Wines

96 Points! The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS, fashioned from clones 4 and 337, included for the first time some fruit from the Las Piedres vineyard as well as from the Beckstoffer To-Kalon vineyard. It was aged 20 months in 100% Darnajou barrels and finished at the same alcohol level of 14.5 %. With a dense, purple color that is opaque to the rim, it offers up notes of incense, camphor, toast, black currants and blackberry. This deep, opulent fleshy and forward style of wine seems to have hit full maturity relatively early and has sensational texture, purity and a finish of close to 50 seconds. This is a spectacular wine that should drink well for 15-20 more years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2014

95 Points! Named after the famed luxury car, Maybach has none other than Thomas Brown as its winemaker, who produced this debut vintage of 340 cases from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single-parcel on the Silverado Trail in the Oakville sector. This is a deadly serious wine, and when compared to the price of a Maybach car, a great value. A beautifully sculptured style of wine with deep purple color, with a sweet nose of creme de cassis, pain grille, spice box, and loamy soil notes, the wine has fabulous intensity, great purity (as one might expect given the winemaker), sweet silky tannins, and a terrific finish of close to 50 seconds. This is a stunning opening salvo from the Maybach family, and a wine that should age easily for 20-25 years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2004 Latour is perhaps evolving slower than I expected, although it remains one of the finest Left Bank wines of the vintage. It has that quintessential graphite-scented bouquet intermixed with blackberry and cedar, although the liquorice note that I observed previously has receded. Again, there is wonderful definition. The palate is full-bodied but surprisingly more sultry than I expected, especially here where I was able to directly compare it with the other 2004 First Growths. It delivers the "authority" you expect from Latour, although I might be inclined just to give it another 2-3 years in bottle. Tasted September 2016. - Neal Martin, robertparker.com