MMAD Vineyard is a partnership between Tolpuddle and Shaw + Smith’s founders, Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW, chief winemaker and CEO Adam Wadewitz and CEO David LeMire MW. MMAD was conceived as an acronym of the team’s initials.
For many years, this talented quartet had been searching for a site in the McLaren Vale. In early 2021 they purchased an established vineyard in Blewitt Springs, attracted by the potential of old vine Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Grenache.
Blewitt Springs is a sought-after, high-elevation area of the McLaren Vale, characterised by its cool, wet climate. Here, grapes generally ripen two to three weeks later than the rest of the district. The 16.5-hectare MMAD vineyard is 200 metres above sea level and the vines are exposed to fresh south-westerly winds blowing in from the Gulf of St Vincent.
The MMAD vineyard neighbour’s local grower Sue Trott’s fabled site, which is the source of one of Willunga’s award-winning single vineyard wines. Its classic Maslin sands enhance the aromatics derived from the cooler position of Blewitt Springs. Beneath the sands of the MMAD vineyard is a layer of ironstone pebbles. The combination of sand, ironstone and cooling winds lends perfume and structure to the wines. Farmed using organic principles, though not certified, there are permanent mid-row cover crops, alternating with green mulch, in every other row. MMAD’s oldest vines, Grenache and Shiraz, were planted in 1939 and 1941 respectively, while the Chenin Blanc dates back to 1964.
"This is a seriously impressive release, showcasing winemaker Adam Wadewitz’s learnings from the first vintage and the bounty of full viticultural control. The old-vine fruit could easily handle about one-third whole bunch, a Wadewitz favourite. And that impact is profoundly positive, weaving in spicy, smoky notes and complexing tannins to provide exceptional tension without greenness. Red and blue fruits, violet and dusky red florals, coal dust, anise, cacao and roasted coffee bean. Intensity on the palate at moderate alcohol and no heavy mid-palate sweetness nor new oak. Rather, it is poised throughout, with fruit intensity seamlessly meshed into a silky, supple but aptly assertive structure, a ferrous nori/kelp mineral note underpinning. For a site purchased prizing grenache, this is a revelation." 97 pts Marcus Ellis Halliday Wine Companion 2025
