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.

The evolution of this wine never ceases to interest and amaze me, there is incremental texture and chiselled edges to the wine wrapped in this slinky, saline and mineral driven package. Pomelo, buddhas hand, citrus and yellow plum. Pumice stone and white pepper.  Some fennel seeds too. There is a coating to this wine, not quite oily but slick in nature, it sticks to the sides of your palate before rumbling down like a steam train of power with innate acidity and drive. Another exceptional release and a benchmark of what Chenin Banc can do in this country. This is a wine that accompanies so many morsels, from fish with fins to straticella or fried Balmain bug tails. Date: July: 2026; Rating: 97 Points; Shanteh Wale

Old vine Chenin charm on show, bringing the kind of effortless confidence that sets this grape variety apart. Little wonder Chenin is taking off with consumers. Mid yellow. Archetypal varietal aromas of apple, pear, peach meet a thread of grass, herbs, almond biscotti, hints of marzipan and stunning floral honeysuckle, citrus blossom. So smooth and warmly textural with a taste that is both generous but remains focused on a core of bright apple, pear and white peach slowly expanding, roaming wider into lemon curd, citrus peel, hints of green almond and honeyed notes. Great length and presence. Date: July: 2026; Drink by: 2026-2037; Rating: 96 Points; Jeni Port

There’s a gravitas to this release. It remains frisky and juicy and fruity, but it has a genuine flare to the finish, it’s bolstered by perfectly integrated woodsmoke and cedarwood characters, it has a saline edge, and the texture sits at a perfect just-satiny point. There’s a juiciness to this wine, as mentioned, but it feels dry through the back half, almost pebbly, with an itch of grip there too. It’s nuanced now but time will bring exaggeration in the most entertaining of ways. Rating: 95 Points; Campbell Mattinson