James Halliday – “Ex 1946 Blewitt Springs bush vines planted in a deep sandy dune that Yangarra call The Beach; dry-grown, bunch-sorted, wild yeast, open fermented and basket pressed. Bright clear though deep crimson hue; scented/perfumed, and I’m gone for all money without even tasting it. And I haven’t fooled myself. Its red fruit sundae glistens with dew drops on a spider’s web, yet also has a savoury echo towards the finish.” 99 Points & Wine of the Year Wine (Halliday Companion Awards Panel 2024)

World Wine – Sam Kim (Wine Orbit)

World Wine – Sam Kim (Wine Orbit)

Wine Spectator – Juicy notes of ripe black cherry and spiced plum are thick and velvety, oozing with details of baking spices, tobacco and Earl Grey tea on the finish. Concentrated and complex. The thick tannins add some charm. Drink now through 2030.

World Wine – 98 points + Gold - Adelaide Wine Show

James Halliday – "A classic high-quality Margaret River cabernet from an extremely good vintage, with more depth to rounded, fleshy fruit and quality oak than is usual with this wine. It's estate grown, and the vines decades old. It exudes cassis and has an excellent ripe tannin structure. 14% alc. Screwcap. Drink by: 2035"

Wine Enthusiast – ‘Deep colour. Ethereal cassis, light marzipan, vanilla with hints of violet. Fresh blackcurrant pastille, marzipan, cedar flavour and fine bittersweet/ grainy tannins. Finishes claret firm, with pure dark berry fruits and superb mineral length. Elegantly proportioned, pristine and sinuous with excellent cellaring potential. A genuine Australian First Growth highlighting the genius of vineyard site, meticulous harvesting (five separate picking times), empathetic and imaginative winemaking. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, 14 months maturation in new (55%) and seasoned French oak. A classic vintage; up there with the best. Keep for a while to allow some bottle age development as you will be greatly rewarded. 13.5% alc.’ 99 points. - Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal.

Huon Hooke – ‘Deep, bright red-purple colour with a reserved, shy bouquet that leads into a similarly latent palate where masses of fine tannins lie stealthily in wait. Subtle violet and blackberry traces. There is tremendous depth and muscle to this wine but it is still a little in its shell and needs more time to open. Masses of tannin bode well for its future in the cellar. Decanting may work if broaching it young. (89% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc, 3% malbec. Aged in 55% new oak for 14 months).’ 98 points. Huon Hooke, The Real Review

The Wine Front – Ash, red cherries, white pepper and twigs. Fine fingers of tannin. Juicy, lingering finish. Light-ish but good. - 2019 Vintage Review

James Halliday – Best Coonawarra Cabernet, 96 Points - James Halliday’s Cabernet Challenge 2023

World Wine – 97 Points - Jane Skilton MW

The Wine Front – If you’re lucky, and most of us aren’t, there comes a time in your life when it all comes together. I suspect that’s what’s happened with this Blewitt Springs vineyard, planted in the middle of the Second World War, and the collection of wine people behind MMAD, all of whom have weathered a lot of summers in a lot of places in the pursuit of wine excellence. This wine tastes of a lot of right decisions, and of a lot of time spent in the journey to them. It has texture, balance, flavour and all that, but as my mum would say, ‘any dumb bunny can do that’. More importantly, what this wine has is all the nods and winks. I once wrote, a long time ago, of a moment where union legend David Campese ran straight through a bunch of defenders without breaking stride, or altering course. He did something, something that couldn’t be seen, and made the impossible look effortless. So too here. It has degrees of silk, fruit enough, a spinnaker on the finish, a volume of nuance. If there was such a thing for single vineyard, vintage, Aussie shiraz, this wine would be classified as first growth.

James Halliday – "This is a seriously impressive release, showcasing winemaker Adam Wadewitz’s learnings from the first vintage and the bounty of full viticultural control. The old-vine fruit could easily handle about one-third whole bunch, a Wadewitz favourite. And that impact is profoundly positive, weaving in spicy, smoky notes and complexing tannins to provide exceptional tension without greenness. Red and blue fruits, violet and dusky red florals, coal dust, anise, cacao and roasted coffee bean. Intensity on the palate at moderate alcohol and no heavy mid-palate sweetness nor new oak. Rather, it is poised throughout, with fruit intensity seamlessly meshed into a silky, supple but aptly assertive structure, a ferrous nori/ kelp mineral note underpinning. For a site purchased prizing grenache, this is a revelation." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

James Suckling – Vivid aromas of crushed blackberries, cloves, iodine and dried kelp, lifted by a potpourri of purple flowers. Dense, compact and detailed, with tannic precision. This is a full-bodied wine, yet it is the intricacy of the structure that draw me back to the glass. Long, beautiful and destined for excellent drinking across the mid-term.

Huon Hooke – Very complex Rhône-ish meaty/spicy bouquet of formidable charm and detail. Theres a nicely judged touch of reduction in there, and the wine is fleshy and sumptuous on the palate, smooth textured and glossy, with a lingering aftertaste packed with supple, polished tannins that are in effortless support. An outstanding shiraz. The tannins are formidable and sneaky—they will ensure a long aging career. A stonking McLaren Vale regional shiraz.

The Wine Front –

Wine Spectator –