Maitre d'

Maître d’

MATTHEW0 COMMENTSFROM THE LUNCH BOX, WINE FOR LUNCH

Apr 20

Cab Sauv for the Grilled Tenderloin

Maître d’ by Mollydooker is a Cab Sauvignon for those who aren’t big fans of Cab Sauv. The rich, full-bodied velvet  mouth-feel is a dead giveaway for Merlots usually. But the Aussie’s have cultivated a Cab that drinks like a Merlot.

2010 Maître d’

Mollydooker

Cabernet Sauvignon

15.5%

$25-$30

90 WS

The winery’s “characters” Sarah and Sparky Marquis are obviously very proud of their 2009 vintage Maître d’:

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Helpful as most of these winery sites are, I found this tidbit after I’d already opened and served the wine for Easter dinner: “Pairs with summer grilling and winter roasts, we love this wine with a grass-fed beef flank salad, grilled summer vegetables and roasted shallot viniagrette.”

Grilled Beef Tenderloin from Amish Country

This information is comforting as Scoots and I had a platter of grilled beef tenderloin with ramps and chives, glazed carrots and arugula on the side. The long and short of it is that it isn’t very good when first opening it. It really needs oxygen.

Tasting notes on the first pour were revealing:

“Really hot on the first pour. Burns the esophagus. Nice, gentle tannins upon the first spit. Red syrup and molasses, maybe a nose with cocoa, licorice, and a decidedly Aussie jam.”

Close Up on the Maitre d' Label

I love how Sarah and Sparky’s names are on the bottle. They are notorious for their really spectacular labels, and pretty consistently high ratings. Rated by Wine Specatator in February, 2012, as a 90 pointer.

This is a really hot Cab even four days after opening. On my second go-’round, I sipped it with my deckel pork steak from Wednesday’s blog post. Interestingly, it didn’t seem to get smoother or softer with oxygen. It was as astringent on the teeth as most Aussie cabs.

Maître d' With a Pork Steak