Winemaker Notes
Chuck Wagner founded Caymus Vineyards with his parents in 1972 in Rutherford, California, in the center of Napa Valley. Now Caymus is putting down roots in a neighboring wine region called Suisun Valley. Only a 30-minute drive southeast of Napa, Suisun Valley is less well-known than its more famous neighbor, but shares a similar maritime climate and superb soils. Chuck likes to say that Suisun Valley reminds him of Napa Valley in the 1960s – full of open space, small family farms, meandering waterways lined with native oaks, and exceptional vineyards. Known more for its production of stone fruits, Suisun Valley is increasingly being recognized for its wines.
For the past several years, Chuck has been producing Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif -- Durif is synonymous with Petite Sirah, one of the varietals that thrives in Suisun Valley. In addition to growing grapes in the region, the Wagner family also plans to open a winery in Suisun Valley, slated for opening by early 2021. Chuck feels privileged to include “Suisun” on a Caymus wine and believes that people will come to know and appreciate the region more and more. The family looks forward to inviting people to explore the special character of a place they consider a “hidden gem.”
An off the beaten path wine country destination, Suisun Valley is just east of Napa Valley in the California Coast Ranges. The valley boasts plentiful agricultural products as well as wine.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.