Winemaker Notes
Dark red with a magenta core, the Max's Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of red currants, cranberry, and dried Italian herbs. Red, blue, and black fruits melded with sweet spiced cinnamon on the palate with a touch of vanilla chai and cedar oak. Fine, silky tannins add savory balance and length to the palate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Purple berries and blackcurrants. There’s attractive freshness with licorice, some leafy nuances and roasting herbs. Really nice and fleshy uptake on entry. Full at the middle with gently creeping tannins with handy grip, which release plenty of flavor at the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the new red releases, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Max’s is another wine that was packaged in a red plastic covering that makes opening bottles difficult. It has a great nose of ripe blackcurrants, plums, eucalyptus, and Asian spices. Medium to full-bodied, rounded, nicely textured, and with loads of charm on the palate, it’s already hard to resist and should be enjoyed over the coming 4-6 years.
Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Their success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers. It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamed big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with celebrated winemaking legends including Max Schubert, who pushed the development to extraordinary, bold new heights. It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is what has helped Penfolds become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
South Australia is the historic heart of Australian wine, a great wine capital of the world, and home to some of the most famous regions. It produces more than 80% of Australia’s premium wine from some of the oldest vines in the world. There is an abundance of varieties and wide spectrum of styles to explore. From the rogue to refined, discover Australian wines that are far from ordinary.