Hi everybody. I signed up to ask this question, I hope you have some suggestions for me!
Over the holidays I was given a glass of Maybach Materium 2010 by a very generous relative. This wine blew my mind. I’m a novice at good wine, but this was like nothing I’ve had before. I’d really like to try other wines like it. What are other wines that are similar in style? Please don’t limit your recommendations to a certain price level, I want to know about any wine you think I’d like based on loving the Maybach. I’ll let my wife impose the budget restriction later
That’s it, you’ve been spoiled. Get on the Jones Family and Becklyn lists. Also, Rivers-Marie Corona. While you are at it, don’t pass on the Maybach Amoenus and in my mind the similar Rivers-Marie Panek. Mike Smith’s Myriad Dr Crane is in that realm as well. While you are waiting for those to come around grab all the Myriad Napa offered. $50 never tasted so good.
Carter Cellars does a Cabernet from Weitz Vineyard that is impressive (same vineyard source as your Maybach). They also do a series from BTK that I like a lot, and remains relatively “affordable” for at least the 13 vintage.
Outpost, gts, kinsella, round pond reserves, hobel, stone the crows, casa piena, harris, schrader, revana, pulido walker, mending wall, riverain to name a few. Thomas Brown, the wine maker for maybach at least consults on all of these along with rivers marie (his wines) and jones, already mentioned. His stamp can be felt in all of them.
Also, consider some of the retailers like BPW and Benchmark Wine Group. They often have older vintages like the '10, '09, and '08 for sale. Wine-searcher.com is also an excellent way of sourcing bottles that are ready to drink now. There are also auction sites like winebid.com where you may be able to find wines that you want to acquire.
How different is the Maybach Amoenus compared to the Materium? I had the 2012 Materium and I was impressed, so impressed that immediately bought a second bottle. The Amoenus is cheaper but is it similar to the Materium?
From May 2012.
2009 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus
Think about how a Maybach Materium gets creamy and plushy with some notes of cola, cocoa powder and warm vanilla? Well, forget all that and meet Maybach Amoenus.
Purple tinged. Nose slightly unyielding. On the palate this is pure Cabernet love. It has red raspberries, violets, black cherry and pomegranate. It glides across the palate with a more square Cabernet approach than round, as the Materium is but there are no rough edges on that square. A nice mouth feel that commands attention. Obviously very young, this needs some bottle time but look out because it will be amazing; there is so much squeezed in the little package; I get some light notes of graphite, eucalyptus and Heering Cherry liqueur. Nice. Balance is pretty deft for its youth with nothing poking you in the eye. Just delicious. This is Robin to Materium’s Batman— who, admit it, was always cooler.
And the 2010 a year later.
10/8/2012: PnP- Like last years bottling, this has a more square, nearly ‘one dimensional’ approach than the Materium, nearly (and only mentioned for comparison’s sake). More obvious black fruits with slightly less exuberance. More power than grace now, this should be pretty incredible in a half dozen years or so. Pretty notes of spring flowers and lead pencil shaving with the tannins less obvious and finish slightly shorter, but make no mistake, this is an amazing bottle of wine. More in-line with Napa Cabs of the past, this bridges the gap nicely
2013 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus- USA, California, Napa Valley (4/22/2017)
First Maybach we’ve ever had and it lives up to the hype. Powerful fruit, tannic beast. Hints of cedar and no overt oak. This wine will easily go 10+ years. If drinking young, recommend long decant. Outstanding. (95 pts.)
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