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Paul Edwards: Shaw & Smith founders venture into new territory with their MMAD label

Paul EdwardsThe West Australian
MMAD wines
Camera IconMMAD wines Credit: supplied

Every year at the start of July, a pale, straw-coloured liquid, slowly starts to fill the arid Riedel glasses of Perth’s upscale suburbs. Such is the importance of this event to some fans that, in my minds’ eye, I conjure imagery of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre filling with rain. There is a sigh of relief and a splash of colour as the drought comes to an end and the flow begins again. I am, of course, referring to the ever-popular annual release of Shaw + Smith sauvignon blanc. The success of this South Australian brand and the limits to production dictate that this much loved sav blanc will typically only last for six months of the year before selling out. And, as in nature, the cycle continues, leaving many loyal and distraught fans no choice but to settle for superior white blends from Margaret River.

Jesting aside, Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith established their eponymous Shaw + Smith brand in the late 1980s. Since then, both the brand and their range have evolved to include a genuinely outstanding set of wines. At the heart of these brands are exceptional vineyard sites. Their latest project, in union with long term CEOs David Le Mire MW and Adam Wadewitz, has led them to procure an 18ha, well-established McLaren Vale, vineyard site, renamed as the MMAD Vineyard, after each partner’s first initial. Don’t spend too long considering the other potential acronyms.

While this land was recently purchased in early 2021, the hunt for “rare earth” as LeMire likes to phrase it, has been in progress since 2014. When this special site became available, LeMire describes hesitating momentarily to consider due diligence, before industry legend and consultant viticulturalist Ray Guerin chimed in “Just buy it!” They haven’t looked back. The vineyard, first planted in 1939, is located in the elevated Blewitt Springs subregion of McLaren Vale. Soils are comprised of free-draining sands interspersed with ironstone pebbles, with ironstone bedrock beneath. In this warm Mediterranean climate, these soils and the Southern Ocean breezes combine to keep a freshness and perfumed elegance in the red wines. Notwithstanding this, they remain concentrated and dense, quintessential McLaren Vale reds.

“Fortune favours the brave” and indeed the team have been fortunate in their timing, taking hold of the vineyard, immediately before the astonishingly good 2021 harvest. Through good luck and great skill Wadewitz has produced seriously impressive and vivid wines from his first vintage. In each wine, old puncheons are preferred to more commonly used small barriques. This means any oak impact is minimal, leaving a purer expression of site and varietal. Chatting to LeMire, there is an air of restrained excitement about this project. While the raw materials are present, he is keen to further improve soils and vine health through meticulous farming and sustainable practices. I sense that, as this team apply their knowledge and skill to this ancient resource, there is an icon in the making. I will be following closely. The wines will be released on August 15.

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MMAD Vineyard 2021 Blewitt Springs, chenin blanc, $50

MMAD wine
Camera IconMMAD wine Credit: CSP Creative

Expressive, youthful, floral, apple blossom and waxy aromas. The flavours are dry and saline, with chenin’s fresh signature of acid. Like many great chenins, it is linear and crisp, but fleshy and textured. The textured mouthfeel is varietal but no doubt built upon through elevage in old puncheons and on yeast lees. Flavours of citrus, quince, baked apple. Minerally, neat and precise.

93/100

MMAD Vineyard 2021 Blewitt Springs, grenache, $75

MMAD wine
Camera IconMMAD wine Credit: CSP Creative

Lifted, but subtle aromatics of raspberry, black plum and cured meat. Concentrated, elegant, fine and compact palate, especially for a grenache. Red berry reduction, gently spicy: white pepper, cardamom and fennel. Shows a satin-like, fine tannin weave and a long compressed mineral/red fruit finish. Treads the path of generosity versus savoury tension with aplomb. 95/100

MMAD Vineyard 2021 Blewitt Springs, shiraz, $75

MMAD wine
Camera IconMMAD wine Credit: CSP Creative

Vibrant purple in colour, vivid aromas and flavours of blackberry, damson plum, violets and spice. Balance is key here. Contrasting sensations, as the liquid sits lightly, yet projects volume and generosity. Long flavours, nicely rendered plush tannins and a dash of bright acidity keep it all in check. A very clever wine with good purity and expression.

96/100

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