For 100 more than the name Maybach has been synonymous with quality at the finest level. It also adorns one of Napa’s most exciting wineries, with single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noir regarded as some of the North Coast’s greatest. They are among the most highly-prized, and hard to secure allocations.
- Region: Napa Valley
- Winery Location: St. Helena
- Owner: Chris Maybach
- First Vintage: 2004
- Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
From humble beginnings as a trainee in a German orphanage, Wilhelm Maybach came to invent the high-speed internal ignition engine which led to his creation of the first motorcycle. In 1901, as chief engineer and business partner to Gottlieb Daimler, he designed and built the first Mercedes cars. In 1996 Wilhelm Maybach was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit.
Karl Maybach developed the first high-speed diesel engine and constructed motors for the Zeppelin airships that circled the globe in the 1920’s and 30’s. Advancing his father’s legacy, Karl founded the Maybach car company wherein he applied his own inventions and technological advancements. The result was a line of vehicles which earned worldwide praise and an unparalleled reputation.
In 2002, Daimler AG revitalized the Maybach brand in recognition of the father and son who together played such a monumental role in defining German engineering.
Chris Maybach founded the winery in 2004, bringing renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown on board for the inaugural release. From a role in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, to producing critically acclaimed films, Chris is highly respected in Hollywood. His success in the field has translated to the wine world where he has already received multiple 100-point scores.
Amoenus Vineyard, from a hillside vineyard on western side of Calistoga, where the moderating temperatures of the Black Mountain Gap are 10-15oF cooler than on the eastern side, allowing gradual ripening and good maturation. The higher elevations and exposures in this northern part of the valley are subject to varying weather patterns and diurnal shifts. Warm, late summer daytime temperatures and cooler nights allow the wines to achieve both ripeness and balanced acidity.
The Materium Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the elevated Weitz Vineyard, on the hillside of western Oakville. Surrounded by Peter Michael Au Paradis, Oakville Ranch, and Dalla Valle, Weitz counts itself as one of Napa’s most revered sites. Its sits on a complex band of iron rich volcanic soils, and is cooled by the bracing southerly winds from the San Pablo Bay.
The Irmgard Vineyard is at the far reaches of the Sonoma Coast, where the best sites tend to produce wines with distinctive notes driven by the unyielding conditions of their locale. From this vineyard you can see the Pacific Ocean, which puts the vineyard near the fringe of where it is possible for nature to allow the cultivation of wine grapes.
Thomas Rivers Brown followed his interest in winemaking to Napa Valley and was working at a wine shop when he first met Fred Schrader. After a few glasses of wine and a brief but life-changing conversation, Fred knew Thomas was the perfect choice to be his new winemaker, even though Thomas had never made a single barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon. Nineteen years later, Thomas’s dedication to excellence has helped lead Schrader Cellars to an unprecedented record of well over 30×100-point scores from the world’s most respected critics.
Latest arrivals from Maybach Family Vineyards
