intense and weighty, balanced by fresh, crisp acid. Pair it with blackened flathead and tomato chilli chutney.

In case you were not aware you are drinking some of the first grapes picked from the S+S high density planting of the Piccadilly vineyard. Lemon verbena, grapefruit and wet concrete. Celery stem, fresh ginger and printer paper. Peach cheeks and almond nougat. A wash of electrifying acidity, coconut jelly creaminess and finishing with a sake like leesy quality. This is intense in flavour as we have come to expect from the M3 perhaps with more savoury shapes than previous years. It’s compact and muscular but with nice elongated lines of acidity and freshness of citrus fruit. For a chilly vintage this is showing very well now and will cellar up to 5 years. Date: June 2024; Rating: 95 Points; Wine Pilot