2023 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay

A world-class Chardonnay crowned the nation’s best — Lenswood brilliance at its peak

97 points JamesSuckling.com 97 points Halliday Wine Companion

🏆 Trophy – Best Chardonnay in Australia | 🏆 Trophy – Best South Australian Chardonnay (James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge 2024)
Single-Vineyard Adelaide Hills Chardonnay | Precision, Power & Purity

“Australia’s Champion Chardonnay — a wine of breathtaking precision and cool-climate grace from the iconic Lenswood Vineyard.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Pale straw with green highlights — vibrant and luminous in the glass.
Aroma: Pure and intense — white peach, lemon curd and nectarine interlace with flint, cashew and struck-match complexity.
Palate: Sculpted and textural, showing a brilliant fusion of ripe stone fruit and mineral tension. Fine oak brings spice and structure without weight, while zesty acidity drives length and energy.
Finish: Long, linear and silky — a wine that unfolds with power and elegance in equal measure.

Awards & Recognition

• Trophy – Best Chardonnay in Australia – James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge 2024

• Trophy – Best South Australian Chardonnay – James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge 2024

• Widely acclaimed as one of the finest modern expressions of Australian Chardonnay.

Vineyard & Winemaking

Fruit is sourced exclusively from the high-altitude Lenswood Vineyard (Adelaide Hills), renowned for its cool temperatures, steep slopes and free-draining soils that create wines of lift and clarity.

Hand-picked grapes are whole-bunch pressed, fermented with wild yeasts in French oak barriques (30% new), and aged on lees for nine months to build texture and complexity.
Minimal intervention ensures a Chardonnay that speaks clearly of site — fine, focused, and unmistakably Lenswood.

Region

Lenswood, Adelaide Hills (South Australia) — a sub-region celebrated for its elevation and cool ripening season. The high-altitude microclimate delivers Chardonnay with beautiful tension, mineral purity, and long ageing potential.

Food Pairings

• Seared scallops with lemon butter and thyme

• Roast chicken with truffle mash and thyme jus

• Lobster or crab pasta with garlic cream

• Pork belly with apple purée and hazelnut crumb

• Triple-cream Brie or soft goat’s cheese

Why We Love It

The 2023 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay is a defining moment for Australian white wine — a wine of precision, tension, and quiet power that has claimed the title of Best Chardonnay in Australia.

It is the culmination of decades of Shaw + Smith expertise in the Adelaide Hills, uniting fine acidity, pure fruit expression, and subtle French oak craftsmanship into one seamless whole.

This is modern Chardonnay at its zenith — graceful, dynamic, and undeniably world-class.

Precise. Powerful. Perfect.
The 2023 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay is the pinnacle of Australian Chardonnay — a trophy-winning masterpiece of purity and poise.