Now is a good time to discover how good Chenin Blanc can be. The world has gone a little Chenin crazy and it’s more than a fad
The Chenin grape is as adaptable and versatile as Riesling in terms of the areas its grown, the vastly different flavour profiles, its longevity and how it can go from mouth puckeringly dry wines to luscious, sweet dessert wines. But Chenin Blanc handles oak contact well which adds another layer of complexity, palate weight and texture while still remaining tight and crisp due to its high natural acidity. In the hands of a good winemaker, the drinker might not be aware of anything overtly oaky on the nose or palate, but you just know there is something special about the fruit and spices on the nose and the weight and extra mouth-filling flavours in the mouth. That’s winemaking in the best of hands, and experience gained from over 35 vintages. And it’s evident in all of the wines from MMAD Vineyard.
This delicious Chenin Blanc comes from a single vineyard at Blewitt Springs (a premium sub-region of McLaren Vale) and made by a formidable bunch at MMAD Vineyard. This is an impressive partnership between winemaker Martin Shaw, Michael Hill Smith AM MW, winemaker Adam Wadewitz, and David LeMire MW. All wines are made at Shaw + Smith’s the state-of-the-art winery in the Adelaide Hills.
The first letters of their names conveniently spelled MMAD which presumably got the vote over DAMM as they brainstormed their new project’s name over a glass or two.
The vineyard always comes first
The MMAD project was born after discovering a pretty special vineyard. They all saw it as a unique opportunity to make a small collection of distinctive wines from a premium single vineyard with some of the oldest vines in the area. The Chenin plantings are from 1961, the Grenache, 1939 and Shiraz, 1941. The Rosé is a blend of the best and brightest from Grenache, Shiraz, Chenin and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Awards
The Chenin 2021, first release, took out the Best Chenin Blanc of Australia trophy at the 2022 Australian Chenin Blanc Challenge. Winemaker Adam Wadewitz, was also awarded Winemaker of year for that same year. The 2024 recently won the Best Traditional White Wine trophy at the 2025 McLaren Vale Wine Show.
The MMAD Chenin Blanc is as rare as Banksy sightings so join their list for new releases.
New plantings in the vineyard.
We hear that MMAD have added new plantings of Chenin from Western Australian clones which will ease the pressure on supply years down the track. Also, some exciting new plantings of Mataro (Les French say “Mouvèdre”) which has been generously made available by Tony and Lita Brady from the famed, almost mythical (no web site, no email, rarely used phone) Wendouree vineyard in Clare Valley. Maybe a MMAD Shiraz Mataro blend in the future with the legendary tannin and texture of the Wendouree wines but with a Blewitt slant? In the wine industry you have to play the long game so we’ll have to wait a while for this cheeky blend of Shiraz and the Brady bunches.
As always, they’ll take their lead from the vineyard and have a DAMM good play around with batches of wine before deciding.
Taste one wine, learn one thing. Taste three wines, learn three times more.
If you want to have some fun getting to know Chenin Blanc try a comparative tasting with some of the following examples from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the spiritual home of great Chenin Blanc, the Loire Valley, France.
For French, we suggest Marc Brédif Vouvray Classic. For Australian, Aphelion ‘Pir’, Aphelion “Welkin’, Sherrah or Coriole from McLaren Vale. Or compare some Western Australian styles like Pierro from Margaret River. Fromm is a New Zealand winery producing excellent Chenin and Pinot Noir and for a deeper dive into the deep end of the Chenin pool try a South African.
Mastering Wine
Clang! We’ve been name dropping a couple of Masters of Wine in our MMAD Vineyard Chenin Blanc story. Michael Hill Smith and David LeMire are two of only 24 MW’s in Australia (there are only six in Adelaide).
The other South Australian MW’s are, Phil Reedman, Drew Noon, Kym Milne and Duane Coates.
So Shaw + Smith, MMAD and Tolpuddle Vineyard have 30% of the South Australian MW’s and 8% of Australia’s MW’s and we’ll stop now with the percentages before it gets silly.
What is an MW and how do you become one?
A Master of Wine (MW) is the highest qualification in the global wine industry, awarded by the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) The study spans a minimum of three years and often five or more. Subjects covered include viticulture, enology, business and an in-depth knowledge of all varieties and wine styles. An important part of the study is tasting. Students sit a week long examination in theory and tasting and present a 10,000 word dissertation paper. The pass rate is only 10% and there are only 409 MW’s in the world today.
Michael Hill Smith AM is the first non-UK MW.
The MW institute was founded in 1955. Until 1983 only UK residents were allowed to become MW’s.
Michael Hill Smith was the first non-UK MW, awarded in 1988.
MW’s work in all aspects of the wine trade. Winemakers, buyers, educators, journalists hotel /hospitality, importers, distributors and consultants.
Code of conduct
All MW’s must sign a code of conduct upholding the highest standards of professional and commercial behavior.
2027 Masters of Wine Symposium will be in Adelaide, April 15-18
Hosts are the Institute of Masters of Wine and the SA Government with major sponsor, Wine Australia.
Delegates will have the opportunity to visit many of our wine regions as an exclusive add on experience.
You don’t have to be an MW to participate in the symposium. Jump on their website to see details.
“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy”
Tom Waits
Shaw + Smith Winery Adelaide Hills
The Shaw + Smith adventure started in 1989 when cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw founded Adelaide Hills winery Shaw + Smith with vineyards in Balhannah and Lenswood and now a very smart winery and tasting room at Balhannah built in 2011.
Shaw + Smith re-defined Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 36 years ago.
You may have been introduced to Shaw + Smith by their Sauvignon Blanc which has become a benchmark for Australia and Adelaide Hills. The citrussy crispness, clarity and energy of this wine is as exciting today as it was 36 years ago when the first vintage was released. What better ambassador for this winery.
Michael Hill Smith describes the winery as “paradise for a winemaker”. The winery is highly specialised to sort and handle grapes in small batches, ferment in wood and/or stainless steel and age in different sizes of oak barrel. The options to tailor the winemaking to the variety and bring out the best qualities of each vineyard is indeed permutation paradise for a winemaker.
Today, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW are co-CEOs at Shaw + Smith, where Adam is Chief Winemaker, and David Head of Sales and Marketing.
Shaw + Smith Adelaide Hills M3 Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
There’s also a Gamay, a lighter-bodied red wine which is often described as “crunchy” due to its red berry/cherry fruit flavours and it’s bright acidity. This is the grape that makes all those famous, utterly delicious Beaujolais wines of France.
A nose for great vineyards in McLaren Vale and Tasmania
Michael, Martin, Adam, and David are working together closely on two single vineyard projects, MMAD Vineyard (story above) in McLaren Vale and Tolpuddle Vineyard in Tasmania.
Tolpuddle Vineyard Tasmania
L to R. Michael Hill Smith, David Lemire, Martin Shaw and Adam Wadewitz
Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith purchased a spectacular vineyard in Richmond, Tasmania in 2011. First planted in 1988 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the wines have gathered trophies and accolades in Australia and internationally.
Tasmania is only 1.5% of the total Australian wine production but the impact of its exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines is felt worldwide.
One of those moments when you see the clouds part, the sun shines over the vineyard and you can hear an angels’ chorus
Michael and Martin visited Tasmania ‘just for a look and a chat’ 15 years ago. After a lunch with some luminaries of the wine industry, (with a bottle or two of some of the world’s finest examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for research purposes only), some expert advice which included a prediction that Tasmania would be producing the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Australia within a decade, and a road trip to Tolpuddle vineyard, the idea of purchasing their own Tassie vineyard was ignited. Michael said, “it was love at first sight” or site in this case, and the deal was done soon after.
Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2023 named Best White Wine in the World at London’s International Wine Challenge 2025
The only wine to achieve a 98 point score, judges described the release as “both ethereal and confident, a complex wine, alluring and demanding attention, [and] rich yet taut, deep yet supremely elegant, offering beautifully integrated spice notes and cool fruit.”
As the the only Australian wine to be awarded an international trophy at the 2025 awards it has now been elevated to ‘cult’ status but more than that, a great ambassador for all Australian wines on the world stage.
Jump on their website and sign up for their allocation list.
