TN: 2014 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

WINE TALK
#1

I don’t know how not to love this wine, changing tastes and all… It’s absurdly good. Better, actually on day three than it was on day one, when it was utterly remarkable. I’m drinking more Pinot than anything else these days, but God bless Maybach. It still stands above ALL the rest for us. (The above and below written completely sober!)

2014 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (3/14/2017)
Popped this about 2.5 hours ago, and have been following it since then. I’m going to try to leave a couple glasses for tomorrow, to see what it does. But, basically:

Ethereal, gorgeous, sexy, compelling, magnetic.

On the nose: violets, cassis, black and blue fruit, leather, and pepper.

The palate is incredibly rich, layered, striking, and deeply memorable. The finish goes for over a minute, it sings and sings. Totally approachable. None of the grinding tannin and oak of many popular Napa wines. Just exceptional.

I’ve written in multiple reviews that my tastes are changing from big cabernet blends to Pinots and lighter styles. Well, thankfully, the Maybach Materium, which has been our favorite wine for a decade, maintains its position! This is incredible, even for somebody on the other side of a “tastes transition.”

My wife called this 100 points. I’m not prepared to score it yet, but it’s at least a 98 for me. I want to see what it does. I’ll come back and update the wine and the score tomorrow.

UPDATE:

Could not come back to this the next night unfortunately. Although my wife did, and her exuberance was not less than the first day. So for me, this note is about 48 hours after opening:

Consistent aromas on the nose, but lessened, not as intense. To be expected. Flavors remain bold, nuanced, elegant, finessed, large, round, compelling. A bit more acid now, some allspice, some clove working its way towards the forefront. But otherwise, rather amazingly, the wine tastes very much the same on day three as it did on day one. This speaks to its decades-long life ahead of it.

If I had something to celebrate every day, I would open one of these daily. But then I could only drink them for a month or so! :slight_smile:

It remains, after all these years, our favorite wine. In a league of its very own – changing tastes and all. (99 pts.)

#2

fantastic note on an amazing producer. Tempted to crack into a 375

#3

#4

Brings up the age-old question of what’s co sidered infanticide for a big Napa Cab… I have a few of these but was planning on holding them, along with the rest of my 2012-14 Napa Cabs, for a decade or so.

#5

Noah, I think that’s up to every individual. I like to know what these taste like early, so I can compare them later. But frankly, at this level, it’s so good, that (for our tastes) I see no reason to wait. Although we likely will, because these are very special bottles to us.

#6

Bro I’ll never forget that August weekend in 2012 that we spent together and we “crashed” the charity dinner TRB/Chris were holding.

#7

I totally agree. I tend to like Napa cab fairly young, and fairly old. On the other hand, I find young classified Bordeaux to be essentially unaccessible. Same with Barolo, where the fierce tannins make it damn near unpleasant to taste young

#8

that was a great weekend. we should ping segui and piper and do it again. gents, what say you?

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#9

had this wine 2 weeks ago…pop and pour from 375ml and i totally agree with your note alex…great wine.
its going to be tough not to open another soon…need to put them in my off-site storage to keep my hands off of them.

#10

Auction price on this going crazy. Zachys just had their holiday auction with a treasure of Materium lots. Three 750 ml bottles of 2014 price realized $1600. A ten bottle lot vertical of 6 L bottles went for $24k, more reasonably priced on a per bottle equivalent.