The old vines of Blewitt Springs are a precious resource, and an important part of Australia’s viticultural history. In early 2021, MMAD Vineyard was purchased by a quartet made up of winemakers Martin Shaw and Adam Wadewitz, and Masters of Wine Michael Hill Smith and David LeMire. MMAD takes its names from their first initials. The MMAD wines aim to reflect the unique terroir of Blewitt Springs and the rare old vines that thrive there, namely the Grenache planted in 1939, Shiraz planted in 1942 and Chenin Blanc planted in 1964.

It is rare to see such complexity in youth. Aromatically dense, it builds an impressive, beautifully revealing whole, even within the shortest time in glass. Fashioned upon a central core of red apple, spices and ripe stone fruits, pear and a touch of marzipan, it is immediately engaging in both texture and a fresh liveliness. Delicious now, it can only build further upon the complexity shown. Already, there are emerging honey notes to be enjoyed together with spice, marzipan and ginger adding an additional layer to the base notes of citrus, apple and pear. An extraordinary wine, which heralds a renaissance for the grape in Australia. Date: Aug 2025; Rating: 96 Points; Jeni Port; Wine Pilot

This wine is made in the pursuit of both texture and flavour and the outcome is exactly that, texture and fruit weight, set within a context of both freshness and taut control. It’s pretty damn impressive. Pepper, metal, brine, cooked apple, preserved citrus and nut-like characters all make positive contributions here, as do whispers of Vietnamese mint. This wine is excellent now, and will build with extra time in the bottle. Date: Aug 2025; Alcohol: 12.5%; Price: $50.00; Drink: 2027-2032+; Rating: 94+ Points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front