MMAD Vineyard is a new venture from the much-admired names behind Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Vineyard. It is a partnership between Shaw + Smith’s founders, Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW, chief winemaker and CEO Adam Wadewitz and CEO David LeMire MW. For many years, this talented quartet had been searching for a site in the McLaren Vale. That ambition was realised in early 2021 when they purchased an established vineyard in Blewitt Springs, attracted by the potential of old vine Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Grenache. MMAD was conceived as an acronym of the team’s initials. Blewitt Springs is a sought-after, high-altitude area of the McLaren Vale. It is the highest, coolest and wettest subzone and the fruit generally ripens two to three weeks later than the rest of the district.
" it is a heartening and thrilling thing to witness such beauty in Chenin Blanc here from McLaren Vale..... It has a brilliant intensity of flavour, purity, concentration, poise and shape. Very good. There are notes of white peach, pear, waxy grip. Awesome. It will be better in time, too." 94+/100pts, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
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