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 third year, and a notably long and cool season. The process here, in general, is fermentation in concrete and oak with a portion of whole bunch, though mostly destemmed, then élevage in older, larger French oak. There’s a little reduction up front but that settles, revealing a moodily scented wine, saline with blackberry pastille, olive, ground cacao nibs, violet and lavender, black cherry, star anise, clove, pepper and mace. It’s a complex wine, more medium in stature, with significant Rhône echoes. Saint-Joseph comes to mind, but this is a wine of site and there’s nothing imitative about the elaboration. Another excellent release; maybe less intense than the '22, but just so detailed. Date: Jan 2025; Alcohol: 13.5%; Price: $77.00; Drink by: 2035; Rating: 97 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

The accompanying wine notes tell of the latest and coolest vintage yet for this vineyard, but the upshot was a wide picking window combined with small, bunches and intense fruit flavours. The result is an absolute stunner of a wine, boasting a layer of what can only – and perhaps a little too lazily – be described as cool climate-inspired spiciness. It’s more inherent than a flat-out feature and to be fair was present in the ’22 release, one ingredient in a complex range of scents and flavours that take in black cherry, plum, cassis with lifted aromatics in rose and pressed flowers and dusty cacao, bitter chocolate and, yes, spices with anise and pepper in the lead. Fruit, oak, tannins and spice are packed tight, an intense youngster that will age a beaut. In the meantime, it’s bright, it dances, it weaves, it’s a seamless engaging young Shiraz of the highest quality. Rating: 97 Points; Jeni Port

Deep, dense red-purple. Mixed spices, dried herbs, violets and blueberry. Elegant with fine, powdery tannins and hints of graphite and ironstone. A splendid shiraz for the cellar. Rating: 96 Points; Huon Hooke; The Real Review

There is so much to love here in a wine that has very swifty gained a following for those that adore both McLaren Vales famed Blewitt Springs and the terroir based wines of the Rhone. It doesn’t emulate or replicate but instead zeros in on the blue fruited, blackberry and lavender tones with gusto whilst serving up all the savoury herbs of a tapas platter. Sandy tannins and so much drinkability – it’s hard to put down. There is a salted licorice note with fine lines of trilling acidity. The cool vintage gives this wine its finesse and it’s a real beauty once again. A lovely wine for Caponata on crusty sourdough toast. Drink now or will cellar well for 6-8 years. Rating: 96 Points; Shanteh Wale