2026 MMAD Vineyard Blewitt Springs Rose, McLaren Vale

This is the MMAD wine that has seen the most evolution, though it feels like the style is now firmly established. Grenache, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and chenin blanc – once again, a snapshot of the vineyard. Classic rose gold, and prettily fragrant, but with savouriness and intensity the driving forces. It’s meaningfully layered, with sour cherries and red berries, watermelon, wild dried herbs, red aperitivo notes, crushed rose petals, hints of spice down the cinnamon and sumac line, green cardamom even, a little exotic, fragrant. There’s pithiness, texture, appealing fruit weight and excellent length. I keep saying this, but rosé needs to be taken a lot more seriously. This is a serious, and seriously enjoyable, wine.

96+ points Special Value Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion

MMAD Vineyard brings together four formidable Australian wine names: Martin Shaw, Michael Hill Smith MW, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW. Their Blewitt Springs vineyard has quickly become one of McLaren Vale’s most exciting sites, with old vines, deep sandy soils and cooling influence from the nearby Gulf St Vincent shaping wines of fragrance and freshness rather than sheer weight.

The rosé takes that same vineyard driven approach. The 2026 is built for refreshment but has considerably more interest than simple summer quaffing, with delicate red fruit, citrus and savoury detail held together by crisp acidity. It is dry, finely textured and restrained, with enough flavour through the middle to make it a very handy food wine.

Very pale salmon pink, with wild strawberry, raspberry and pink grapefruit at first, followed by watermelon, rose petal and blood orange. A little fennel and dried herb complexity sits quietly underneath. The palate is bright and juicy, with red berries and citrus flowing through a gently creamy texture before grapefruit peel and a faint saline note sharpen the dry, refreshing finish.

Prawn and avocado tostadas would be cracking, alongside grilled octopus with lemon, tuna tataki, Vietnamese rice paper rolls or zucchini fritters with whipped feta and mint. Our pick is the tostadas, loaded with prawns, avocado, coriander, chilli and plenty of lime.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2029.