Over the last few weeks we have conducted our annual trade workshops around Australia. Wine education has long been a core value of the Shaw + Smith team, led by MMAD Vineyard’s Martin Shaw, Michael Hill-Smith MW, Adam Wadewitz and David LeMire MW. These workshops have aimed to focus on a single variety, giving us the chance to compare benchmark examples, further developing our understanding of the grape, key regions, and top producers. This year we set our sights on Chenin Blanc, having released two celebrated vintages from MMAD Vineyard.
Throughout the year we procured different expression of Chenin Blanc from around the world. When discussing which wines to showcase, it was the dry styles of Chenin that we particularly wanted to highlight. We first looked to Chenin Blancs birth place of Anjou in the Loire Valley in France and then onto the Western Cape of South Africa, California and, of course, Australia.
The line up:
2021 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc
2020 Beau Rivage Chenin Blanc
2021 MMAD Vineyard Chenin Blanc
2021 Domaine Ogereau ‘Clos le Grand Beaupreau’ Savennieres
2020 Thibaud Boudignon ‘Clos de la Hutte’ Savennieres
2022 Domaine Pichot ‘Clos Cartaud’ Vouvray Sec
2022 MMAD Vineyard Chenin Blanc
2022 L.A.S. Vino Chenin Blanc Dynamic Blend
2021 Alheit Vineyard ‘Hereafter Here’ Chenin Blanc
2022 The Sadie Family Wines ‘Rotsbank’ Chenin Blanc