Maximus wines are tucked away at the Blewitt Springs end of the Vale, on a hill affording views down Foggo road, past Ekidna, and across to Willunga.
We pop in for a break while hand bottling our 2014 old vine grenache (read more about our winemaking adventures here).
Cellar Door on a hill. Photo: Willunga Wino
A gent welcomes us warmly – no less than the owner and manager himself, Rowland Short. Shelley Short, his wife, is also there, preparing the cheese platters.
Tasting bench and Rowland Short. Photo: Willunga Wino
No sign of their West Highland wine dogs – shame. I love a good wine dog.
Famous pooches. Photo: Willunga Wino
The whole winery is certified organic, following the sustainable wine growing and making that encompasses 60% of McLaren Vale.
Rowland guides us through a quick tasting of a few of the Maximus wines.
Maximus Rosè 2013 ($19.99 cellar door) is majority Grenache with a proportion of Tempranillo. The nose is savoury, with dark notes, kept fresh with a touch of crunchy apple, unlike some jammy grenache rosè’s.
Maximus Premium Old Vine Grenache 2012 ($30 cellar door) has blackcurrant aromas, and a good whack of spiciness. It’s made from 60 year old dry grown bush vines, and has some similarities to the four Grenache wines Mr Wino and I made from 80 year old Blewitt Springs bush vines in 2014.
Maximus Tempranillo 2011 ($24.95 cellar door) gives off plummy & bright red fruit scents. In the mouth there is a lovely soft mouthfeel, with some nicely drying tannin and softly juicing acid. No wonder it took a gold medal at the Australian Small Winemakers Show.
Maximus Premium Old Vine Mouvedre 2011 ($30 cellar door) exhibits the same plummy fruit nose as the Temp, but with more leather or barnyard. Soft mouthfeel – pretty wine
Winemaker Rowland Short has also branched out from winemaking, to produce McLaren Vale’s first gin. Called Settlers after the state’s colonisation by British free settlers, in contrast to the rest of Australia which was settled by convicts.
Read more about my Gin and Pomegranate Iced Tea Cocktail recipe here.
Choice Ingredients. Photo: Willunga Wino
Two gins have been produced, both using locally provenant native plants as the key botanicals. Saltbush, pepperberry and more are separately steam distilled before being blended. One is then barrel aged in old whiskey barrels. You can taste them both at Cellar Door for $12.
The Rare Dry Gin ($65 cellar door) is floral with citrus and amazingly pretty. Botanicals include lemon myrtle, native pepperberry, and saltbush, each of which are separately steam distilled before being blended with grape spirit. It is really enjoyable straight. Then aromatics of rosemary and orange peel are added as well as a splash of tonic water. Adding the herbs makes it taste completely different and even more complex.
Rare Dry Gin and Tonic with a twist. Photo: Willunga Wiino
The Oak Aged Gin ($75 cellar door) is aged in French oak and the cedar, vanillan notes shine through. The long drink match is with cucumber, making for a more savoury flavour profile.
Oaked Aged Gin. Photo: Willunga Wino
Out on the deck we had a share platter ($40). A quick trip to Coles had been made for some of the ingredients, not sure which, as evidenced by Shelley arriving with a Coles bag in the platter-prep area.
Share platter. Photo: Willunga Wino
The dips were nice, particularly the guacamole, as was the cheese, and the presentation was good. Fresh fruit was a nice addition. Overall though it wasn’t great value for $40. Perhaps it is better to pre-book.
Platter time. Photo: Willunga Wino
We enjoyed our tasting experience and I couldn’t resist purchasing a bottle of the Rare Dry Gin. It inspired me to make Gin and Tonic Ice Blocks!
197 Foggo Road
McLaren Vale, SA 5171
What do you like the look of at Maximus? Comment below!
Pinnable Image:
1 Comment