2024 Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 1.5L Magnum

1.5L Magnum Bottle.

Overview

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay is one of Australia's benchmark cool-climate Chardonnays, celebrated for its elegance, precision and refined balance of fruit and French oak. The 2024 vintage delivers vibrant nectarine and citrus characters, layered texture and beautifully integrated natural acidity. Awarded 96 points by Campbell Mattinson and multiple wine show medals, this sophisticated Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is presented in an impressive 1.5L Magnum format, ideal for special occasions and cellaring.

Vintage

The 2024 growing season began with cool and wet conditions during flowering, interrupting berry set and producing smaller, lighter bunches. The remainder of the season was predominantly mild and dry, with well-timed rainfall supporting healthy vine development. Low yields resulted in excellent flavour concentration and naturally high acidity. Harvest took place between 20 February and 17 March 2024.

Vineyard

The majority of fruit was sourced from Shaw + Smith's Lenswood, Piccadilly and Lobethal vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, complemented by selected trusted growers. The vineyards feature loam soils over clay and quartz, contributing freshness, complexity and mineral definition to the wine.

Winemaking

Hand-picked Chardonnay grapes were gently whole-bunch pressed before fermentation in French oak barrels. The wine spent nine months in barrel, undergoing primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation to develop complexity and texture. Individual batches were then blended in stainless steel vats before bottling.

Producer Tasting Notes

Style
Fresh and fine, with lovely nectarine and lemon pith flavours. The palate is powerful and textured with fine acidity and trademark M3 fruit intensity at its core.

Critic Reviews

96/100 — Campbell Mattinson
“Beautiful chardonnay. Fruity and flinty, fleshy and full.”

95/100 — James Suckling
“Precise, minerally and laser focused with a lovely hint of reduction”
Tasted April 2025

94/100 — Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
“A fine, flinty, tense and taut chardonnay set to a leaner expression.”
Tasted 26 July 2025

93/100 — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
“The texture is seamless and the length very good.”
Reviewed June 2025

Awards

• Gold Medal — International Wine & Spirit Competition 2026
• Gold Medal — National Wine Show of Australia 2026
• Silver Medal — International Wine Challenge 2026
• Silver Medal — Adelaide Hills Wine Show 2025

Producer

Established in 1989 by winemaker Martin Shaw and Master of Wine Michael Hill-Smith, Shaw + Smith is one of Australia's leading cool-climate wine producers. Based in the Adelaide Hills, the winery specialises in refined wines that express the distinctive character of the region's vineyards and climate.

Shaw + Smith owns four vineyards across Balhannah, Lenswood, Piccadilly and Lobethal, covering a total of 69 hectares. The winery was built in 2000, introducing the ability to whole-bunch press chilled grapes and marking the beginning of M3 Chardonnay. The acquisition of the Lenswood vineyard in 2012 was another significant milestone in the development of this celebrated wine.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2024
• Producer: Shaw + Smith
• Wine: M3 Chardonnay
• Country: Australia
• Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
• Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay
• Wine Style: Still White Wine
• Wine Body: Medium
• Sweetness: Dry
• Alcohol: 13%
• Bottle Size: 1.5L Magnum
• Harvest: Hand Harvested, 20 February–17 March 2024
• Pressing: Whole Bunch Pressed
• Fermentation: French Oak Barrel Fermented
• Malolactic Fermentation: Yes
• Maturation: 9 Months in French Oak
• Oak Type: French Oak
• Winemaker: Adam Wadewitz
• Serving Temperature: 10–12°C
• Drinking Window: Now–2031