Maybach 'Materium' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Another chapter in the continuing saga of the wildly overpriced "California Cult Wine" fiasco! The more I keep opening these highly-scored and tragically expensive wines, the more I understand why people are less willing to spend more. Especially these days! Not that any of these are bad wines, but I can compose a list of wines that run under $50 that I would buy first.

So - the Maybach "Materium" Cabernet Sauvignon. You may not know the winery, so here is the lowdown, in a nutshell: In the continuous emergence of new cult wineries, Maybach reared its head in 2004 with famed winemaker Thomas Brown at its helm. The Maybach family was the same that invented the first Mercedes vehicles in the early 1900's. Like most who make their money in some other field, they turned to making wine to lose some of it. However, Robert Parker lavished the Maybachs with scores 95 and above for their first five vintages, including a near-perfect 99 pts in 2007, earning the winery a following.

Thomas Brown is a highly respected winemaker these days, with a number of projects under his belt. The most notable of these projects is quite possibly Fred Schrader's wines, rarely seen due to small production and lavish press from (you guessed it...) Robert Parker. With a vineyard in this location (just above Dalle Valle off the Sliverado Trail), one can only anticipate great things!

Okay - well 'Materium' is not as expensive as some other newcomers I may have spoken about in the past, but $110 is still not a drop in the bucket. I took a 3-bottle allocation of the 'Materium' in the 2005 vintage (after the 2004 earned some praise). It's been hibernating in the cellar ever since and I've been itching to open one as I keep watching all of this hype building around it. Last night, I checked some sites to see how it was drinking and, by all accounts, most were saying that it was fairly soft, despite what a certain critic established as a long-lived wine.

With a Prime NY and loaded bakers on the table, I finally dug into the 'Materium' 2005. It was, indeed, softer than I would have expected, bordering on what some would even call "sweet". The fruit is plenty lush, with black currant, blackberry and even a little high-toned raspberry edge. Underlying, the oak is fairly well-integrated, showing anise, chocolate, and baking spices. Not wildly complex, but it really feels a little over-the-top due to the lack of structure. Kara and I immediately note that it reminds us of some wines we've had recently at half and even 1/3 the price. Furthermore, it is absolutely nothing like Chateau Margaux, as one critic spouts in his review. If I were Paul Pontallier, I would sue...

My recommendation: drink 'em if you've got 'em! This wine doesn't seem to have enough tannin for the long haul, despite having fruit in spades. I could be wrong, but I'm not one to risk it. This drinks fine now, for its style, and isn't likely to show more complexity.

I took an allocation of the 2007 as well. I hope the 2005 was part of the learning curve for Thomas in this vineyard. I will look forward to tasting his most highly revered vintage in a couple of years. I hope it finds better balance in the bottle. If not, Winebid here I come!