JM 1ST APPROACH

Pale straw-green; a floral bouquet of apple blosom and spice, right up there with the best of them, yields to a palate with great drive to its lime juice flavours that last long after the wine is swallowed. Right up there with the best of them. 96 points James Halliday's Top 100 NSW Wines 2011

There’s concentration plus on the finish but it all feels quite restrained making for one of Australia’s best Chardonnay experiences. It’s an absolute belter." 95+ points Patrick Haddock, Wining Pom,
Wine Will Eat Itself 94+ points - "The 2012 is a winner. It’s precise and incisive. Purity of fruit, adroit use of oak, a wonderfully mineral backbone and real persistence.
... Shaw and Smith M3 chardonnay has come a long way over the past ten years and is now a far finer example of the variety... Grapefruit and peach essence, flint and funk. Toasty oak. Pear and milk through the finish. Quality is very high here. Had me salivating. Rated : 95+ Points Winefront

Sauvignon Blanc is a regional speciality in the cooler Adelaide Hills. The wine is unoaked to maximise its fresh varietal character and overall tangy, zippy flavours. It has more middle palate and length than more herbaceous styles. A young refreshing wine with pure varietal flavours and lively acidity. A benchmark for Australian Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine displays fresh green tinges on a pale straw colour. The nose exhibits aromas of fresh cut pear and honey dew melon with some zesty citric notes. There are no overt woody or buttery aromas with the primary fruit characters expressed with clarity and definition. The palate is fresh and lively with clean crisp acidity complementing the vibrant fruity flavours. The palate has very good extension and ends clean and bright. This is a restrained style of Australian Chardonnay and highlights how far we have come with this style of wine over the last decade.

Well integrated toasty/bacony oak. And a lemony tang through the finish to complete the job nicely. At first I couldn’t find the X-factor – and then, a couple of hours from opening, it really started to rumble. Time in the cellar should work wonders for this little beauty. Rated : 95 Points Winefront.com.au