Caymus Vineyards Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Founded 1972. Wagner Family Wine. Caymus was established when home winemaker Charlie Wagner Sr. produced 250 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1972. The winery remains owned and operated by the Wagner family, with successive generations overseeing farming and Winemaking. Caymus Vineyards is located in the Rutherford district, a center point of the Napa Valley, surrounded by well-manicured vineyards. A wines character is held within the soils-however Caymus takes extra steps with time-honored Vineyard practices that can add concentration to the wine by example, removing excess clusters by hand during summer and minimizing, or even eliminating, irrigation of the vines The warm days, cool nights and special soils of our charming valley are most hospitable for Napas best-known wine. Cabernet Sauvignon. Farming is protected by law in the Napa Valley, and the land remains dedicated to agriculture. Chuck Wagner, Owner/Winemaker. Charlie Wagner, Sr., circa 1995. Alc. 14.9% by vol. 29.8 Produced and Bottled by Caymus Vineyards Rutherford, California, U.S.A.
Contains: Contains sulfites.,Government Warning: According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.
Caymus Has Ties To The Land
Celebrating its golden anniversary this year, Caymus is one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Napa Valley. Founded by a family with local farming roots that date back to the late 1800s, per Wine Spectator, Caymus began on a 73-acre plot purchased by the Wagner family in 1941 in the Rutherford District of Napa. In 1972, founders Charles F. Charlie Wagner, Sr., his wife, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, and their 19-year-old son, Chuck, began Caymus Winery. The name was chosen after the Mexican land grant where the farm is located, which had originally been named Rancho Caymus after a Native American tribe that called the area home, notes The Napa Wine Project.
The family was ready for the task as the senior Wagner had been a home winemaker for years, coupled with knowledge acquired from several generations of farming Napa Valley land. Charlie, Sr. and Lorna, had been vintners for decades, selling the Wagner estate fruit to other wineries and watching it become beautiful wine for someone else. The most important aspect of making good wine was covered quality fruit. Wagners Rutherford-grown fruit is great. To this day, the Wagners lead with the belief that everything is tied to the land. First and foremost they are farmers at heart. Every bottle of wine proudly carries the mantra that Caymus is dedicated to agriculture.
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Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Characteristics
This wine sits atop its class with its signature deep red color, garnet with a tawny hue, coming out with years of maturation.
Initial impressions of this wine were mesmerizingly enticing the aroma was magnificent and showed a classically structured body and maturity. After spending time in French oak barrels, it reveals a certain complexity, which gave off brooding yet powerful bouquets of notes such as blackberry jam, cassis, and vanilla with an earthy espresso scent.
The wine has a rich and strong flavor, thanks to increased ripeness. It provides an explosive blast of cherry from the first sip while displaying delicate undertones of cocoa, cedar, and leather. They all come together perfectly with an earthy end note and ripe berries scent at the end of the extended finish.
While this wine has plenty of rich, mellow tannins that guarantee a velvety texture, it also provides some zesty fruit flavors and a little fresh acidity. Vanilla flavors and a delicate hint of licorice give this wine complexity and make it rewarding for those who appreciate fine wines with complex flavors. Notes of cocoa and plum at the end will linger pleasantly on your tongue before you swallow. And though there are plenty of strong flavors to savor and its firm structure, this wine has an elegant sense of balance.
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Why Buy Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
With so many Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon options available, what should you look for when buying Caymus versus another brand? We look at the price, style, soil, and story considering any bottle of wine. With Caymus, the style becomes the top consideration. Caymus is the style of cabernet sauvignon that put Napa on the map, with vintage after vintage delivering consistent quality . Caymus has a silky, soft texture and round consistency you can always feel in the wine. The finish is velvety and smooth on the palate, rounding out the fruit-forward style. The tannins are soft, and acidity is subdued, both desired qualities for enjoying wine with or without food. However, to experience both with such a young wine leads us to believe the wine may not be a contender to age for many years.
Napa Valley Birthplace Of Great Wine
California has more wineries than any region of the same size in America. Napa Valley, a very small region in California, is well-known for yielding some of the finest wines America has to offer. Napa Valleys ideal microclimates and large temperature difference between day and night, or diurnal range, helps grapes produce flavorful juice and plenty of sugars. Moreover, it is important to note the variety of different soil types. There are approximately 100 types of soils, ranging from volcanic to clay-rich.
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Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Usa California Napa Wine Review
The regular Caymus tends to be a love/hate wine, but the Special Select is a different wine completely and one that just about everyone loves. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, tobacco and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Dense texture. On the palate, this is deep with cassis and spice. Long finish. Delicious. This is still showing young and while drinking well now, another five years in the cellar would help it out. Either way, drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.
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Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
When compiling a list of iconic Napa Vally Cabernet Sauvignon producers, it would not be complete if it did not include Caymus Vineyards and Chuck Wagner, his father Charlie Wagner and his mother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner.
In 1971 Charlie and Lorna Belle asked their son, Chuck, if he would be interested in joining them to start a winery. Chuck accepted, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Caymus produced their first vintage in 1972, comprised of a total of 240 cases. They have been focused their efforts on producing top quality Cabernet Sauvignon ever since, and have certainly been instrumental in developing Napa Valley as a distinguished region for producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals.
With thrilling levels of extract and velvety tannins, Caymus performs on a grand stage with their exuberant, plump, beautifully ripe Cabernet Sauvignons a style that theyve undoubtedly pioneered and championed.
This liquid definition of Regal arose from a matrix of carefully farmed vineyards, and the irresistible set of flavors were achieved through extended hang time, which is a technique where the fruit is kept on the vine unusually long, allowing the berries to develop an attractive suppleness and perfectly mature flavors.
At under $100, their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a Special 1-Liter Bottles is absolutely an American Icon that delivers sensational levels of satisfaction and joy.
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Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1 Liter
The Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1 Liter is a charmingly ripe, plump red wine from Napa Valley, California. This rich wine offer flavors like creamy vanilla, cedar, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, sweet licorice, and blueberry pie. Its perfectly balanced with a supple, appealing texture. In addition to its delectable flavors, whats also special about the full-bodied Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1 Liter is that it provides wine enthusiasts with 33 percent more of this delectable red wine than traditional wine bottles can offer. Pair the Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon with vegetable tarts, fried tofu with spicy sauce, or stir-fried dishes.
What Is The Famous Wine Region Featured In The Movie Sideways
Thats Santa Barbara.
The greatest attribute of Sideways is that it promoted Pinot Noir, which became very popular because of the movie.
The region of Santa Barbara offers a great variety of unique tasting options with over 120 different wineries to choose from. This region is off-the-beaten-track, but should not be underestimated. Sideways drew much-needed attention to this region and all that it has to offer.
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Offer valid on any online order over $150 . Valid for shipping anywhere within California only. Not valid when shipping to any other state. Order arrives within 3-5 business days. Excludes Gift Cards.
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Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Was First Sold At Unbelievable Prices
The same year the winery began, 1972, the Wagners produced the first vintage of Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery utilized grapes previously sold to Inglenook Winery, which under the leadership of a Napa icon, John Daniels, Jr., produced some of the finest Bordeaux-style wines in the world during the 1940s and 50s . Daniels sold the winery in 1964, and the next few years saw a change in Inglenooks direction regarding fine-wine production. It was the ideal time for Caymus to take the leading role in the Napa Valley story.
With the senior Wagner utilizing his skills as a home winemaker, and inspiration from helpful neighbors like legendary Napa Valley winemaker André Tchelistcheff of Beaulieu Vineyard, Caymus debuted its inaugural vintage. Just 250 cases of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon were produced that year, with the wine selling for just $4.50 a bottle. The U.S. Inflation Calculator records that value as $31.47 today. What started as 250 cases in 1972 has grown to a production of 70,000 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cases annually, per WineBid.
Which Wine Regions Are In California
From North to South, the main regions are Mendocino, Lake, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Livermore Valley, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.
California is a vast region that consists of several smaller wine-producing areas. Although Napa Valley and Sonoma are what California is most known for, the states other regions produce equally outstanding wines.
Napa Valley and Paso Robles are renowned for the bold reds of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, as well as the scenic wine route which offers unique experiences to wine lovers. On the contrary, Santa Barbara and The Russian River Valley, with conditions more suited to delicate grapes, produce outstanding expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Each of these regions offers a unique take on the wines of California allowing for a greater expression and experience of what the Golden State can truly offer.
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Caymus Cabernet Comes From A Range Of Terrains
Initially, every bottle of Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon once came from fruit grown on the Rutherford estate . Today, Charlie Wagner, Jr. that the winery opts to focus on a diversity of locations in each vintage, honoring the Caymus history while bringing in innovation. By employing Napas diverse microclimates, Caymus can bring qualities to its wine that Rutherford terroir does not present. These characteristics include different flavors and aromas and derive from a mix of soils, elevations, and sun exposures not found in Rutherford.
According to the Wagner family, todays wine blends fruit from eight American Viticultural Areas within the valley. 25% of the fruit comes from mountain vineyards, like Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain, and 75% is valley-floor fruit from cool, southern Coombsville on to the warmest AVA in Napa, Calistoga. In Napas mountain vineyards, grapes struggle to find nutrients. Here, vines dig deep into the mineral-rich earth of volcanic mountains, bringing tannic structure and density to the fruit. Conversely, the nutrient-rich valley floor brings forth the supple qualities of the fruit, per Napa Valley Vintners. The characteristics of different soils become infused into the fruit, and utilizing various terrains brings diversity to the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon.
Caymus Vineyards Napa Valleymembers Price: $17999
With thrilling levels of extract and velvety tannins that are almost impossible to detect, Caymus performs on a grand stage with their exuberant, plump, beautifully ripe Cabernet Sauvignons a style that theyve undoubtedly pioneered. Their top wine, which they call Special Selection is the ONLY domestic wine to have been honored twice, as the #1 Wine in the World by the Wine Spectator.
The liquid definition of the word regal, the iconic Caymus Special Selection Cabernet is created from the absolute best barrels at the winery. The irresistible flavors that ensue are achieved through extended hang time, which is a technique that leaves fruit on the vine unusually long, allowing it to develop an attractive suppleness and irresistibly mature flavors.
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The Taste Of Caymus Is Unparalleled
Wine-Searcher offers that the style of Caymus is unapologetically New World, which means that the wines are big and showy, very ripe, and juicy. These characteristics occur through various vineyard techniques that enhance the wines supple qualities. Caymus practices crop thinning, removing excess bunches of grapes from the vine before they ripen, which helps the remaining fruit become intensely concentrated. Additionally, the vineyard allows its grapes to ripen for an extended period on the vine before harvest, otherwise known as an increased hang time. The fruit becomes very luscious and sweet, further concentrating the flavors.
These techniques ensure consistency in the wine vintage after vintage. Once produced, the wine has aromas of blackberry and cherry, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, roasted espresso, and licorice. These aromas lead to plush flavors of ripe black cherry, blackberry jam, dried currant, vanilla marshmallow, and chocolate fudge, with warm spices, like nutmeg and clove that mingle with toasted oak. The wine balances sweet and savory, which is exactly what weve come to expect from Caymus.
Balance is important to the winery, notes Grape Collective. Wine can be of high alcohol, but if acidity, tannic structure, and fruit ripeness balance, the wine is complete. The alcohol percentage of 2019 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is 14.6% ABV, similar to other vintages of the wine.
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Caymus Vineyards 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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Caymus Vineyards 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins as approachable in youth as in maturity. Since its founding in 1972, Caymus has become renowned as a consistent leader in the production of Napa Valley Cabernet. Grapes for this wine are farmed in 8 of Napas 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. Our Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe berries. Winery Notes
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing Notes
While it is delicious on its own, it pairs well with heavier meats for dinner. It requires proteins to help break down the textural tannins, so rich cuts of meat are ideal! A filet mignon, ribeye, or prime rib is a good match. But dont pass up this opportunity youll be surprised how good ripe tannins and dark chocolate taste together!
Every vintage has been exquisite and new world luxurious. They are always highly rated by leading organizations from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, including Wine Spectator, among the many related products of the same prize. If youre looking for a big proprietary red to add to your collection and impress your guests, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon is, without a doubt, an excellent choice.
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Is Caymus Wine Worth The Price
Caymus wines arent worth as much on the secondary market as Opus One in part because these wines arent quite as rare. Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is worth about $200 to $250 per bottle .
Why is Caymus so popular?
Our hypothesis for the popularity of Caymus comes down to approachability, distinctive style, and a superior vineyard experience that elevates the brand. One of the most appealing things about Caymus is that it is ready to drink now.
History Of Caymus Vineyard
Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie, a family of hardworking farmers, settled in Napa Valley during the 1850s. The Wagner Family founded the Caymus Napa Valley in 1972. They used new methods to produce good-quality Napa Valley cabernet grapes and wines while working alongside the soil conditions and climatic changes associated with this area.
They found the best small plots for their Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon and wanted to ensure it was perfect. However, they tried Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc in these areas too. They used some of the most innovative practices possible to produce something greater than anything else out there. They always put vineyard care first, recognizing that winemakers cannot make good wine without good vines.
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