Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay

[Leigh]

How good is this 2007 Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay. I was fortunate enough to have tasted this wine twice this week and was impressed both times. I can say the Shaw and Smith winery consistently produces quality, not just in the Chardonnay range.

I was always a fan of the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay but over the past 6 months and several bottles of the Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay, I can say, it has hit Number 1 as the best Chardie in Australia.

Any thoughts on a better Chardonnay?
Cheers
Leigh

[Wayno]

Big call there. I have enjoyed the M3 in the past but personally I couldn't call it the best chard in Australia although granted I have hardly run the gamut of Australian chardonnay...

[monghead]

The 2004 M3 Chardy was a stunner a couple of years ago at a mate's 30th. We all thought it would be the weakest link in a line up which read:

1995 Taitinger Comptes de Champagne
2004 Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay
1995 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
1976 Penfold's Grange
1995 Stanton and Kileen VP

However, it did very well, held it's head up high, and actually outshone the VP.

Monghead.

[dave vino]

2002 Giaconda Chardy, best Aussie chardy I've had.

[Attila]

Any thoughts on a better Chardonnay?
Cheers
Leigh

Yes Leigh, to me the Shaw&Smith is good but so are many others.
The 2007 Tapanappa Tiers Chardonnay ($75) however is world class and on par with the best of Leeuwin like the 2005. My note:

2007 TAPANAPPA Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay-Picadilly Valley

Remarkable depth and intensity.
Rich, focussed and flavourful. Truly outstanding stuff. Very Burgundian with tremendous complexity. Easily 1er Cru Burgundy level.
That’s how Chardonnay is done.
Now to 10+ years.
96 pts AUD $65-75

[Wayno]

However, it did very well, held it's head up high, and actually outshone the VP.

Monghead.

Very different beasts, of course.

[monghead]

However, it did very well, held it's head up high, and actually outshone the VP.

Monghead.

Very different beasts, of course.

Indeed...

Only put the other wines in as to reflect the quality of wines on the night, to put into context how well it did...

[SueNZ]

I haven't seen the 2007, but thought the 2006 Shaw and Smith M3 simply emanated class. Quite tight when I tasted it Aug 2007 - but seemed like it would be stunning with a little more time in the bottle.

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

The Shaw and Smith certainly is an impressive wine for it's price point (around $40 Australian). It will have some direct competition from Petaluma (also Adelaide Hills, predominantly), but has a lot of competition in that price range:

Scorpo (Mornington Peninsula), Forest Hill Block 8 (Great Southern WA), and the new Howard Park (Great Southern WA) is a cracker. M3 is in an unfortunate price bracket where you might spend twice that amount on a Cullen, or trump it with something in the high $20 bracket (Kooyong, Voyager Estate). And there is no shortage of competition in the $30-40 range.

It's a problem for me. How do I continue to finance my Chardonnay addiction, when the wines get better and better and prices go up?

[Michael McNally]

It's a problem for me. How do I continue to finance my Chardonnay addiction, when the wines get better and better and prices go up?

Sell smack or make porno films. If you get really desperate, do both.

[chillwrx]

Debortoli reserve chardy's have impressed me recently. 05 and 06 were both great.

[redstuff]

Gotta love Shaw and Smith's cellar door. One of my favourites - sitting outside and looking out over the vines (althought u have to pay a few bucks). Murray Street Vineyards is fav.

[bacchaebabe]

G'day

The Shaw and Smith certainly is an impressive wine for it's price point (around $40 Australian). It will have some direct competition from Petaluma (also Adelaide Hills, predominantly), but has a lot of competition in that price range:

Scorpo (Mornington Peninsula), Forest Hill Block 8 (Great Southern WA), and the new Howard Park (Great Southern WA) is a cracker. M3 is in an unfortunate price bracket where you might spend twice that amount on a Cullen, or trump it with something in the high $20 bracket (Kooyong, Voyager Estate). And there is no shortage of competition in the $30-40 range.

It's a problem for me. How do I continue to finance my Chardonnay addiction, when the wines get better and better and prices go up?

Allan, looks like you got your avatar sorted. Looks good.

[jeremy]

So Allan was a drummer ? Always wanted to ask about that...

Oh, the 2004 M3 was awesome IMHO. Love subsequent vintages, but the 04 was the one that did it for me. Think I drank it in 06? Gave a bottle to a friend who cracked his in 07. Would've been even betterer then.

[Waiters Friend]

[/quote] Allan, looks like you got your avatar sorted. Looks good.[/quote]

Thanks for your help with this Kris. It's not as good as your avatar, though - that's the best one on the forum. I've always liked that one.

Yep, I played drums in a lot of small time bands around Perth in the 80s, 90s and the last gig was NYE 2000/2001. This particular picture was in 1999 or 2000 at the Lookout in Scarborough (Perthites will know what I mean).

Cheers

Allan

[mychurch]

I had the 07 over lunch a few months ago and thought it was ok, but missed a bit in the acidity line. Good wine, but not a world beater and I've had loads of better Auz chardonnies over the years.

[SueNZ]

Good wine, but not a world beater and I've had loads of better Auz chardonnies over the years.

Both 2006 and 2007 vintages were awarded bronze medals in the Gisborne International Chardonnay Challenge judged last week, if that's any help.

There were 11 gold medals awarded from the 520 entries with Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2007 the supreme winner and
24 Karat Chardonnay 2006, Ferngrove Diamond Chardonny 2008 and Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2008 the other Australian gold medal winners - all from WA.

[mychurch]

Somewhere between bronze and silver sounds about right to me.