Maybach Family Vineyards’ Materium Cabernet Sauvignon has been the Oakville cult project of owner Chris Maybach and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown since the winery’s launch in 2004. The 2023 Materium—its eighteenth release—comes from a single hillside block in the Weitz Vineyard on Oakville’s eastern side, roughly 1,000 feet up, where rocky, shallow soils naturally curb vigor and concentrate fruit. Production is tiny at about 438–440 cases, and listed alcohol is around 14.8% ABV.

Critics largely agree that the 2023 is built on depth and polish, with the kind of structure that goes well beyond immediate appeal. Decanter (98 points) calls it “gorgeously polished and expressive,” highlighting “layered black and blue fruit” alongside “espresso bean, dark chocolate and subtle scorched-earth nuances.” That review also notes French oak élevage using barrels from “Darnajou, Taransaud and Ramon,” and points to “crushed-slate minerality” shaping a “long, fruit-led and suavely textured finish.” Decanter adds that it’s “utterly delicious straight out of the gate,” yet has “structural tension and integrity to reward a decade or more in the cellar.”

James Suckling (98 points) emphasizes aromatic range—“ground coffee beans, licorice root, mulberries, mocha, blackcurrant confit and leather”—and describes a palate with “firmly framed tannins, bright acidity and a luscious, silken finish,” concluding, “Give it some time.”

The standout review is Jeb Dunnuck’s perfect 100-point score—an excellent rating by any standard. He calls the wine “pure gold and Napa Valley magic,” citing a “kaleidoscope-like array of red and black fruits, leather, camphor, lead pencil, and floral nuances,” plus a “layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel” and “perfect tannins.” Dunnuck suggests a long drinking window (2025–2050), underscoring the wine’s aging intent despite its early approachability.