Red Wines    Cabernet Sauvignon    Napa Valley    California   
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My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 1/9/2009
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(search item no. 92586)
collectible wine
Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
The Wine Advocate rating: 94 points
PRICE ON 1/9/2009: $159.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2006 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2004 Wine Enthusiast rating: 97 points
2004 The Wine Advocate rating: 96 points
2003 The Wine Advocate rating: 94 points
2003 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2003 The Wine News rating: 92 points
2002 The Wine News rating: 94 points
2002 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2001 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points
2000 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points
1999 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points
1998 Wine Spectator rating: 91 points
1997 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points
1997 Wine & Spirits rating: 94 points
1989 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
1988 Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
1987 Wine Spectator rating: 98 points
1986 Wine Spectator rating: 98 points
1985 Wine Spectator rating: 99 points
1984 Wine Spectator rating: 98 points
1981 Wine Spectator rating: 94 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 One of the most allocated and collectible Cabernets in the world, Caymus Vineyards Special Selection is crafted from the outstanding barrels of the vintage. Special Selection is produced only in vintages that proprietor Chuck Wagner feels are suitable for this designation.

We are proud to offer limited amounts of the new release of Caymus Special Selection – dark and intense with deep, rich flavors of black currant, cherry, mocha and spice. A collectible masterpiece!

"Firm, intense and well-structured, with a mix of spicy oak, red and black currant, mineral, sage and dusty berry. Turns elegant and refined, yet shows a sturdy backbone on the finish. Best from 2009 through 2014."
-Wine Spectator

"A barrel sample of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection offers terrific fruit intensity and purity, a more laid-back style, a meaty, chewy texture, and impressive opulence as well as length. It should evolve for 10-15 years."
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Barrel sample: 92-94 Points

My Notes:

About Caymus:

 Caymus Vineyards was founded in 1972 by Charles F. (Charlie) Wagner, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner and their son Charles J. (Chuck) Wagner on the family's Rutherford property. The Wagners took the name Caymus from the Mexican land grant known as Rancho Caymus, given to George Yount in 1836, which included what eventually became the town of Rutherford and much of the surrounding area. Caymus was also the name of a subgroup of Mishewal-Wappo Indians whose village was north of what is now the town of Yountville.

The Wagners produced their first Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1972 vintage. Their first Special Selection (from outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon lots given extended barrel aging) was made from the 1975 vintage. Caymus has made Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon every year since its founding, and now focuses entirely on this variety. Special Selection is produced only in vintages that Chuck Wagner, who directs all of Caymus’s vineyard and winemaking operations, feels are appropriate for this designation.

For both the Napa Valley and Special Selection bottlings, the goal is a balanced wine that tastes delicious when bottled but can improve with age. Chuck Wagner attributes the quality of the wines to farming and winemaking techniques developed over the decades.