96 Points - Jeni Port | 96 Points - Marcus Ellis
Established in 2021, MMAD is the impressive venture of the quartet behind Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle, namely; Martin Shaw, Michael Hill Smith MW, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW. Using each letter of their first names to create MMAD (pronounced 'MAD'), this single vineyard label is about focusing on the beauty of Blewitt Springs in South Australia's McLaren Vale.
Representing MMAD's third year tending to the old vines, the 2023 vintage was their latest and coolest vintage yet. The late season gave a wide picking window, allowing the grapes to be harvested at optimal ripeness. This 2023 MMAD Blewitt Springs Grenache reflects this with concentration and depth of flavour balanced with lovely, cool-season aromatics. Intense red fruit and baking spice continue through to a silky mid-palate, where lengthy tannins effortlessly tie it all together.
"96 Points. There’s energy and then there’s the kind of exuberance that comes from the well-drained, ancient, sandy soils of Blewitt Springs that can take the energy levels in a wine up a notch or three. The MMAD crew direct that energy into one exciting Grenache. Eye-catching, bright purpley-grape hues. Super bright aromas, all black pepper and gentle florals, plum and cherry with a touch of maraschino cherry and musk. A cooler vintage has brought the black pepper out to play. It’s a striking aspect to the wine, nestling in naturally amongst the black, red fruits, earth, mineral and spices, providing that extra energetic rush via some lively acidity. This is a leading example of the type of quality and class of McLaren Vale Grenache now being celebrated, with elegance and texture threaded in fine tannins. The result is a wine that is both immediately engaging while also showing a developing complexity with the kind of seriousness that is compelling and attention worthy. $77. Drink: 2025 - 2035"- Jeni Port, Wine Pilot.
"96 Points. Grown on Maslin sand, with the oldest grenache vines planted in '39. Floral and sultry, with intense red fruits, dark raspberry, macerated strawberry and pomegranate juice, cracked whole spices, coal dust. There are black cherry notes, too, with a certain darkness to the vivid and lively fruit profile, the old vines having their say, perhaps. That quality is repeated on the palate, with the silkiness those vines yield a feature of all the releases thus far, the tannins resolute and resolved, carrying the flavours long. There’s a clear thread emerging with the MMAD wines that tell a distinctive story of place, and it’s one that’s exciting to watch unfold. $77. 14% alc. Drink: 2025 - 2035."- Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion 2025.
