2024 MMAD Vineyard Blewitt Springs Chenin Blanc, McLaren Vale

The fourth release of this old-vine chenin, and it’s another exceptional one. Half crushed and half whole-bunch pressed fruit, with fermentation in concrete and large oak, then maturation in old puncheons. An orchard stroll, crossing the seasons, with fragrant blossoms as well as crisply ripe fruit. Fresh, waxy red apples and green pear, yellow and lemon-skinned citrus, along with poached apple, cumquat, hazelnut and preserved lemon characters. A thread of mineral tension is the insistent plot line, with winemaking aptly subservient. Chenin blanc has never lacked for potential in the Vale, but the standout examples have hardly been legion. Here’s one.

96 points Special Value Marcus Ellis winecompanion.com.au

The MMAD Vineyard Blewitt Springs Chenin Blanc is one of the most exciting modern white wines coming out of McLaren Vale, crafted from some of the region’s oldest Chenin Blanc vines. MMAD Vineyard, a collaboration between wine identities Michael Hill Smith MW, Martin Shaw, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW, has quickly built a reputation for making wines of precision, vibrancy and site expression, with Blewitt Springs as its heart. Their focus is on old-vine Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, varieties that thrive in the sandy soils and cooling gully breezes of this elevated subregion.

Chenin Blanc has a long history in McLaren Vale but has often been overlooked in favour of reds. The MMAD team recognised the potential of these mature vines in Blewitt Springs, planted in the 1960s, to produce world-class Chenin Blanc. The wine is made with minimal intervention: hand-picked fruit, wild fermentation in seasoned oak and concrete, and time on lees to build texture and complexity while keeping the variety’s natural freshness.

In the glass it is pale straw with green glints. Aromatically it is lifted and complex, showing lemon zest, green apple and pear alongside jasmine, honeycomb and a chalky, saline edge. On the palate it is medium-bodied with lively acidity, citrus and orchard fruits, and a gentle waxy texture that is the hallmark of Chenin. Lees ageing brings creaminess and depth, while the finish is long, mineral and savoury.

Food pairings highlight its versatility: freshly shucked oysters, grilled whiting, roast chicken with preserved lemon, or vegetarian options like zucchini fritters or a goat’s cheese tart. It is delicious young but has the structure and acidity to age gracefully for 10 to 15 years, developing richer flavours of lanolin, honey and nuts while retaining its mineral backbone.