Winemaker Notes
There’s something so unique about this bottling. It starts with the white flower, peppery, vanilla-tinged aromatic. The sweet black and purple fruits jump start the palate until the acidity of the site kicks in adding cut and a broad, ethereal feel that’s uncommon in hillside Napa Cabernet. The acidity keeps the mouthfeel juicy and fresh. The real complexity kicks in on the finish with blackcurrant liqueur, crushed rock, milk chocolate, cassis, blueberries and smoke all balanced by a streak of minerality that extends through the whole palate experience.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Materium comes from the Weitz Vineyard in Oakville and is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new barrels. It's a very different wine than the Amoenus release and has more elegant, seamless aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, black raspberries, tobacco leaf, flowery incense, and sandalwood. Château Margaux-like in its elegance and complexity, this brilliant wine has loads of sweet fruit, flawless integration of its tannins and acidity, flawless balance, and just a heavenly overall profile that I wish every reader could taste. This extraordinary effort can be drunk today or cellared for 30 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Materium Cabernet Sauvignon soars out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of cinnamon toast, red roses, dusty soil and lavender over a core of warm cassis, kirsch and black raspberries. Full-bodied, rich, plush and oh-so-spicy, it is jam-packed with black and red fruit preserves layers, finishing with a fantastically long, fragrant finish.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.