The Vineyards
The Maxwell Vineyards
Our estate vineyards are some of the most favourably positioned in the McLaren Vale district. They are positioned on the southern slope and crest of Lumb’s Hill, amongst gently rolling hills just one mile north of the McLaren Vale township’s Main Street. Situated on solid limestone, and in such proximity to the moderating effects of the Gulf of St Vincent, the conditions in the vineyards are ideal and somewhat blessed for producing small quantities of intensely flavoured grapes.
The oldest vines on the property were planted in 1953, directly below where the Winery now stands. Known within the Winery as the “Max flat block”, these Shiraz vines always produce some of the best fruit on the estate, providing the base for the Ellen Street Shiraz. This block consists of alluvial red-brown clay over limestone, and is typically one of the earliest ripening Shiraz blocks in the region.
One notable vineyard on the estate sits above and behind the Winery atop the crest of Lumb’s Hill. Identified as a 1972 planting of the “Reynella Selection Cabernet”, it originates from vines brought into South Australia by noted wine industry pioneer John Reynell over 150 years ago. Back in the mid-1800s, John Reynell was planting some of the earliest vineyards in South Australia, in an area just north of McLaren Vale. Having collected vine cuttings in South Africa on his way from England, he found that particular vines on his property kept producing noticeably more flavoursome berries, so he undertook a process of selection to create a vineyard of cuttings from only those vines that bore superior fruit. Naturally these Cabernet vines became known as the “Reynella Selection”, and have quite simply been shown to be perfectly suited to the McLaren Vale climate for well over a century. Our cuttings were taken directly from this Reynella vineyard, and planted over 3 decades ago in the shallow topsoil over solid limestone at the crest of the Maxwell estate. It is this fruit that makes the Maxwell Lime Cave Cabernet acclaimed worldwide.
For more information on the world-renowned McLaren Vale wine region, please visit www.mclarenvale.info.
Our estate vineyards are some of the most favourably positioned in the McLaren Vale district. They are positioned on the southern slope and crest of Lumb’s Hill, amongst gently rolling hills just one mile north of the McLaren Vale township’s Main Street. Situated on solid limestone, and in such proximity to the moderating effects of the Gulf of St Vincent, the conditions in the vineyards are ideal and somewhat blessed for producing small quantities of intensely flavoured grapes.
The oldest vines on the property were planted in 1953, directly below where the Winery now stands. Known within the Winery as the “Max flat block”, these Shiraz vines always produce some of the best fruit on the estate, providing the base for the Ellen Street Shiraz. This block consists of alluvial red-brown clay over limestone, and is typically one of the earliest ripening Shiraz blocks in the region.
One notable vineyard on the estate sits above and behind the Winery atop the crest of Lumb’s Hill. Identified as a 1972 planting of the “Reynella Selection Cabernet”, it originates from vines brought into South Australia by noted wine industry pioneer John Reynell over 150 years ago. Back in the mid-1800s, John Reynell was planting some of the earliest vineyards in South Australia, in an area just north of McLaren Vale. Having collected vine cuttings in South Africa on his way from England, he found that particular vines on his property kept producing noticeably more flavoursome berries, so he undertook a process of selection to create a vineyard of cuttings from only those vines that bore superior fruit. Naturally these Cabernet vines became known as the “Reynella Selection”, and have quite simply been shown to be perfectly suited to the McLaren Vale climate for well over a century. Our cuttings were taken directly from this Reynella vineyard, and planted over 3 decades ago in the shallow topsoil over solid limestone at the crest of the Maxwell estate. It is this fruit that makes the Maxwell Lime Cave Cabernet acclaimed worldwide.
For more information on the world-renowned McLaren Vale wine region, please visit www.mclarenvale.info.