2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary
Community Tasting Note
Crunge wrote:
Saturday, June 21, 2014 - When I drink a Caymus, I usually know what to expect. Caymus is one of the in-your-face, oaky fruit bombs. There's nothing wrong with this style, and when you're in the mood for power over subtlety, Caymus is usually a safe choice.
For me, the 2012's fruit is hidden by oak at this point. On a pop and pour, the nose and flavor were all vanilla. I like vanilla and don't mind it in my wine as one of the flavors, but I don't care for it as the dominant flavor. Over the course of an hour, the vanilla changed to coconut. Strong, unpleasant coconut.
After a night sealed with a Vacu Vin, the vanilla had faded ever so slightly. It was still the dominant flavor, and fortunately the coconut didn't reappear.
There is an undercurrent of black cherries and plum, but the vanilla is far too strong at this point for my tastes. The rest of my bottles will sit for a year or more to see if it mellows out.
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5 comments have been posted
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (23,164 views)
Comment posted by wineotim:
6/21/2014 9:03:00 PM - Wow, your review is scary...especially since you generally like the Caymus style. I have some concerns about my bottles of this.
Comment posted by Crunge:
6/22/2014 7:26:00 AM - Wineotim, don't let my review scare you. A lot of people still like this wine. To me, it's just over-oaked. I normally like some vanilla, but this is overpowering. Just look at all the reviews and search for the word "vanilla" and you'll see it mentioned many times.
My gf liked the wine, though. Her first impression was black cherries and plum (we agreed) but she said the aftertaste was strong vanilla. Try it and see what you think.
Comment posted by millerarner:
6/23/2014 6:27:00 PM - I'm worried too . . . . While the oak & fruit will mellow & integrate with age, MANY tasters have commented on the lack of acid & tannic backbone. At least one of those elements should be present for long-term aging . . . . Therefore I worry that these will fall apart if laid down for awhile. Any thoughts?
Comment posted by Crunge:
6/24/2014 8:56:00 AM - Millerarner, it's worth trying one. There are plenty of people on here who like it. Perhaps I am more sensitive to the oak and it won't overpower the fruit for everyone as it does for me. However, I agree that I don't see the backbone for long-term aging on this one.
Comment posted by wineotim:
6/24/2014 3:26:00 PM - Yes, I am also concerned about the lack of tannins, and the coconut comment too. My conclusion based on the reviews so far is this wine seems to be a "drink now" wine. BTW, my bottles show a fill date of 5/21/14; only one month in the bottle.