Maxwell The Orchard Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 90/100

Maxwell The Orchard Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale is a generously structured, full-bodied red grown on the estate's ancient limestone soils, where the Mediterranean climate and the estate's south-facing slopes produce Cabernet of deep concentration and natural elegance, opening with an expressive, layered nose of dark cassis, ripe plum, sun-dried rosemary, warm cardamom, and a whisper of roasted hazelnut that lingers with real complexity. The palate is opulent and flowing, with a plush mid-palate of dark stone fruit and earthy spice anchored by fine, powdery tannins and a firm, persistent finish that gives this wine genuine cellar appeal through 2033. Serve it at room temperature and allow it to breathe before pouring. Head winemaker Kate Petering, formerly chief winemaker at Mount Langi Ghiran in Victoria, has led the team at Maxwell Wines since 2019, building on the four-decade foundation laid by founder Mark Maxwell, who carved this remarkable estate literally into a limestone hill in 1979. Fascinatingly, Maxwell Wines pioneered the mead industry in Australia and remains the country's most celebrated honey wine producer, a testament to the family's fearless, genre-defying approach to everything they make.

Cabernet Sauvignon food pairings: slow-roasted lamb leg with roasted garlic and rosemary jus, grilled beef ribeye with caramelized onions and aged cheddar, braised oxtail with root vegetables and crusty sourdough.

Best Beef Wine

This Maxwell The Orchard Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 was reviewed on May 16, 2026 by Natalie MacLean

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

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