Decnated for over an hour. See previous note as this wine hasn't changed much since. Very smooth and lush. Always a crowd favorite. Had in a line up with a 2012 Darius II and a 2012 Insignia. This was a close second to the Insignia. Drink or hold.
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Wow! Took advice of other comments and let it air (1 hour 1st day), and it was fantastic! Velvety chocolate and slightly muted cherry. Smooth, well integrated tannins. A joy to drink. Day 2 was even better.
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What you smell you taste. 11 years of aging with a Warrior Cork…Give some air. Amazing! Chocolate cake. Sweet oak vanilla chocolate creme de cassis black fruit spices, sweet Leather, dried plum mild sweet smoke wet earth sweet dust and ripe blackberry. *Much better on second day.* Give some air and sweetness disappears.
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Delicious wine, better the second day. The second day made me wish I'd drunk it more slowly. The last third of the bottle offered deep, rich, and complex fruit flavors and smell of the Napa terroir. The earlier portions delivered great balance but a bit thin. The last part made up for it. Caymus makes fantastic wine, too expensive for me most of the time, but this bottle aged well and makes me want to scrounge for more. I was a little worried that the 2012 vintage would not have aged well based on some other comments I'd read but this was more than fine.
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Took to C.Ellots restaurant for a dinner meeting. Decanted for approximately 20 minutes. Cork had some seepage on it but the wine was fine. The nose was so powerful that the jammy aromas wafted over our table as the wine was poured. Deep dark purple hue. Full bodied and still bodacious with bountiful amounts of fruit. I picked this wine in particular because I knew it was Dave's favorite. Lush , big and yummy. This wine is in its sweet spot. I will make do with my holdings over the next two years. Drink or hold.
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Wow - so dark, so ripe and so intense. This was very rich - but nicely enough balanced to be pretty drinkable with or without food. Glad I drank while the fruit was in all its glory, as there was minimal tannin. This was polished no doubt. Not my style for everyday (or even special occasions) but nice to try once in a while. Excellent.
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Opened at restaurant and let sit for an hour before pouring - Took two magnums to Owami, unfortunately, one bottle dropped and broke before we entered the restaurant. However, the second bottle perfumed above average! Delicious as always with plenty of dark fruit, velvety tannins and nicely integrated oak. Perfumed nose and palate showed plenty of dark fruit, chocolate and earth notes. A pleasure to drink! 96 points for this bottle!
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As good as last bottle drunk two years ago. Very dark color and concentrate juice. Exposive nose of rasberry, red plum and blackcurrant fruits. Spicy long finish. A classic Napa style without overshooting like recent bottlings
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Cracked open this little rascal and it ran around my nose like a bug on a hot summer night. Flowers, silt, and asphalt wafted through the air before the plums kicked in (with respect to Eastbound and Down); raspberry's were notable, like dancing clowns on the tip of my tongue. Fun fun fun wine The wine looks crimson colored.
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So Jason pulled a fast one on us! His bonus wine for the event, to show us Caymus snobs how wrong we are! This was actually quite good, albeit with the requisite Caymus sweetness. Nice nose, dark fruited with vanilla, caramel like qualities and a hint of licorice. While this was generally sweeter than I like it was quite good. I think the 9 years of bottle age is what made it for me. If I had this on release, it surely would have been too much. Even with the aging, you really couldn't tell this was a '12. It drank as many Napa '16s did/do.
Zoom with Mark and Jason (Atlanta/Naples/Minneapolis): Initially blind could not figure this one out--it was so decadent and hedonistic. Dark fruits and melted chocolate and candied vanilla. There was no denying that this was really tasty if a bit sweet. I was surprised to learn that this was different than the 40th anniversary--which I had previously and did not particularly care for. The special selection was darker fruited, more complex, and while sweet it was not syrupy and certainly not cough syrupy. Tons of vanilla but I'm ok with that! Well done Jason to show us a better side of 2012 Caymus.
Zooming with some new friends!: PnP - I pulled this wine for a zoom tasting with some new friends who were down on Caymus, but had never experienced their Special Selection. I thought it would be a fun experiment to have them taste blind. Of course, everyone loved the wine, although the comments were that the sweetness was quite noticeable. For me, this wine always hits the spot, and is squarely in my wheelhouse. I love the silky texture and the layers of chocolate and cherry wrapped in dark fruit with a healthy dose of leather and pencil shavings, and of course, just enough sweet toasted oak to be satisfying without going overboard. Still a 95 point wine for me!
Still loving this wine...it has never disappointed! PnP at. friends while prepping for a wine & food event. As always, silky smooth with creamy chocolate covered cherry, some cassis, some graphite and some leather notes, all wrapped in sweet toasted oak! This wine goes down so smooth and easy! I know Caymus is a polarizing wine these days, but I still can't figure out who wouldn't like this! Does it assault you with ever-changing layers of flavor? Not really, but it is an awesome tasting, well built wine and will keep for quite a few more years! 95+ and still one of my favorite go-to wines.....I would drink these more often if my niece didn't claim them all!
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This is smooth lovely blackcurrant and vanilla fruit. Big and bold but not over the top. Will benefit from 2-5 yrs cellaring to develop some secondary flavours. But with 2 hrs decant this works now for sure
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Bit over the top in my opinion but maybe that's the house style now. Think they used to be more balanced in the 90s. Overpowering vanilla but if that's your thing, nothing wrong with the wine. I will not be drinking anymore going forward.
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I can see why this could be controversial. Depending on how fast you drink it and how long it's been open, you experience several different wines. Best to have a good long decant. At first it was super chemically sweet tasting, almost like something labeled "grape drink". After several hours it really came together into a beautiful wine. Great the next day as well. Anyone who just did a pop and pour and finished it off quickly will most likely be disappointed.
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Poured a glass using a corvin. Let sit for an hour and drank over the course of the next hour.
Initial nose of perfume, violets, blackberry, chocolate and sweet toasted oak (love the nose). The palate initially showed gobs of integrated black fruits (current, plum and blackberries) and wood, both intertwined with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and a hint of anise. Finish is long, and fruit remains prominent with hints toasted oak on the end of the finish.
After an hour, nose is the same, and fruit is even more integrated, with a little alcohol starting to show mid palate (not enough to be annoying or detract from the wine). Wood is less pronounced and tannins are still silky as ever. This wine is a treat, and I know it is polarizing, but I sure do not understand why....this is a very enjoyable wine to drink, alone or with food. Easily 95+ (and I feel like I am being conservative). Enjoy now or later. Personally, I do not think a decant is needed, as it will evolve in the glass (with the caveat that if you are pressed for time, decant 1-2 hours). Still has a lot of life left, no hurry on this.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry and red currant. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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2011 Cobos - PnP 2012 Caymus SS - PnP 2016 Carter - Half the bottle was gone from using a Corvin twice earlier (going back 2 weeks) and PnP today 2016 Quintessa - Uncorked the bottle and slo-O'd for 6 hours - reinserted cork for transportation and poured when arrived.
All wines poured at once and drank over the course of 2 hours.
A great line-up! Not surprisingly, everyone had their favorites, and each of the wines in the line-up was someone's WOTN. I did not tally points, so I cannot say which wine was the group's number 1. For me, my WOTN was the 2011 Cobos, followed by the 2012 Caymus SS, then the Carter and 4th was the Quintessa. For me, only one point separated the WOTN from the Quintessa, and I also believe with more time, any of these wines could be number 1. Based on this tasting, I will also say I believe the Quintessa has the most upside.
- 2012 Caymus Special Selection: What can I say....Caymus Rocks! I know this is a polarizing wine and for those who have never had it, know it is heavily extracted with gobs of fruit and chocolate and oak, especially in its youth. At eight years of age, it has mellowed a little, but still distinctly Caymus SS. The nose is sweet and perfumed, and the palate is loaded with rich fruit, chocolate and integrated oak. It is also starting to develop some tertiary nuances with a little dust, cigar and leather, that are velvety smooth. This wine is always a pleasure and a treat for me to drink. It still has a long life, and of all the wines in the line-up, this was the smoothest wine in the group. Always a crowd pleaser and very consumer friendly. A solid 95 today, and my number 2 wine of the group.
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Normally, with a wine like the one I’m focusing on here, I would break out the piggy bank and run out and buy myself a lovely piece of beef tenderloin. Don’t think for a moment I didn’t give it some thought. Instead, I decided to prepare what I had planned for the evening before the selection of the wine.
If you know the wine, you’d probably agree that steak was proper fare for the wine. What was on for the main course, however, was, as they say, “close but no cigar!” MEATLOAF! Add in some mashed potatoes and my new found delight, my homemade catsup, and it’s . . . close?
While my meatloaf is pretty good, even I will admit that a steak would have amped up the whole dinner a notch or two, or five or six. But let me not digress.
Dinner, a solid 6 or 7 out of 10, the wine scored an easy 9 to 9.5 out of 10! The only reason it’s not a 10 is the alcohol might be a touch high. From the get-go, the wine displayed rich layers of dark blue and black fruit, while some have described it as a fruit bomb, a title I myself have bestowed on their wines in the past, the years in the bottle have done their job in mellowing the fruit and balancing the other nuances of the wine. A hint of oak and tannins that remain lush and help create this full-bodied wine. Smooth and sultry culminating in a long irrepressible finish.
Meatloaf aside, this age-worthy Cab is something to wrap your arms around and enjoy for as long as you can.
Wonderful fruits on the nose. Silky mouth feel. Crushed berries with-out being jammy, with hints of earth, vanilla and cedar. Finishes like a summer breeze. Smooth, refreshing and leaves you content and happy for more.
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Big and beautiful. So much going on i can’t capture it all. Deep color. Stewed dark fruit, plum, raspberry, fig, saddle leather, forest floor, and something I can’t identify but it’s incredible. (Root beer, but in a good way). Balanced with tannins that grip on the back side. This was a gift so i don’t know the price. Can’t wait to have this again!
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Not a style I will buy again but can understand the polarization. Grew up viewing this as top tier until I learned what I was doing. Disappointing for the price and vintage but now recognize at not my style, and does seem to be improving after several hours despite the thinness. Two years ago I had a regular Caymus and couldn't finishing drinking it--this one was at least somewhat enjoyable given quality fruit.
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This is apparently a highly polarizing wine. I call it the Howard Cosell of wine, people either love it or hate it. Put me in the "love it" category. This wine is full bodied with tons of fruit and chocolate and a nice mixture of sweet toasted oak. The velvety tannins are silky smooth, creating a wonderful mouth-feel. The alcohol is undetectable. I understand some people think it lacks complexity, but I would submit the complexity is in the flavor(s) of the wine. I would say it is akin to melding a bunch of flavors together to come up with a complex, unique flavor that is difficult to duplicate. I will say that if you prefer subtleness and are looking for more tertiary flavors, you will likely not be a fan (although, with time, some of these may surface). If you like big, hedonistic wines, this one will not disappoint. Also, it is very consumer friendly, and people who are not oenophiles will likely love this wine too. I find this a wine that will not offend anyone, and be appreciated by many.
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It smells like chocolate and potpourri gone skunk. Very fruit forward. Palate has lush tannins and nice acidity. 56% milk Chocolate covered ripe black plum slivers for days on the palate. I remember this being better young. Maybe Camus is just meant to be drank young!?
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A face punch of unrestrained crass vanilla oak is followed by endless gobs of cloying fruit in this consistently disgusting wine. Lacking any shred of nuance or restraint I find it undrinkable. In fact this is not the first time I’ve had to pour this wine down the drain.
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Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: This was decanted at least a couple hours. I was kind of bothered by its flavor profile. There is sugary chocolate which seems like it shouldn't exist in a wine. Unscored.
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Guys Night Out: Bring Something You're Looking Forward To Drinking (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Decanted for 6 hours; followed a glass for an hour. After a series of more mature wines, the Caymus is more of a challenge. The needle has moved a bit, although this is very primary. Hi toned, lots of blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, vanilla and sweet milk chocolate. This is very big and silky textured with just a hint of earth later. Lots of people will love this wine. For me, it is has toned down somewhat, but it's a bit much for my preference.
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Soft decant for an hour. I have had some poor experiences with Caymus in recent vintages (2012-2014) and have stayed away from them. But credit where it's due, this was a good bottle of wine. Got even better after it had been open about 2 hours.
"Wow" wines (Jason's House): A 6 hour decant, this wine was in a weird place. There was some grainy chocolate, grainy wood, lots of vanilla, overripe fruit, and just slightly cloying. No alcohol was noticed, and even with all those descriptors, it managed to seem reasonably smooth.
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Wines that "wow" you (Jason's House): I typically adore Caymus SS, especially the 2012 vintage. It is typically a velvet glove of hedonistic fruit and chocolate (and, despite how polarizing Caymus wines are in here, who doesn't like chocolate covered fruit?!). Of course, my name may also give away my feelings toward this wine. On this occasion, the wine received a six hour decant. I am not sure if it was the long decant, or bottle variation, but this wine, while good, did not show as well as previous bottles. It was way outclassed by all the other Cabernets tonight, including the Outpost True Vineyard it was paired against. The wine still showed big fruit and chocolate, but the tannins, although fine, were not as smooth and polished, and the fruit actually felt like it was over-ripe and slightly fading. I hope that it was bottle variation, as I still have a few cases of this in my cellar. I think I will PNP my next bottle and let it evolve in the glass. So far, that strategy has worked well. I will note, that this wine never went through a dumb or sleepy phase, and it is possible it is just starting to enter that phase now. As a side note, there was a little wine left over (maybe a 1 oz pour) the next day, and it seemed the fruit had vanished. 1. Bottle variation? 2. Dumb phase? 3. Heading downhill? Not sure, although based on past experience with Caymus SS, I suspect 1 or 2. Stay tuned! (I will also be reading notes from others, to see their experience with this wine now).
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Guy's Night Out: Wow Wines (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 6 hours; followed a glass over an hour. Whoa, here's another big fella; massive fruits, tons of vanilla, heat. The palate is pretty consistent, liqueurish black fruits, vanilla, and heat. For me, even more than the port like style, it's the level of oak on this that I find totally distracting. I continue to wonder how these will age. It isn't in what I would consider the prime drinking window as of yet due to the oak. Tune in later to see if this hits a sweet spot, no pun intended.
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Relative to my prior tasting in 2015, this has remained ridiculously and excessively ripe, tasting this time fairly unbalanced overall. The fruit is layered for sure and there is more complexity than in the Caymus regular bottling, but this is no joy for me given the extreme opulence it provides. Pour it on pancakes, I guess.
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Wow, what a classic Napa styled cab. PnP. Very rich. Dark color, full body. Intense nose of blueberry and lots of mixed dark fruits mingled with new wood fragrance (oak and cedar). Spicy, cinnamon and chocolate. Very long finish. Bravo!
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A hedonistic beauty. Dark as night. Gave this a 60 min decant and it was ready to roll. A lot of controversy with Caymus regular that shouldn’t flow over into the SS but this is a well made wine, though definitely Napa. Poured thick, agree with the oily analogy in a prior note. Blueberry dominated with hints of blackberry, definite dark fruit profile. Hints of Chinese five spice and wood/oak complimented the fruit. Tannins have faded in the background. Faint reminder of the old Merus wines from the early 2000s. Well into the drinking window, no need to wait.
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Bold, nutty, oily, smooth, sweet, fabulous. This wine never fails to impress. Definitely a crowd pleaser. This wine is so much more than just sweet or fruity. It is multi-dimensional and classy.
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Wow, great bottle, I’d heard this would be a strong bottle but I found it very rich in both flavor and color. Fruit forward with a nice spice in the middle. Let it sit for an hour before we drank it and wow. I tasted berry and chocolate the whole way. I am going to get a few more to hold onto.
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Too fruity, too jammy, too sweet for me. Overwhelming plums and berries cause an unbalanced wine. However, I understand why this is a top one within the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon category. The quality of winemaking is superior.
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A mini-vertical that included the 2009, and the 2013. This is still my favorite vintage of Caymus SS. decanted for an hour and drank over the next 2 hours. I love this wine for the purity of its fruit, the unique taste, the silky tannins, the toasted oak and chocolate flavors and the long finish that has you craving another taste before it is over. Initially, I liked the 2009 a touch better tonight, but with a little extra air, this wine settled in and gained a couple points, while the 2009 lost a few due to fading fruit. For those who focus and get more enjoyment out of tertiary flavors, you will enjoy the 2009 more, even as some of the fruit fades. For me, I place fruit above secondary flavors (although some of both makes a wine best). This wine never lost its fruit and gained some secondary flavors with time in the glass. It is no longer a hedonistic fruit and chocolate bomb, although both are unquestionable present; but also has developed some complexity. It has also retained the velvety tannins and shows no sign of heat or alcohol. In addition, the finish is long and delicious. Red and black fruits, along with chocolate, toasted oak, leather and earth dominate the palate and nose. I love this wine, and am glad I have plenty! This wine truly rocks! (At least it rocks my wine world!). Always a crowd pleaser. The group was divided between this and the 2009 as wine of the night. For me, this was number 1. Still showing it has plenty of life in it....I would be in no hurry to open a bottle, and I think it will gain complexity, while retaining fruit for quite a few more years!
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Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): Pop and pour and served at 50F or less, which to me is perfect for this wine. Rich and extremely smooth. This is like drinking cold dark chocolate with some fruity port thrown in. I feel like an angel dies every time I drink one of these, for this is a blasphemous wine. But it tastes so good. Thanks(?) Jason for opening.
The experience you expect when you open a Caymus SS & a reminder of what is possible in a definitive Napa style. Blueberries, licorice, cola, vanilla & lingering fruit/oak tannins alternately saturate & soothe the palate. Stepping into year six with a decade of enjoyment remaining.
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Fifth of the blind wines this evening, a few ringers amongst the three Celia Welch wines we were trying tonight.
Deep purplish ruby red. A bit of gunpowder on the nose followed up by some anise, cassis, cinnamon and perfumed spices. Medium to medium plus tannins (7/10) and a medium plus body. Rich notes of the palate with some dark cocoa, dark berries, licorice and a touch of cherry liqueur. Long finish. Drink till 2030.
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Deep purplish red. A bit tight on the nose with dark spices, vanilla, gunpowder and pencil shavings. Medium tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Fruit bomb on the palate with notes of vanilla, black fruits, and cinnamon. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2035.
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Every time I open a bottle, I feel like my expectations are so high, that it will inevitably be a let down. However, I am consistently pleasantly surprised that I still love subsequent bottles as much as I loved the original. This wine is still super hedonistic, with fruit, oak and chocolate dominating. There is no harshness or heat with the wine, which I attribute to the intense fruit, rather than a lack of tannin or acid.
Always a polarizing wine, some will find it too sweet, some will find it too one dimensional, and some, like me will find it simply amazing! For me, this wine has the "WOW" factor in spades. It is absolutely delicious with layers of dark fruit and chocolate, and of course, that Caymus oakiness that blends in perfectly.
Although this wine is not cheap, it is definitely a crowd pleaser. I recently opened a bottle for my sister-in-law and niece, and they were totally amazed. They said it was the best wine they ever had! Both only drink wines occasionally, and my niece now thinks Caymus is the end-all be all....my sister-in-law wants me to find some for her, as she said it blew her away and she cannot drink anything else after this wine....I understand they are not connoisseurs, but nevertheless, their testimony speaks volumes, IMO! This, of course, remains one of my favorite wines from one of my favorite vintages, and I am happy I have an ample supply!
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Fairly dark rose red. Lots of alcohol and mulled blackberries on the nose. Delicious blackberry notes with a subtext of milk chocolate and raspberries. Velvety and rich; alcohol is a bit overly present. Tempted to give it 93 but can’t quite get there.
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Trop boisé, trop chocolaté..troisième bouteilles déjà et pour moi c'est too much. Ma femme a appréciée. La prochaine sera ouverte dans 3 ans en espérant que l'ensemble s'intègre mieux. À ce prix, il y a vraiment mieux!
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This was delicious! Full-bodied cab, with gobs of red and black juicy fruits. Great structure with soft tannins. Even though the wine is big it’s not heavy. Still in its infancy, 2012 is one of my favorite vintages for the Special Selection.
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Celebrating Good Health (R&D's): Single blind. Opens with notes of plummy dark fruit, vanilla, cedar, earth and spice. Some heat too. Syrupy dark fruit on the palate with a sweet candied finish. As it sits the bouquet turns to vanilla extract, brown sugar and plummy dark fruit. Tannins are fine, showing much of the vanilla extract and brown sugar on the palate, remaining dark and syrupy sweet. This has to be the Caymus SS.
Excellent in this style, and I can see why this has fans, but it's not something I'd want more than a glass of.
My #7, Domino's #5 Group #4, 42 pts
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Very dark and opaque. Huge nose, sweet black fruit, with some oak. On the palate, extremely rich, concentrated, viscous dark fruit flavors, but with some sweetness. Powerful flavors and long aftertaste, an amazing wine. Very drinkable now, but could use a few more years to soften. Ric
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Dark purplish red. Layered nose with tons of cinnamon, blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, and graphite. Super dark palate with heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Big on the palate with tons of blackberries, sweet spices, pencil shavings and black currants. A little anise too. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2035.
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1 hr decant. Dark purple/black robe, nose of blackberry/bluberry, roses, mineral. Mouth is similar with tannins present. Could use 5 years to hit peak.
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Dark purplish ruby red. Layered nose with tons of cinnamon, blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, and a bit of graphite. Super dark palate with heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Voluptuous and silky on the palate with tons of blackberries, classis, sweet spices, spices, and black currants. Even a touch savory. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2039.
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Just delicious. Amazing how Caymus can still deliver with their SS and yet fall so flat these days with their regular bottling. Black fruits, licorice, cassis, and vanilla. Really enjoyed this bottle
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Reticent nose at first. With some time in the glass I got some menthol dark fruit and some spicy oak. Very nicely put together and at a real nice drinking spot. I dont know what kind of future this holds as it is very approachable now. Silky mouth feel with an absolutely seamless entry into the long sweet finish. Not as overdone as the regular bottling thankfully.
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Beautiful wine with nose of ripe black berries and graphite. Lots of power on the tongue but this wine is WAY too young and should be held another 5 years at least before drinking.
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Excellent structure and texture. Still young. Two hours decanting was not enough. I think this early on needs 4 hours or cellar for couple of more years and longer. Good nose with medium finish.
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An excellent Napa wine. It has the goodness of Napa and its weakness. What a wonderful fruit! The bouquet shall have you enthralled! Layers and layers of wonderful aromas. Berry, tobacco, love, ego. The rich fruit comes across when you drink this wine. Blackberry jam and long finish. When you drink this wine the world shall make a little more sense.
But this wine has the jammy sweetness of Napa wines. It is so.easy to like this wine. This wine is has the potential of being a terrible first crush. But this wine does not have enough intricacy to want to spend a lifetime with. It's imminent likeability comes at a sacrifice of making this wine intriguing and interesting. Not much tannins to hold interest, no undertone of slight acidity to tease the pallette, not full bodied enough to command respect. This is not the wine that I would want to drink for my entire life, but this may a choice for my last drink.
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Big, ripe very extracted dark red and black fruit, dark blackberry fruit and sweet, very dark cherry fruit. Also showing prominent oak, raisins, stewed prunes, and plums. All ripe fruit bordering over the top. While this is not the preferred style of many, I do like it, despite it being very sweet. 95 plus or minus points.
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Drank with assorted pastas and filet mignon at MT birthday dinner at Il Pastaio. The nose is very nice. Red and black fruits, flowers and baking spices. On the palate of course there is a lot of fruit given the vintage and the wine. You don't buy Caymus SS for its subtlety (at least I don't). But the issue for me here was that this just wasn't balanced at all. The tannins are not integrated and took away from the experience. It's still enjoyable for sure but I found the 2012 Carter we drank alongside it (didn't catch which specific one) to be far more balanced. Not a great QPR at the moment here.
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this may need time to evolve, but it's not providing me the same excitement that other vintages of this wine did in their youth. it feels a bit heavy handed without the lift that this wine can have when it's great.
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Dark black and blue fruit with a touch of red - blackberry, currants, and a little dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with really nice depth and a beautiful purity. As usual, quite rich and a little sweet. Fairly long/deep finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 96 rating with a little more time.
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May be too young. I didn't enjoy this as much as I recall enjoying the previous vintage. Nevertheless this is a great wine. There is a noticeable earthy and plum pit finish that balances the juicy forward flavors.
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Dark purple in color with a wonderful nose. This is an unabashedly rich wine with ripe fruit and a long finish. Decanted this for 3 hours and drank over another hour and a half. This needed a decant but it lost a touch of vibrancy at the end. Would decant only 2 hours next time. This went very well with a filet mignon.
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A full throttled bottle of wine! Much like my last experience, this is a big dark, ripe wine with extracted fruit, full bodied with ripe blackberry, ripe dark cherry fruit, cassis, black licorice, and dark bitter-sweet-chocolate. The last time I tried this wine I popped and poured and it was great so I did it again, but I should have decanted, it would have been better (will I ever learn?). Unlike what most of us have experienced the 40th year anniversary Caymus Cab, this wine is extracted, but nothing like its baby brother, I like it. 94.5 Points and it definitely would have scored higher with a decant. If you don't like them big, don't bother.
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Can't believe I'm giving 95 points to a Caymus Special Selection, but this wine has it all if you enjoy this type of big lovable beast. It's like being a kid in a candy store/bakery. Tons of rich, sweet, complex aromas...with a deep and smooth tannic structure. Wow...you want to smell that wine over and over again. So much better than the 2013, that is more closed and austere.
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We tasted this wine against the 2009 and 2011 Select. Smoked them both. Very complex and refined. Almost black on the pour. Classic caymus! Decanted for 2hrs at room temp. Blackberry, earthy chocolate, lite oak and vanilla come through this slightly more condensed beauty. Easy to drink with a nice long finish. Every sip gets better and better. More in the cellar, thank god!!
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From magnum bottle. Ink black in color. Seductive nose with herbs, pepper, cigarr, leather, cedar, dark fruit and candy store notes. Minerals, stone, iron and some green notes on the palate. Powerful fruit, potent wine, long!!. Moderate oak, some heat and slightly high on alcohol. BBQ deluxe wine!
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PnP, then decanted at 54 degrees, and followed over the course of about two-three hours. Time/Air didn't necessarily mark any significant changes in this wine's overall flavor profile; it stayed pretty consistent throughout consumption.
Signature Caymus SS notes of blackberry and black raspberry liqueur, dark chocolate, charred oak, and vanilla bean hit the palate right out of the gate on PnP. Thick, rich, unctuous, and a touch sweet. This was not as cloying as some of the previous Caymus wines I've had (especially the standard Caymus Cabernet). The SS certainly shows quality in both the ripe fruit and the oak treatment, however (and there always seems to be a bit of an unfortunate 'however' with me and my relationship with this wine), I found myself searching for some added complexity beyond the "bachelorette party red" that this frequently presents itself as.
With some added nuance and more delineated, terroir-driven flavors, this would be in the high 90s for me. But in the end, I think 93 is a fair assessment given the totality of this wine. An easy drinker and a crowd pleaser type of wine for sure. Nothing cerebral about this at all.
Ready to drink now and over the next few years. No decant needed in my opinion.
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Big, dark, opaque, super-rich, almost thick on the palate, mouth-coating, viscuous, low acid. Gobby black and blue fruit are accented with the SS's trademark violets and wrapped in velvet tannins. Like drinking syrup. This will have massive appeal to many, but I'm never going to be a fan.
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Tartrates on the cork...unlike previous bottles. This bottle was similar to my first two bottles, see my previous notes. Curbing my enthusiasm a bit for this.
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Opened for birthday dinner and decanted for 2 hours. Dark, thick, and inky! This was a well made wine. I liked it, but I'm learning that this isn't my favorite style of wine. Enjoyed with Filet Mignon and was better with the food.
So Caymus it hurts. I think this is the only wine in the world I could recognize blind. It Coates your mouth with an almost syrup like ability. Gobs of dark fruit intermingled with the vanilla. I hardly recognize tannins. Ready to drink now, but hear bottles usually age for many years. Delicious, big, fruity, Nap cab. If you're wondering whether or not you are into that kind of wine, this will quickly answer you. Crowd pleasing juice for sure.
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This is my favorite Caymus SS to date. Still young, but gobs of fruit and chocolate, with velvety tannins that make this wine irresistible! The wine is almost black and sticks to the glass, legs are unbelievable. The oak, fruit and tannins come together very nicely. This wine is not for everyone because the layers and layers of fruit make it less complex than some of the aged wines, but it is sure to please anyone without a discriminating palate. I am hopeful that this wine will develop some additional complexity with time, which, for me, would make it a perfect wine! I think the fact that half the group thought it was WOTN, speaks volumes in terms of style, from those who absolutely love it, to those who stylistically prefer something more complex. Hopefully, with time, it will be everyone's WOTN!
As a side note, IMO, and although expensive, even non-wine drinkers will love this wine!
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WTDS Wednesday Afternoon (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Black, and I mean black color - one of the darkest wines i can recall. PNP, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Incredibly ripe, overripe, framboise, blackberry liqueur, chocolate, kir. The palate is about as high octane as it gets, overripe, port-like, sweet black fruits,vanilla, raisin, blackberry liqueur, glycerin, chocolate sauce. Hedonistic, rich and primary, the definition of a fruit bomb. I'd have not pegged this for cab, maybe a ripe Aussie shiraz, Amarone, or a young Port. Just not my style and very hard for me to wrap my head around. No doubt this appeals to a great number of people and they will score it very highly. I'll keep my score to myself. I found it interesting to read RP's tasting note which was spot on and clearly warns of the style - we just disagree on what that translates to. A polarizing wine. Caveat emptor. Very glad to have had the opportunity to try this - I will say it is approachable now in the style that it is. Curious to see what this would be like at 15 years or so, but I won't hold my breath.
Cork was red right to the top, it pulled out very easy. A little concerned but this turned out great. Drank this with a filet. This bottle showing a little nutmeg on the finish.
Thank goodness this is by far, superior to the 40th anniversary! An exceptional full bodied fruit forward Napa Cab. Blackberry, dark cherry, cassis, anise, lush, ripe inky fruit heavy, bitter-sweet-chocolate, a Napa Cab in a contemporary Napa style. Some may say its overdone, but you know going in what Caymus is all about and if you don’t like big, full bodied, extracted Napa Cabs, don’t bother with this brand – I like it. 96+ Points and I am in full agreement with Parker on his assessment of this Cab. Not for the faint of heart.
I try to get over any negativity I feel for this wine after a few let downs with wines from last decade or so. This is inky fruit heavy, sweet Napa can in the modern style. Not much in the way of evolution but a consistent Napa fruit bomb. Others have noted this being significantly superior to the 40th anniversary, I feel its a little more concentrated, but definitely siblings.
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Inky glass-staining purple. Blackberry, dark cherry, licorice, creosote and boot polish on the nose. Glossy, rich, mouth-filling dark fruit with loamy earth, truffles and hints of espresso on the lush, ripe and balanced palate. Very enjoyable now and should go for decades.
Opened this at Fleming's on Valentine's Day! Dense concentrated black fruit, loads of vanilla, dark chocolate and fine tannins. After an hour and a half decant, layers of complexity revealed some tobacco and leather as it opened up. Paired very well with the filet mignon and cheesecake with blueberry sauce. Shared a small tasting with our waiter whom was a first timer for Caymus SS.
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Drank in specialty restaurant on a ship in Caribbean (and then over two more days). This was fine over all three days. A rich, black fruit and vanilla dominated wine on the palate. This is much better than the regular 2012 40th anniversary wine. Paired well with beef tenderloin.
This is a spectacular wine from Caymus. We paired it with grilled ribeye steaks after a 3 hour decant. Dark, dark red to black in color. After the long decant, the tannins were very smooth. Very fruit forward with chocolate over tones. A little on the sweet side for high end cab, but that really appealed to my guest's palate. Two of the commented that it was the best wine they had ever tasted.
This is an outstanding full bodied fruit forward cab. Very drinkable now, but will undoubtedly age well. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I felt that some decanting time did improve it (we decanted for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours before completely diving in) a bit, but this wine is very drinkable straight out of the bottle. Deep black fruit tones with a hint of chocolate on top. Velvety smooth mouthfeel that lingers on through the finish. The nose wasn't particularly notable but when the wine hits the palette you will appreciate just how great this wine is.
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Not my favorite wine at this pricepoint, but a very good wine. Sweet to the point it tastes more like a desert wine than a cab to enjoy with red meat. Lots of subtleties - and new fruits open up as the wine sits in the glass. i could also taste a little chocolate.
This wine isnt your standard bold cab. More subtle than bold. More sweet than tart.
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Vikings actually beat the Packers (Gary and Judy's): This was pop and pour, drank a good-sized glass over an hour. This wine is absolutely delicious. The tannins are so smooth, just silky. It seems completely resolved, gushing with fruit. This is not the so-called iron fist in a velvet glove, this is a velvet glove filled with feathers. Lots of dusty rich chocolate on the palate.
Teeth staining, tongue staining, glass staining darkness, never ending legs, fair amount of sediment. Dense, deep, ripe, full bodied.
i wanted to criticize this wine for its lack of structure but couldn't stop sipping it long enough....so forget it, it seduced me.
Smooth, soft, velvety, just pop n pour it...that is the new Caymus style.....no doubt about it. It's a restaurant/steakhouse style wine now. I see no point in holding this wine, it is what it is right now. Decadent, voluptuous, and so smooth. Drank with a T-bone steak dinner.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), fig, mineral, toast, oak, bark, vanilla, violet, verbena and chocolate. It tastes like oak, vanilla, light toast, black currant (cassis), blackberry, mushroom, chocolate and sherry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
This was my favorite Caymus SS to date. It was dominated by chocolate notes, cassis and smooth silky tannins. We did not decant, and the wine did add nuances with a little time in the glass. Unfortunately, it was too good to leave in the glass for long! If you are a fan of big, fruit forward chocolatey cabs, you will absolutely love this wine! Hard to imagine it improving because everything comes together so well right now.
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Always spectacular. Very smooth, rich, and soft. I have never had a bad bottle of this. Great value. Loads of blueberries, cinnamon, spices, vanilla, heavy cream, and carmel.
This was in a 1.5L bottle... An amazing Cab that actually changes our expectations somewhat of what a top-rate Napa offering can be. Quite surprisingly, it did not really require any decanting - and for the nearly five hours that it was open, every glass was considered exceptional. Will definitely need to seek out their winery for a visit in the near-future. PS... We've only offered two 100s in the past five years.
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Beautiful opaque eggplant color. Rose petals, cedar, kirsch and cassis bouquet with just a hint of flint. This is a tour de force for those that like the fruit-forward California style, but may be less valued by Bordeaux style fans. So dense and velvety rich, but much more well balanced than the regular 40th Anniversary Caymus. Perhaps the most mouth pleasing Special Selection I have tried though perhaps not the most complex. Requires a significant decant to get to peak integration. Double-decanted and then glass swirled off and on for another 20-30 minutes before it started showing its promise. This is so good now, but will be better in a few years. Has the same fruit profile as the regular Caymus 2012 with a powerful, tongue coating blend of kirsch, vanilla, cassis, dark chocolate and oak. Medium acidity with silky tannins and a much longer finish than the standard 2012 Caymus. The structure of this wine differentiates it from the regular 40th Anniversary. I find that 2012 has a different overall flavor profile than most Caymus vintages with the red fruit, kirsch and vanilla much more prominent than the typical black fruit and specifically cassis that has been a prior vintage Caymus mainstay. Although it comes in a well-balanced and pleasing form in this SS, it has fewer common tasting notes with prior great vintages. Nonetheless, when tasted as part of a vertical with the Caymus SS 2011 (a very strong wine itself), this was the clear winner. I have rarely had such a dense wine that drank so “easily”. I found the regular Caymus 2012 lacking relative to prior vintages, but have thoroughly enjoyed the 2012 Special Selection and would recommend it to those not likely to be put off by its unapologetic fruit-forward style.
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This is a mega fruit bomb. I think I was expecting too much based on everyone's reviews. I couldn't tell much of a difference between the regular 2013 Caymus Cab and this one.
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I truly enjoyed this wine, a lot more serious than the regular cuvee. Excellent tannic structure, combined to a soft touch (an iron fist in a velvet glove!). Beautiful aromas with a very good length. Fresh, it doesn't feel heavy...the only small issue is probably the alcohol level that makes the wine slightly unbalanced...nothing big.
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2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Saturated and a bit monolitic, this extracted, opaque crimson bruiser is loaded with black fruit, vanilla, spice and dark chocolate. With low-to-medium acidity, well-integrated alcohol and big ripe tannins, it delivers its hedonistic payload wrapped in massive sweet tannins and creamy, toasted oak. The middle palate is definitely solid and the fruit-filled finish is long. A Webster's Unabridged "fruit bomb," this is a wine where I personally am not complainin'. Drink now-2030.
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Intense concentration; tasted alongside the 40th Anniversary Edition to see the difference, which was striking. Very rich flavor profile and intensity and without the flabby soft or jammy side of the 40th anniversary bottling. Delicious.
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Well, someone has to go out there and say that even young, this wine is virtually perfect. The color, the nose (wonderful fruit), the texture, the finish. This is wine that you can savor and sip and make it last and last. Some of the special selections are good but a bit lacking in depth or character. Not this one. I haven't seen ratings on it but if you enjoy big, luscious fruit forward cabs, you will not be disappointed. I have had two bottles--in two entirely different contexts--and it was both time a wine that made everyone stop and simply say: "Wow!" Does cabernet get better than this?
At STK in NYC w/some friends. Always nlove this wine, had some reservations about drinking this young. Splash decanted and drank over an hour.
Dark crimson/purple color. Nose jumps out of the glass, dark fruits, black cherry, spices. Palate of dried cherry, black fruits, blueberry, cigar box, currants, pine, chocolate. Silky and elegant mouthfeel, one of our party descibed the wine a a "cashmere sweater". A little heat on the finish, imporved with some time.
This was (surprising to me) great right out of the bottle, but clearly improved with air time. A big, rich CA Cab with the structure to age well. Excellent wine
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Right out of the bottle this is excellent, but clearly will improve with time or a few hours in a decanter. The first thing I noticed was the color -- this is about as dark as wine gets! The concentration and fruit here are exceptional, this is an incredibly rich and silky fruit driven wine. I didn't care much for the 2012 Caymus because I found it to be a bit over the top and candy-like. The '12 special selection has more backbone and balance that makes it far more enjoyable and elegant in my opinion. Still, if you like a classic style wine you may not care for this as it's still a fruit bomb at heart. I think it's great though!
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Beautiful nose dark fruit. Palate dark fruit fresh spice . little bitter tanning like medicine but well balanced. Middium finish .Imagine for next 5 year . Will stock if you like fruit bomb napa
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Drank this as part of a bachelorette weekend with some pretty amazing wines. This came on the heels of a 2003 Colgin Tychson Hill and I just felt like it might have gotten a bit overshadowed. This is a big and bold wine and was more in the vein of the 40 year anniversary than not (lower acidity, high fruit, alcohol prevalent). Great to get to try it now, but our bottles are sitting for another 8-10 years so that it has some time to settle.
Decanted for about 4 hours. Nose was huge with dark fruit and spice. The biggest impression was from the absolutely wonderful balance of the wine. Everything was tied together in such a beautiful way. Black cherry and blueberry were present along with cigar box wrapped in leather it all was seamless. Add a just a touch of pine forest in there with a finish that went on for quite a while and you have an outstanding wine.
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Decanted for 3.5 hrs then slow ox for 1.5 hrs more. Color very deep purple to the rim. Nose was redolent of blue fruit, and entry was of stewed fruit. There was little structure or secondary flavors, while the texture was notably viscous. No perceptible tannins and extremely low acidity, and perhaps the shortest finish I have experienced. I concluded that this bottle was cooked while in storage at the distributor/retailer, and is not representative of the wine in the least.
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Also allowed to breathe in the open bottle for 1-2 hours first; the nose, thick aromas of ripe dark cherries and elegant spices; the palate, concentrated, creamy, and a bit spicy, dark cherries and wood spices mostly; the finish, long, dark fruits and lots of young tannins of course; overall, 92-93 points at this stage to me; should become more approachable in 5-6 years.
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Decanted for two hours. Without any doubt, this is the most astonishing, legendary Special Selection of the modern era. So much concentration and poise, yet every floor and mezzanine show with stroking independence. Mocha, blackberry, mint jelly, ground lava rock, blueberry capote and toasted oak. Divine on the entry and long throughout, with viscous, velvety tannins. Such a rich Cabernet. Drink 2019 - 2037.
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Drank 4 bottles last night with friends. 2 had an 8 hour decant and 2 were pop and pour. All we spectacular. As I have said before the nose on the ones had been opened all day smelled just like Blueberry pie a la mode with cinnamon (literally). Its the most amazing nose. Huge blueberry notes explode off the palate with this wine. (see previous notes)
These wines are ready to go now. Smooth as butter. No heat. No rough edges. This wine is always a show stopper.
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A friend poured this wine. It was WAY too early for this to be opened up. Jammy, chewy, almost needed a fork and knife to consume it. This needs at least 7+ years before opening but it definitely was showing it's potential
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Over night decant. Huge cherry vanilla on the nose. It literally smelled like a dessert. This is so rich and creamy. It fills your mouth with such a dense feel that stains your teeth and lips purple. This wine may be the buy of the year of higher end wines at $140. It will steal the show every time. (see my previous notes) I recommend an over night decant.
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This is the real deal. Everything that the 2012 Caymus Napa wasn't; rich, multi-layered and textured, outstanding depth and breadth of flavors. Worth the wait.
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Tasted at the winery: Dynamic aromas of mixed berries, cocoa, vanilla & spice. Succulent flavors of blueberries, sweet oak, chocolate and vanilla. A fruity & fabulously concentrated wine but certainly not one dimensional, this wine has tannins like a Klingon Warship, powerful and majestic but properly cloaked and in the end peaceful and friendly.
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really nice, great value, though I think another year in the cellar might just do the trick ... let it settle down just a touch. But no point in resisting temptation.
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flirting with perfection. Big, bold but very tame and ready to drink. Lots of fruits and chocolate intermixed with vanilla and smooth tannins. Just great!
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(See my previous notes) This wine is even more amazing with an over night decant. We decanted for 4-6 hours, poured back into the bottle. Placed it back into the wine frig. all night and reopened an hour before consumption on day 2. Simply stunning. This wine will be so good in 4-5 years I can't even imagine. I only bought a case. I need to get more of this one.
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Received this from my restaurant after another server's table turned it down after opening because of confusion with the vintage year. Poured almost syrupy, with a deep purple color. Opaque in the glass. Nose of cassis, black cherry, and a satisfying vanilla scent. Chilling complexity. Lingering finish with mocha, savory earth, caramel sweetness, and mild bell pepper. Opened up nicely over the four hours of sipping. Fantastic wine, and I was secretly hoping to come away not impressed, as I usually agree with the typical criticisms of California wine. This was really wonderful, though, and I wish the bottle was given to me unopened so that I could sit on it for at least five more years. An unforgettable treat, the first wine I truly felt as though I was eating instead of drinking. Will seek out older vintages now, where before I never could imagine spending money like this on a Napa cab.
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Decanted a couple of hours, then consumed over the next 48. Tasted head to head with 2012 SLWC Cask 23. Special Selection was the clear winner. Unlike the 2012 Caymus regular, this wine was not over the top with jammy notes, much better balance with fruit and aromatics. Make no mistake, still a fruit forward wine. Improved the longer it stayed in the decanter. This is a big winner. Sad the price escalated so much, but I will be throwing more in my cellar.
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Drank this with the 2006 Caymus special selection. I think the 2006 is more along the style of the 2012. At least much closer than the 2010 & 2011 are in style. Both are very dark, rich and very full flavor. The 2012 is much sexier, velvety and silky than the 2006 . The 2006 is massive and in your face and was undrinkable to some in the group but I loved it. I love the 2012 Caymus SS also. Its the best Caymus I have ever had. If you haven't had one yet you need to get one. My previous tasting notes apply to this wine again.
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Opened to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day. Delicious nose with lots of blueberry fruit. On the palate, clearly young, with noticeable tannins and lots of fresh wood/oak. At the same time, tasted much smoother and balanced than Caymus regular bottling from 2012, with lots of blackberry and blueberry fruit on the palate, highly concentrated but not cloying. Should be really good in a few years. I am not convinced, however, that this is a great price/quality ratio (despite the score), e.g., some of the 2010 Bordeaux bottlings should be a much better run for the money.
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Decanted for 6 hours. We followed a 2005 Harlan Napa Valley reserve and both wines were almost the opposite of each other as the NVR was more like a Bordeaux. The caymus SS came across with huge notes of Vanilla extract, carmel, toffee, milk chocolate and french oak. And almost a sweet taste. Massive rich explosive flavors throughout. This is so dark its almost black and it stains your teeth and lips as well as the glasses. I love this wine. In a few years this will be a 98-99pt wine.
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Bigger yet more elegant than it's little brother, this is a tremendously powerful wine that is fun now, but should age well. Big red and black fruit is balanced with plenty of acid and mostly round tannins. The tannins should resolve in the next 6 months to year, giving it even better integration. A great example 0f 2012 Napa Cabernet. Wouldn't be surprised to see Parker hit this with 99 or 100 points. PDQ95+
Better even than the last bottle. no decant. It won the show tonight against a 2010 caymus SS & 2009 Bevan cellars Ontogeny. Massive milk chocolate and brownies, with espresso through out. Deep, sexy, almost black in color, and teeth staining. What a wine!!! It was #1 among all tonight. People asked "what is this". 97++ . This wine is underrated. I am going to order 3 cases.
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Unbelievable for a 2012. Really drinkable, smooth. It was a dark as roofing tar coming out of the bottle. The glasses were stained purple as were everyones teeth. Full bodied but not heavy. Good flavors of dark berries, cola, chocolate, cedar. This will be even better with time. Good value at $150.
On the 2nd day we removed the bottle from cold storage and drank the remaining 1/2 bottle. It was spectacular. Blueberry and blackberry explosion. It smelled like blueberry jam. I recommend an over night decant for this wine before you drink it if you have the time.
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With a nose packed full of oak chocolate, boysenberries and licorice, the wine is full bodied, lush, forward and hard not to like. I'm sure this will age well, but if you them young and you're in the mood, you can pull a cork for pleasure now.
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Wally's Napa All-Stars 2015 (Hyatt Regency Century City): One of my favorites. Wife thought it lacked a bit of earthiness but I didn't mind. It's big and velvety with a nice sweetness on the nose. Very enjoyable and fun wine. Ready to go now.
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Fantastic 2012 from Caymus. Needs some time to rest. How this only has a 92 rating is absolutely ridiculous. Some peoples palates must be as bad as the Asian Palate Jeannie Cho Lee's.
This wine has some time on it to increase it's badassery, but as is it's still drinking amazing. The typical velvet that I expect from Caymus was there with a lot of depth too.
3/25/2024 - Bodyfxr wrote: 95 Points
Decnated for over an hour. See previous note as this wine hasn't changed much since. Very smooth and lush. Always a crowd favorite. Had in a line up with a 2012 Darius II and a 2012 Insignia. This was a close second to the Insignia. Drink or hold.
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1/31/2024 - Rickfor wrote: 93 Points
- Crimsom color.
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12/25/2023 - cabsrgreat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! Took advice of other comments and let it air (1 hour 1st day), and it was fantastic! Velvety chocolate and slightly muted cherry. Smooth, well integrated tannins. A joy to drink. Day 2 was even better.
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11/25/2023 - BondJamesBond007 wrote: 98 Points
What you smell you taste. 11 years of aging with a Warrior Cork…Give some air. Amazing! Chocolate cake. Sweet oak vanilla chocolate creme de cassis black fruit spices, sweet Leather, dried plum mild sweet smoke wet earth sweet dust and ripe blackberry.
*Much better on second day.*
Give some air and sweetness disappears.
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5/21/2023 - Tranquility Base Likes this wine: 96 Points
Delicious wine, better the second day. The second day made me wish I'd drunk it more slowly. The last third of the bottle offered deep, rich, and complex fruit flavors and smell of the Napa terroir. The earlier portions delivered great balance but a bit thin. The last part made up for it. Caymus makes fantastic wine, too expensive for me most of the time, but this bottle aged well and makes me want to scrounge for more. I was a little worried that the 2012 vintage would not have aged well based on some other comments I'd read but this was more than fine.
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4/16/2023 - BLam Likes this wine: 92 Points
It was brought to my welcome BBQ for K in the club house, pairing well with steak. But it will be too heavy to me if drink without food.
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10/29/2022 - chanukha Likes this wine: 91 Points
Seems to have calmed down a bit but still feels over extracted. For those who like their Cali Cabs loud and big.
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10/19/2022 - kurtepete@sbcglobal.net Likes this wine:
Drank well may have been past it's prime
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9/26/2022 - Bodyfxr wrote: 95 Points
Took to C.Ellots restaurant for a dinner meeting. Decanted for approximately 20 minutes. Cork had some seepage on it but the wine was fine. The nose was so powerful that the jammy aromas wafted over our table as the wine was poured. Deep dark purple hue. Full bodied and still bodacious with bountiful amounts of fruit. I picked this wine in particular because I knew it was Dave's favorite. Lush , big and yummy. This wine is in its sweet spot. I will make do with my holdings over the next two years. Drink or hold.
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8/29/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote: 94 Points
Wow - so dark, so ripe and so intense. This was very rich - but nicely enough balanced to be pretty drinkable with or without food. Glad I drank while the fruit was in all its glory, as there was minimal tannin. This was polished no doubt. Not my style for everyday (or even special occasions) but nice to try once in a while. Excellent.
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7/19/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened at restaurant and let sit for an hour before pouring - Took two magnums to Owami, unfortunately, one bottle dropped and broke before we entered the restaurant. However, the second bottle perfumed above average! Delicious as always with plenty of dark fruit, velvety tannins and nicely integrated oak. Perfumed nose and palate showed plenty of dark fruit, chocolate and earth notes. A pleasure to drink! 96 points for this bottle!
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3/1/2022 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes, classic special selection from an interesting year. Drinking beautifully now.
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2/12/2022 - mcaceres68 wrote: 90 Points
Ok
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2/6/2022 - FredericoWines Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good as last bottle drunk two years ago. Very dark color and concentrate juice. Exposive nose of rasberry, red plum and blackcurrant fruits. Spicy long finish. A classic Napa style without overshooting like recent bottlings
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12/19/2021 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 91 Points
very good as always
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11/27/2021 - Dave Mac Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cracked open this little rascal and it ran around my nose like a bug on a hot summer night. Flowers, silt, and asphalt wafted through the air before the plums kicked in (with respect to Eastbound and Down); raspberry's were notable, like dancing clowns on the tip of my tongue. Fun fun fun wine
The wine looks crimson colored.
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9/26/2021 - Zner1506 wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful tannic finish notes of dark chocolate on a very smooth finish. Will drink beautifully for years. Cheers
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9/14/2021 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, smooth, fruity & well balanced.
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9/5/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
So Jason pulled a fast one on us! His bonus wine for the event, to show us Caymus snobs how wrong we are! This was actually quite good, albeit with the requisite Caymus sweetness. Nice nose, dark fruited with vanilla, caramel like qualities and a hint of licorice. While this was generally sweeter than I like it was quite good. I think the 9 years of bottle age is what made it for me. If I had this on release, it surely would have been too much. Even with the aging, you really couldn't tell this was a '12. It drank as many Napa '16s did/do.
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9/3/2021 - Decanting Queen wrote: 94 Points
Zoom with Mark and Jason (Atlanta/Naples/Minneapolis): Initially blind could not figure this one out--it was so decadent and hedonistic. Dark fruits and melted chocolate and candied vanilla. There was no denying that this was really tasty if a bit sweet. I was surprised to learn that this was different than the 40th anniversary--which I had previously and did not particularly care for. The special selection was darker fruited, more complex, and while sweet it was not syrupy and certainly not cough syrupy. Tons of vanilla but I'm ok with that!
Well done Jason to show us a better side of 2012 Caymus.
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9/3/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Zooming with some new friends!: PnP - I pulled this wine for a zoom tasting with some new friends who were down on Caymus, but had never experienced their Special Selection. I thought it would be a fun experiment to have them taste blind. Of course, everyone loved the wine, although the comments were that the sweetness was quite noticeable. For me, this wine always hits the spot, and is squarely in my wheelhouse. I love the silky texture and the layers of chocolate and cherry wrapped in dark fruit with a healthy dose of leather and pencil shavings, and of course, just enough sweet toasted oak to be satisfying without going overboard. Still a 95 point wine for me!
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6/27/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still loving this wine...it has never disappointed! PnP at. friends while prepping for a wine & food event. As always, silky smooth with creamy chocolate covered cherry, some cassis, some graphite and some leather notes, all wrapped in sweet toasted oak! This wine goes down so smooth and easy! I know Caymus is a polarizing wine these days, but I still can't figure out who wouldn't like this! Does it assault you with ever-changing layers of flavor? Not really, but it is an awesome tasting, well built wine and will keep for quite a few more years! 95+ and still one of my favorite go-to wines.....I would drink these more often if my niece didn't claim them all!
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5/23/2021 - CHarder Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is smooth lovely blackcurrant and vanilla fruit. Big and bold but not over the top.
Will benefit from 2-5 yrs cellaring to develop some secondary flavours. But with 2 hrs decant this works now for sure
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5/5/2021 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistently really good.Got better as it opened up.
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4/12/2021 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork had about 1/8th inch of staining/seepage even though I have owned since release and it has been meticulously stored. The wine was still fabulous.
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4/4/2021 - Matty the wine collector wrote:
absolutely delicious. 1 hour decant. Velvety.
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2/20/2021 - Steven DiFiore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed more than the overly syrupy regular yellow label Caymus. Pleasantly surprised with this bottle.
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1/30/2021 - chanukha wrote:
Bit over the top in my opinion but maybe that's the house style now. Think they used to be more balanced in the 90s. Overpowering vanilla but if that's your thing, nothing wrong with the wine. I will not be drinking anymore going forward.
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12/27/2020 - PetWines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good - full flavors of plum, fruit and chocolat. Nice heavy mouthful that is delicious. We had with Chateau Brion and it was excellent.
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12/15/2020 - Philasinger Likes this wine:
I can see why this could be controversial. Depending on how fast you drink it and how long it's been open, you experience several different wines. Best to have a good long decant. At first it was super chemically sweet tasting, almost like something labeled "grape drink". After several hours it really came together into a beautiful wine. Great the next day as well. Anyone who just did a pop and pour and finished it off quickly will most likely be disappointed.
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10/13/2020 - Rocco Ng Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfect 👌
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7/20/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Poured a glass using a corvin. Let sit for an hour and drank over the course of the next hour.
Initial nose of perfume, violets, blackberry, chocolate and sweet toasted oak (love the nose). The palate initially showed gobs of integrated black fruits (current, plum and blackberries) and wood, both intertwined with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and a hint of anise. Finish is long, and fruit remains prominent with hints toasted oak on the end of the finish.
After an hour, nose is the same, and fruit is even more integrated, with a little alcohol starting to show mid palate (not enough to be annoying or detract from the wine). Wood is less pronounced and tannins are still silky as ever. This wine is a treat, and I know it is polarizing, but I sure do not understand why....this is a very enjoyable wine to drink, alone or with food. Easily 95+ (and I feel like I am being conservative). Enjoy now or later. Personally, I do not think a decant is needed, as it will evolve in the glass (with the caveat that if you are pressed for time, decant 1-2 hours). Still has a lot of life left, no hurry on this.
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7/7/2020 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry and red currant. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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6/20/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Small Tasting of Nieces' Favorites: A wine tasting at my nieces house to compare their favorite wines. The line-up was as follows:
- 2011 Viña Cobos Malbec Cobos Marchiori Vineyard Block C2
- 2012 Caymus Special Selection
- 2016 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard
- 2016 Quintessa
This The wines were prepared as follows:
2011 Cobos - PnP
2012 Caymus SS - PnP
2016 Carter - Half the bottle was gone from using a Corvin twice earlier (going back 2 weeks) and PnP today
2016 Quintessa - Uncorked the bottle and slo-O'd for 6 hours - reinserted cork for transportation and poured when arrived.
All wines poured at once and drank over the course of 2 hours.
A great line-up! Not surprisingly, everyone had their favorites, and each of the wines in the line-up was someone's WOTN. I did not tally points, so I cannot say which wine was the group's number 1. For me, my WOTN was the 2011 Cobos, followed by the 2012 Caymus SS, then the Carter and 4th was the Quintessa. For me, only one point separated the WOTN from the Quintessa, and I also believe with more time, any of these wines could be number 1. Based on this tasting, I will also say I believe the Quintessa has the most upside.
- 2012 Caymus Special Selection: What can I say....Caymus Rocks! I know this is a polarizing wine and for those who have never had it, know it is heavily extracted with gobs of fruit and chocolate and oak, especially in its youth. At eight years of age, it has mellowed a little, but still distinctly Caymus SS. The nose is sweet and perfumed, and the palate is loaded with rich fruit, chocolate and integrated oak. It is also starting to develop some tertiary nuances with a little dust, cigar and leather, that are velvety smooth. This wine is always a pleasure and a treat for me to drink. It still has a long life, and of all the wines in the line-up, this was the smoothest wine in the group. Always a crowd pleaser and very consumer friendly. A solid 95 today, and my number 2 wine of the group.
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5/21/2020 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Where's the Beef. . . .Tenderloin?
Normally, with a wine like the one I’m focusing on here, I would break out the piggy bank and run out and buy myself a lovely piece of beef tenderloin. Don’t think for a moment I didn’t give it some thought. Instead, I decided to prepare what I had planned for the evening before the selection of the wine.
If you know the wine, you’d probably agree that steak was proper fare for the wine. What was on for the main course, however, was, as they say, “close but no cigar!” MEATLOAF! Add in some mashed potatoes and my new found delight, my homemade catsup, and it’s . . . close?
While my meatloaf is pretty good, even I will admit that a steak would have amped up the whole dinner a notch or two, or five or six. But let me not digress.
Dinner, a solid 6 or 7 out of 10, the wine scored an easy 9 to 9.5 out of 10! The only reason it’s not a 10 is the alcohol might be a touch high. From the get-go, the wine displayed rich layers of dark blue and black fruit, while some have described it as a fruit bomb, a title I myself have bestowed on their wines in the past, the years in the bottle have done their job in mellowing the fruit and balancing the other nuances of the wine. A hint of oak and tannins that remain lush and help create this full-bodied wine. Smooth and sultry culminating in a long irrepressible finish.
Meatloaf aside, this age-worthy Cab is something to wrap your arms around and enjoy for as long as you can.
Cheers
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5/9/2020 - ccbradley Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wonderful fruits on the nose. Silky mouth feel. Crushed berries with-out being jammy, with hints of earth, vanilla and cedar. Finishes like a summer breeze. Smooth, refreshing and leaves you content and happy for more.
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5/8/2020 - DaveNC wrote: 97 Points
Big and beautiful. So much going on i can’t capture it all. Deep color. Stewed dark fruit, plum, raspberry, fig, saddle leather, forest floor, and something I can’t identify but it’s incredible. (Root beer, but in a good way). Balanced with tannins that grip on the back side. This was a gift so i don’t know the price. Can’t wait to have this again!
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5/3/2020 - Yurkovich wrote: 88 Points
Not a style I will buy again but can understand the polarization. Grew up viewing this as top tier until I learned what I was doing. Disappointing for the price and vintage but now recognize at not my style, and does seem to be improving after several hours despite the thinness. Two years ago I had a regular Caymus and couldn't finishing drinking it--this one was at least somewhat enjoyable given quality fruit.
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4/11/2020 - BRogo wrote: 87 Points
So juicy sweet...like Smiegel singing from Lord of the Rings. This is like drinking raspberry chocolate tart for desert. Too much extraction.
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3/28/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is apparently a highly polarizing wine. I call it the Howard Cosell of wine, people either love it or hate it. Put me in the "love it" category. This wine is full bodied with tons of fruit and chocolate and a nice mixture of sweet toasted oak. The velvety tannins are silky smooth, creating a wonderful mouth-feel. The alcohol is undetectable. I understand some people think it lacks complexity, but I would submit the complexity is in the flavor(s) of the wine. I would say it is akin to melding a bunch of flavors together to come up with a complex, unique flavor that is difficult to duplicate. I will say that if you prefer subtleness and are looking for more tertiary flavors, you will likely not be a fan (although, with time, some of these may surface). If you like big, hedonistic wines, this one will not disappoint. Also, it is very consumer friendly, and people who are not oenophiles will likely love this wine too. I find this a wine that will not offend anyone, and be appreciated by many.
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2/14/2020 - wforster2@gmail.com wrote: 98 Points
98 hold for big meat
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2/1/2020 - Iceman611 wrote: 94 Points
Perfect. Plenty of structure via oak and acidity to balance the super ripe fruit.
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1/29/2020 - BRogo wrote: 88 Points
It smells like chocolate and potpourri gone skunk. Very fruit forward. Palate has lush tannins and nice acidity. 56% milk Chocolate covered ripe black plum slivers for days on the palate. I remember this being better young. Maybe Camus is just meant to be drank young!?
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1/6/2020 - Boom Baby! wrote: 98 Points
Just an outstanding wine from a great vintage.
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12/28/2019 - wildcatjw97 wrote: 91 Points
Not my favorite. Does get better with significant time decanting.
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11/12/2019 - Decanting fool Does not like this wine:
A face punch of unrestrained crass vanilla oak is followed by endless gobs of cloying fruit in this consistently disgusting wine. Lacking any shred of nuance or restraint I find it undrinkable. In fact this is not the first time I’ve had to pour this wine down the drain.
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11/10/2019 - WineRay05 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outstanding
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10/19/2019 - galewskj wrote:
Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: This was decanted at least a couple hours. I was kind of bothered by its flavor profile. There is sugary chocolate which seems like it shouldn't exist in a wine. Unscored.
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10/17/2019 - rocknroller wrote:
Guys Night Out: Bring Something You're Looking Forward To Drinking (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Decanted for 6 hours; followed a glass for an hour. After a series of more mature wines, the Caymus is more of a challenge. The needle has moved a bit, although this is very primary. Hi toned, lots of blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, vanilla and sweet milk chocolate. This is very big and silky textured with just a hint of earth later. Lots of people will love this wine. For me, it is has toned down somewhat, but it's a bit much for my preference.
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10/7/2019 - rickfell-new Likes this wine: 95 Points
a fantastic wine
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8/18/2019 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Soft decant for an hour. I have had some poor experiences with Caymus in recent vintages (2012-2014) and have stayed away from them. But credit where it's due, this was a good bottle of wine. Got even better after it had been open about 2 hours.
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8/3/2019 - Matty the wine collector wrote: 92 Points
Take time to decant. Drinking nicely but needs to open up.
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7/23/2019 - jcampano Likes this wine: 93 Points
Caymus SS doesn’t disappoint. Typical vanilla, big black fruit aromatics and on the palate. Silky smooth. Enjoyed by all.
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6/9/2019 - wforster2@gmail.com Likes this wine: 98 Points
Excellent it is ready to enjoy
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6/6/2019 - galewskj wrote: 88 Points
"Wow" wines (Jason's House): A 6 hour decant, this wine was in a weird place. There was some grainy chocolate, grainy wood, lots of vanilla, overripe fruit, and just slightly cloying. No alcohol was noticed, and even with all those descriptors, it managed to seem reasonably smooth.
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6/6/2019 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wines that "wow" you (Jason's House): I typically adore Caymus SS, especially the 2012 vintage. It is typically a velvet glove of hedonistic fruit and chocolate (and, despite how polarizing Caymus wines are in here, who doesn't like chocolate covered fruit?!). Of course, my name may also give away my feelings toward this wine. On this occasion, the wine received a six hour decant. I am not sure if it was the long decant, or bottle variation, but this wine, while good, did not show as well as previous bottles. It was way outclassed by all the other Cabernets tonight, including the Outpost True Vineyard it was paired against. The wine still showed big fruit and chocolate, but the tannins, although fine, were not as smooth and polished, and the fruit actually felt like it was over-ripe and slightly fading. I hope that it was bottle variation, as I still have a few cases of this in my cellar. I think I will PNP my next bottle and let it evolve in the glass. So far, that strategy has worked well. I will note, that this wine never went through a dumb or sleepy phase, and it is possible it is just starting to enter that phase now. As a side note, there was a little wine left over (maybe a 1 oz pour) the next day, and it seemed the fruit had vanished. 1. Bottle variation? 2. Dumb phase? 3. Heading downhill? Not sure, although based on past experience with Caymus SS, I suspect 1 or 2. Stay tuned! (I will also be reading notes from others, to see their experience with this wine now).
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6/6/2019 - rocknroller wrote:
Guy's Night Out: Wow Wines (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 6 hours; followed a glass over an hour. Whoa, here's another big fella; massive fruits, tons of vanilla, heat. The palate is pretty consistent, liqueurish black fruits, vanilla, and heat. For me, even more than the port like style, it's the level of oak on this that I find totally distracting. I continue to wonder how these will age. It isn't in what I would consider the prime drinking window as of yet due to the oak. Tune in later to see if this hits a sweet spot, no pun intended.
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3/7/2019 - bookman stacks wrote:
Lucinda anniversary
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3/2/2019 - Slaz Does not like this wine:
Relative to my prior tasting in 2015, this has remained ridiculously and excessively ripe, tasting this time fairly unbalanced overall. The fruit is layered for sure and there is more complexity than in the Caymus regular bottling, but this is no joy for me given the extreme opulence it provides. Pour it on pancakes, I guess.
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2/3/2019 - FredericoWines wrote: 95 Points
Wow, what a classic Napa styled cab. PnP. Very rich. Dark color, full body. Intense nose of blueberry and lots of mixed dark fruits mingled with new wood fragrance (oak and cedar). Spicy, cinnamon and chocolate. Very long finish. Bravo!
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1/25/2019 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
A hedonistic beauty. Dark as night. Gave this a 60 min decant and it was ready to roll. A lot of controversy with Caymus regular that shouldn’t flow over into the SS but this is a well made wine, though definitely Napa. Poured thick, agree with the oily analogy in a prior note. Blueberry dominated with hints of blackberry, definite dark fruit profile. Hints of Chinese five spice and wood/oak complimented the fruit. Tannins have faded in the background. Faint reminder of the old Merus wines from the early 2000s. Well into the drinking window, no need to wait.
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12/26/2018 - Keeping It Real wrote: 96 Points
Bold, nutty, oily, smooth, sweet, fabulous. This wine never fails to impress. Definitely a crowd pleaser. This wine is so much more than just sweet or fruity. It is multi-dimensional and classy.
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12/9/2018 - fritza wrote:
Lather, rinse, repeat... year after year, vintage after vintage amazing
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12/7/2018 - E719fc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, great bottle, I’d heard this would be a strong bottle but I found it very rich in both flavor and color. Fruit forward with a nice spice in the middle. Let it sit for an hour before we drank it and wow. I tasted berry and chocolate the whole way. I am going to get a few more to hold onto.
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12/6/2018 - Alvarovazquez Likes this wine: 92 Points
Too fruity, too jammy, too sweet for me. Overwhelming plums and berries cause an unbalanced wine. However, I understand why this is a top one within the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon category. The quality of winemaking is superior.
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11/25/2018 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
A mini-vertical that included the 2009, and the 2013. This is still my favorite vintage of Caymus SS. decanted for an hour and drank over the next 2 hours. I love this wine for the purity of its fruit, the unique taste, the silky tannins, the toasted oak and chocolate flavors and the long finish that has you craving another taste before it is over. Initially, I liked the 2009 a touch better tonight, but with a little extra air, this wine settled in and gained a couple points, while the 2009 lost a few due to fading fruit. For those who focus and get more enjoyment out of tertiary flavors, you will enjoy the 2009 more, even as some of the fruit fades. For me, I place fruit above secondary flavors (although some of both makes a wine best). This wine never lost its fruit and gained some secondary flavors with time in the glass. It is no longer a hedonistic fruit and chocolate bomb, although both are unquestionable present; but also has developed some complexity. It has also retained the velvety tannins and shows no sign of heat or alcohol. In addition, the finish is long and delicious. Red and black fruits, along with chocolate, toasted oak, leather and earth dominate the palate and nose. I love this wine, and am glad I have plenty! This wine truly rocks! (At least it rocks my wine world!). Always a crowd pleaser. The group was divided between this and the 2009 as wine of the night. For me, this was number 1. Still showing it has plenty of life in it....I would be in no hurry to open a bottle, and I think it will gain complexity, while retaining fruit for quite a few more years!
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11/10/2018 - onboisduvin wrote: 89 Points
Very much Napa style American wine....and very much not my style. Very Sweet and fruity.
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8/8/2018 - Nappacabgirl Likes this wine: 100 Points
Best Caymus I had
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7/31/2018 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): Pop and pour and served at 50F or less, which to me is perfect for this wine. Rich and extremely smooth. This is like drinking cold dark chocolate with some fruity port thrown in. I feel like an angel dies every time I drink one of these, for this is a blasphemous wine. But it tastes so good. Thanks(?) Jason for opening.
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6/23/2018 - PerfectVintage Likes this wine: 95 Points
The experience you expect when you open a Caymus SS & a reminder of what is possible in a definitive Napa style. Blueberries, licorice, cola, vanilla & lingering fruit/oak tannins alternately saturate & soothe the palate. Stepping into year six with a decade of enjoyment remaining.
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6/22/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Fifth of the blind wines this evening, a few ringers amongst the three Celia Welch wines we were trying tonight.
Deep purplish ruby red. A bit of gunpowder on the nose followed up by some anise, cassis, cinnamon and perfumed spices. Medium to medium plus tannins (7/10) and a medium plus body. Rich notes of the palate with some dark cocoa, dark berries, licorice and a touch of cherry liqueur. Long finish. Drink till 2030.
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6/22/2018 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Light 1 hour decanting.
Cinnamon and vanilla on the nose with very light bark. Less nose than I normally expect from CS.
N7 B6 T7.5 Fr7 Fi7
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6/16/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep purplish red. A bit tight on the nose with dark spices, vanilla, gunpowder and pencil shavings. Medium tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Fruit bomb on the palate with notes of vanilla, black fruits, and cinnamon. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2035.
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6/16/2018 - cab blends Likes this wine: 95 Points
A Napa Trio of Cabs (at Home): Very similar to the 40th anniversary with more tannins and a longer finish.
Some tobacco leather on the nose as well. This was a pnp at the end of the evening and especially to compare against the 40th anniversary.
N6B7T8Fr8f8
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4/28/2018 - treesritter wrote: 93 Points
Great. As always.
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4/10/2018 - Brhouts Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine
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2/27/2018 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Every time I open a bottle, I feel like my expectations are so high, that it will inevitably be a let down. However, I am consistently pleasantly surprised that I still love subsequent bottles as much as I loved the original. This wine is still super hedonistic, with fruit, oak and chocolate dominating. There is no harshness or heat with the wine, which I attribute to the intense fruit, rather than a lack of tannin or acid.
Always a polarizing wine, some will find it too sweet, some will find it too one dimensional, and some, like me will find it simply amazing! For me, this wine has the "WOW" factor in spades. It is absolutely delicious with layers of dark fruit and chocolate, and of course, that Caymus oakiness that blends in perfectly.
Although this wine is not cheap, it is definitely a crowd pleaser. I recently opened a bottle for my sister-in-law and niece, and they were totally amazed. They said it was the best wine they ever had! Both only drink wines occasionally, and my niece now thinks Caymus is the end-all be all....my sister-in-law wants me to find some for her, as she said it blew her away and she cannot drink anything else after this wine....I understand they are not connoisseurs, but nevertheless, their testimony speaks volumes, IMO! This, of course, remains one of my favorite wines from one of my favorite vintages, and I am happy I have an ample supply!
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2/24/2018 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fairly dark rose red. Lots of alcohol and mulled blackberries on the nose. Delicious blackberry notes with a subtext of milk chocolate and raspberries. Velvety and rich; alcohol is a bit overly present. Tempted to give it 93 but can’t quite get there.
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2/3/2018 - stephrich1 wrote: 90 Points
Trop boisé, trop chocolaté..troisième bouteilles déjà et pour moi c'est too much. Ma femme a appréciée. La prochaine sera ouverte dans 3 ans en espérant que l'ensemble s'intègre mieux. À ce prix, il y a vraiment mieux!
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12/25/2017 - Randito Likes this wine: 96 Points
Xcellent with the Prime Rib!
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12/17/2017 - pakabear wrote: 95 Points
This was really good upon opening, has gobs of fruit, nice texture, medium tannins, nice balance and finish. Terrific showing.
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11/27/2017 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was delicious! Full-bodied cab, with gobs of red and black juicy fruits. Great structure with soft tannins. Even though the wine is big it’s not heavy. Still in its infancy, 2012 is one of my favorite vintages for the Special Selection.
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11/11/2017 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Celebrating Good Health (R&D's): Single blind. Opens with notes of plummy dark fruit, vanilla, cedar, earth and spice. Some heat too. Syrupy dark fruit on the palate with a sweet candied finish. As it sits the bouquet turns to vanilla extract, brown sugar and plummy dark fruit. Tannins are fine, showing much of the vanilla extract and brown sugar on the palate, remaining dark and syrupy sweet. This has to be the Caymus SS.
Excellent in this style, and I can see why this has fans, but it's not something I'd want more than a glass of.
My #7, Domino's #5
Group #4, 42 pts
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11/9/2017 - Ex-Ray wrote: 98 Points
Very dark and opaque. Huge nose, sweet black fruit, with some oak. On the palate, extremely rich, concentrated, viscous dark fruit flavors, but with some sweetness. Powerful flavors and long aftertaste, an amazing wine. Very drinkable now, but could use a few more years to soften.
Ric
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11/2/2017 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points
366678
Not as fruity as the 08 and most other vintages. More dark chocolate than fruit.
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11/2/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Dark purplish red. Layered nose with tons of cinnamon, blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, and graphite. Super dark palate with heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Big on the palate with tons of blackberries, sweet spices, pencil shavings and black currants. A little anise too. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2035.
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10/21/2017 - Shaun Mondavi wrote: 93 Points
1 hr decant. Dark purple/black robe, nose of blackberry/bluberry, roses, mineral. Mouth is similar with tannins present. Could use 5 years to hit peak.
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10/14/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 94 Points
Dark purplish ruby red. Layered nose with tons of cinnamon, blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, and a bit of graphite. Super dark palate with heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Voluptuous and silky on the palate with tons of blackberries, classis, sweet spices, spices, and black currants. Even a touch savory. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2039.
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10/13/2017 - Ryan.Vento Likes this wine: 95 Points
Plenty of molasses, fig, baking spice, Christmas spice cake, blackberry cobbler, jam, and classic Rutherford dust.
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9/28/2017 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just delicious. Amazing how Caymus can still deliver with their SS and yet fall so flat these days with their regular bottling. Black fruits, licorice, cassis, and vanilla. Really enjoyed this bottle
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8/27/2017 - Dmiller3 wrote: 94 Points
Really outstanding - would drink it up - smooth as silk - no decanting needed, but won't hurt
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8/13/2017 - cirushing Likes this wine: 95 Points
Velvety
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8/6/2017 - sdsull Likes this wine: 97 Points
Smooth, elegant. Sitting on the back deck in Bend with Carl listening to Allman Brothers. Not much better than this.
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7/23/2017 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Reticent nose at first. With some time in the glass I got some menthol dark fruit and some spicy oak. Very nicely put together and at a real nice drinking spot. I dont know what kind of future this holds as it is very approachable now. Silky mouth feel with an absolutely seamless entry into the long sweet finish. Not as overdone as the regular bottling thankfully.
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7/1/2017 - napasoutherner wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine with nose of ripe black berries and graphite. Lots of power on the tongue but this wine is WAY too young and should be held another 5 years at least before drinking.
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6/25/2017 - rashcar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent structure and texture. Still young. Two hours decanting was not enough. I think this early on needs 4 hours or cellar for couple of more years and longer. Good nose with medium finish.
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5/11/2017 - rahul_d_chatter@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
An excellent Napa wine. It has the goodness of Napa and its weakness. What a wonderful fruit! The bouquet shall have you enthralled! Layers and layers of wonderful aromas. Berry, tobacco, love, ego. The rich fruit comes across when you drink this wine. Blackberry jam and long finish. When you drink this wine the world shall make a little more sense.
But this wine has the jammy sweetness of Napa wines. It is so.easy to like this wine. This wine is has the potential of being a terrible first crush. But this wine does not have enough intricacy to want to spend a lifetime with. It's imminent likeability comes at a sacrifice of making this wine intriguing and interesting. Not much tannins to hold interest, no undertone of slight acidity to tease the pallette, not full bodied enough to command respect. This is not the wine that I would want to drink for my entire life, but this may a choice for my last drink.
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5/2/2017 - Opusone99 wrote: 95 Points
Sans prise de notes.
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4/11/2017 - treesritter wrote: 95 Points
Amazing. As always.
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3/12/2017 - Yack Man wrote: 95 Points
Big, ripe very extracted dark red and black fruit, dark blackberry fruit and sweet, very dark cherry fruit. Also showing prominent oak, raisins, stewed prunes, and plums. All ripe fruit bordering over the top. While this is not the preferred style of many, I do like it, despite it being very sweet. 95 plus or minus points.
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2/14/2017 - Ryan.Vento Likes this wine: 96 Points
Love this wine!
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2/12/2017 - Fid wrote: 92 Points
Drank with assorted pastas and filet mignon at MT birthday dinner at Il Pastaio. The nose is very nice. Red and black fruits, flowers and baking spices. On the palate of course there is a lot of fruit given the vintage and the wine. You don't buy Caymus SS for its subtlety (at least I don't). But the issue for me here was that this just wasn't balanced at all. The tannins are not integrated and took away from the experience. It's still enjoyable for sure but I found the 2012 Carter we drank alongside it (didn't catch which specific one) to be far more balanced. Not a great QPR at the moment here.
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2/6/2017 - FJR23 wrote: 92 Points
this may need time to evolve, but it's not providing me the same excitement that other vintages of this wine did in their youth. it feels a bit heavy handed without the lift that this wine can have when it's great.
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1/29/2017 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Same as my previous notes. Drink sooner than later in my opinion. 93 tops. A bit overdone and sweet for me.
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1/26/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 95 Points
Dark black and blue fruit with a touch of red - blackberry, currants, and a little dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with really nice depth and a beautiful purity. As usual, quite rich and a little sweet. Fairly long/deep finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 96 rating with a little more time.
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1/14/2017 - Iceman611 wrote: 93 Points
May be too young. I didn't enjoy this as much as I recall enjoying the previous vintage. Nevertheless this is a great wine. There is a noticeable earthy and plum pit finish that balances the juicy forward flavors.
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1/9/2017 - RayT Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple in color with a wonderful nose. This is an unabashedly rich wine with ripe fruit and a long finish. Decanted this for 3 hours and drank over another hour and a half. This needed a decant but it lost a touch of vibrancy at the end. Would decant only 2 hours next time. This went very well with a filet mignon.
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1/7/2017 - Sunocoblue Likes this wine: 95 Points
never fails..
need a little bit more time in decanter, but wow!
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12/31/2016 - kosdogger Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Indulgent. Not a balanced wine. Like a 2x4 hitting you over the head. Maybe it softens with age but stylistically not for me.
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12/25/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
A full throttled bottle of wine! Much like my last experience, this is a big dark, ripe wine with extracted fruit, full bodied with ripe blackberry, ripe dark cherry fruit, cassis, black licorice, and dark bitter-sweet-chocolate. The last time I tried this wine I popped and poured and it was great so I did it again, but I should have decanted, it would have been better (will I ever learn?). Unlike what most of us have experienced the 40th year anniversary Caymus Cab, this wine is extracted, but nothing like its baby brother, I like it. 94.5 Points and it definitely would have scored higher with a decant. If you don't like them big, don't bother.
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12/11/2016 - LVRowland wrote: 97 Points
Well balanced and excellent wine!
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12/10/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Can't believe I'm giving 95 points to a Caymus Special Selection, but this wine has it all if you enjoy this type of big lovable beast. It's like being a kid in a candy store/bakery. Tons of rich, sweet, complex aromas...with a deep and smooth tannic structure. Wow...you want to smell that wine over and over again. So much better than the 2013, that is more closed and austere.
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12/2/2016 - CabDiver65 Likes this wine: 96 Points
We tasted this wine against the 2009 and 2011 Select. Smoked them both. Very complex and refined. Almost black on the pour. Classic caymus! Decanted for 2hrs at room temp. Blackberry, earthy chocolate, lite oak and vanilla come through this slightly more condensed beauty. Easy to drink with a nice long finish. Every sip gets better and better. More in the cellar, thank god!!
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9/10/2016 - Markus IWC wrote: 93 Points
From magnum bottle. Ink black in color. Seductive nose with herbs, pepper, cigarr, leather, cedar, dark fruit and candy store notes. Minerals, stone, iron and some green notes on the palate. Powerful fruit, potent wine, long!!. Moderate oak, some heat and slightly high on alcohol. BBQ deluxe wine!
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9/4/2016 - bin905 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Improved considerably after extensive breathing.
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8/1/2016 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Classic Caymus fruit bomb.
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7/29/2016 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
PnP, then decanted at 54 degrees, and followed over the course of about two-three hours. Time/Air didn't necessarily mark any significant changes in this wine's overall flavor profile; it stayed pretty consistent throughout consumption.
Signature Caymus SS notes of blackberry and black raspberry liqueur, dark chocolate, charred oak, and vanilla bean hit the palate right out of the gate on PnP. Thick, rich, unctuous, and a touch sweet. This was not as cloying as some of the previous Caymus wines I've had (especially the standard Caymus Cabernet). The SS certainly shows quality in both the ripe fruit and the oak treatment, however (and there always seems to be a bit of an unfortunate 'however' with me and my relationship with this wine), I found myself searching for some added complexity beyond the "bachelorette party red" that this frequently presents itself as.
With some added nuance and more delineated, terroir-driven flavors, this would be in the high 90s for me. But in the end, I think 93 is a fair assessment given the totality of this wine. An easy drinker and a crowd pleaser type of wine for sure. Nothing cerebral about this at all.
Ready to drink now and over the next few years. No decant needed in my opinion.
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6/30/2016 - Neecies wrote:
Big, dark, opaque, super-rich, almost thick on the palate, mouth-coating, viscuous, low acid. Gobby black and blue fruit are accented with the SS's trademark violets and wrapped in velvet tannins. Like drinking syrup. This will have massive appeal to many, but I'm never going to be a fan.
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6/25/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tartrates on the cork...unlike previous bottles. This bottle was similar to my first two bottles, see my previous notes. Curbing my enthusiasm a bit for this.
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6/21/2016 - TheJohnnyV Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened for birthday dinner and decanted for 2 hours. Dark, thick, and inky! This was a well made wine. I liked it, but I'm learning that this isn't my favorite style of wine. Enjoyed with Filet Mignon and was better with the food.
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6/5/2016 - CrocodileCab Likes this wine: 95 Points
So Caymus it hurts. I think this is the only wine in the world I could recognize blind. It Coates your mouth with an almost syrup like ability. Gobs of dark fruit intermingled with the vanilla. I hardly recognize tannins. Ready to drink now, but hear bottles usually age for many years. Delicious, big, fruity, Nap cab. If you're wondering whether or not you are into that kind of wine, this will quickly answer you. Crowd pleasing juice for sure.
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5/26/2016 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is my favorite Caymus SS to date. Still young, but gobs of fruit and chocolate, with velvety tannins that make this wine irresistible! The wine is almost black and sticks to the glass, legs are unbelievable. The oak, fruit and tannins come together very nicely. This wine is not for everyone because the layers and layers of fruit make it less complex than some of the aged wines, but it is sure to please anyone without a discriminating palate. I am hopeful that this wine will develop some additional complexity with time, which, for me, would make it a perfect wine! I think the fact that half the group thought it was WOTN, speaks volumes in terms of style, from those who absolutely love it, to those who stylistically prefer something more complex. Hopefully, with time, it will be everyone's WOTN!
As a side note, IMO, and although expensive, even non-wine drinkers will love this wine!
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5/25/2016 - rocknroller wrote:
WTDS Wednesday Afternoon (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Black, and I mean black color - one of the darkest wines i can recall. PNP, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Incredibly ripe, overripe, framboise, blackberry liqueur, chocolate, kir. The palate is about as high octane as it gets, overripe, port-like, sweet black fruits,vanilla, raisin, blackberry liqueur, glycerin, chocolate sauce. Hedonistic, rich and primary, the definition of a fruit bomb. I'd have not pegged this for cab, maybe a ripe Aussie shiraz, Amarone, or a young Port. Just not my style and very hard for me to wrap my head around. No doubt this appeals to a great number of people and they will score it very highly. I'll keep my score to myself. I found it interesting to read RP's tasting note which was spot on and clearly warns of the style - we just disagree on what that translates to. A polarizing wine. Caveat emptor. Very glad to have had the opportunity to try this - I will say it is approachable now in the style that it is. Curious to see what this would be like at 15 years or so, but I won't hold my breath.
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5/8/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork was red right to the top, it pulled out very easy. A little concerned but this turned out great. Drank this with a filet. This bottle showing a little nutmeg on the finish.
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4/26/2016 - johnbur wrote: 94 Points
Great wine...
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3/26/2016 - treesritter wrote: 94 Points
Wow!
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3/19/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 96 Points
Thank goodness this is by far, superior to the 40th anniversary! An exceptional full bodied fruit forward Napa Cab. Blackberry, dark cherry, cassis, anise, lush, ripe inky fruit heavy, bitter-sweet-chocolate, a Napa Cab in a contemporary Napa style. Some may say its overdone, but you know going in what Caymus is all about and if you don’t like big, full bodied, extracted Napa Cabs, don’t bother with this brand – I like it. 96+ Points and I am in full agreement with Parker on his assessment of this Cab. Not for the faint of heart.
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3/18/2016 - FloridaMizes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep Purple, Tannic, Big Berry, Smoky Finish; Food Pairing: Paired with Ribeye Steak but should be paired with a red sauce dish
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3/7/2016 - Claretman Likes this wine: 92 Points
I try to get over any negativity I feel for this wine after a few let downs with wines from last decade or so. This is inky fruit heavy, sweet Napa can in the modern style. Not much in the way of evolution but a consistent Napa fruit bomb. Others have noted this being significantly superior to the 40th anniversary, I feel its a little more concentrated, but definitely siblings.
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2/21/2016 - hkbob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Inky glass-staining purple. Blackberry, dark cherry, licorice, creosote and boot polish on the nose. Glossy, rich, mouth-filling dark fruit with loamy earth, truffles and hints of espresso on the lush, ripe and balanced palate. Very enjoyable now and should go for decades.
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2/19/2016 - Vineyard Boy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very unique cab. Has a bouquet of chocolate and ripe cherries. Very smooth. I would recommend decanting for 30 min to an hour.
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2/14/2016 - Randito Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened this at Fleming's on Valentine's Day! Dense concentrated black fruit, loads of vanilla, dark chocolate and fine tannins. After an hour and a half decant, layers of complexity revealed some tobacco and leather as it opened up. Paired very well with the filet mignon and cheesecake with blueberry sauce. Shared a small tasting with our waiter whom was a first timer for Caymus SS.
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2/14/2016 - Stffrdtodd Likes this wine: 97 Points
Love this wine. Beautiful finish. Caramel on the tounge.
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2/1/2016 - gew71walsh wrote: 94 Points
Drank in specialty restaurant on a ship in Caribbean (and then over two more days). This was fine over all three days. A rich, black fruit and vanilla dominated wine on the palate. This is much better than the regular 2012 40th anniversary wine. Paired well with beef tenderloin.
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2/1/2016 - Humblewineguy wrote: 97 Points
This is a spectacular wine from Caymus. We paired it with grilled ribeye steaks after a 3 hour decant. Dark, dark red to black in color. After the long decant, the tannins were very smooth. Very fruit forward with chocolate over tones. A little on the sweet side for high end cab, but that really appealed to my guest's palate. Two of the commented that it was the best wine they had ever tasted.
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1/24/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very similar to the regular cab, but bigger, spicier. High quality tannins and long finish. Quite a treat.
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1/23/2016 - SABRCW Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is an outstanding full bodied fruit forward cab. Very drinkable now, but will undoubtedly age well. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I felt that some decanting time did improve it (we decanted for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours before completely diving in) a bit, but this wine is very drinkable straight out of the bottle. Deep black fruit tones with a hint of chocolate on top. Velvety smooth mouthfeel that lingers on through the finish. The nose wasn't particularly notable but when the wine hits the palette you will appreciate just how great this wine is.
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1/21/2016 - seanman Likes this wine:
Not my favorite wine at this pricepoint, but a very good wine. Sweet to the point it tastes more like a desert wine than a cab to enjoy with red meat. Lots of subtleties - and new fruits open up as the wine sits in the glass. i could also taste a little chocolate.
This wine isnt your standard bold cab. More subtle than bold. More sweet than tart.
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1/4/2016 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Vikings actually beat the Packers (Gary and Judy's): This was pop and pour, drank a good-sized glass over an hour. This wine is absolutely delicious. The tannins are so smooth, just silky. It seems completely resolved, gushing with fruit. This is not the so-called iron fist in a velvet glove, this is a velvet glove filled with feathers. Lots of dusty rich chocolate on the palate.
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1/4/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 96 Points
Teeth staining, tongue staining, glass staining darkness, never ending legs, fair amount of sediment. Dense, deep, ripe, full bodied.
i wanted to criticize this wine for its lack of structure but couldn't stop sipping it long enough....so forget it, it seduced me.
Smooth, soft, velvety, just pop n pour it...that is the new Caymus style.....no doubt about it. It's a restaurant/steakhouse style wine now. I see no point in holding this wine, it is what it is right now. Decadent, voluptuous, and so smooth. Drank with a T-bone steak dinner.
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1/4/2016 - For the Love of Wine wrote: 96 Points
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), fig, mineral, toast, oak, bark, vanilla, violet, verbena and chocolate. It tastes like oak, vanilla, light toast, black currant (cassis), blackberry, mushroom, chocolate and sherry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
This was my favorite Caymus SS to date. It was dominated by chocolate notes, cassis and smooth silky tannins. We did not decant, and the wine did add nuances with a little time in the glass. Unfortunately, it was too good to leave in the glass for long! If you are a fan of big, fruit forward chocolatey cabs, you will absolutely love this wine! Hard to imagine it improving because everything comes together so well right now.
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1/3/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Always spectacular. Very smooth, rich, and soft. I have never had a bad bottle of this. Great value. Loads of blueberries, cinnamon, spices, vanilla, heavy cream, and carmel.
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1/1/2016 - M&BWagCellar wrote: 94 Points
Excellent but should be given a couple of years added maturation before drinking. If so, the wine should be even better than excellent.
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12/13/2015 - Terramare Likes this wine: 100 Points
This was in a 1.5L bottle... An amazing Cab that actually changes our expectations somewhat of what a top-rate Napa offering can be. Quite surprisingly, it did not really require any decanting - and for the nearly five hours that it was open, every glass was considered exceptional. Will definitely need to seek out their winery for a visit in the near-future.
PS... We've only offered two 100s in the past five years.
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12/7/2015 - Savannahman Likes this wine: 96 Points
Good, but a bit heavy for me. 12/13/15, opened a second bottle. I am liking this wine better the second time around.
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11/15/2015 - Lazlo Toth Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful opaque eggplant color. Rose petals, cedar, kirsch and cassis bouquet with just a hint of flint. This is a tour de force for those that like the fruit-forward California style, but may be less valued by Bordeaux style fans. So dense and velvety rich, but much more well balanced than the regular 40th Anniversary Caymus. Perhaps the most mouth pleasing Special Selection I have tried though perhaps not the most complex. Requires a significant decant to get to peak integration. Double-decanted and then glass swirled off and on for another 20-30 minutes before it started showing its promise. This is so good now, but will be better in a few years. Has the same fruit profile as the regular Caymus 2012 with a powerful, tongue coating blend of kirsch, vanilla, cassis, dark chocolate and oak. Medium acidity with silky tannins and a much longer finish than the standard 2012 Caymus. The structure of this wine differentiates it from the regular 40th Anniversary. I find that 2012 has a different overall flavor profile than most Caymus vintages with the red fruit, kirsch and vanilla much more prominent than the typical black fruit and specifically cassis that has been a prior vintage Caymus mainstay. Although it comes in a well-balanced and pleasing form in this SS, it has fewer common tasting notes with prior great vintages. Nonetheless, when tasted as part of a vertical with the Caymus SS 2011 (a very strong wine itself), this was the clear winner. I have rarely had such a dense wine that drank so “easily”. I found the regular Caymus 2012 lacking relative to prior vintages, but have thoroughly enjoyed the 2012 Special Selection and would recommend it to those not likely to be put off by its unapologetic fruit-forward style.
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11/11/2015 - MattLA wrote: 90 Points
This is a mega fruit bomb. I think I was expecting too much based on everyone's reviews. I couldn't tell much of a difference between the regular 2013 Caymus Cab and this one.
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11/4/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 95 Points
I truly enjoyed this wine, a lot more serious than the regular cuvee. Excellent tannic structure, combined to a soft touch (an iron fist in a velvet glove!). Beautiful aromas with a very good length. Fresh, it doesn't feel heavy...the only small issue is probably the alcohol level that makes the wine slightly unbalanced...nothing big.
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10/23/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Saturated and a bit monolitic, this extracted, opaque crimson bruiser is loaded with black fruit, vanilla, spice and dark chocolate. With low-to-medium acidity, well-integrated alcohol and big ripe tannins, it delivers its hedonistic payload wrapped in massive sweet tannins and creamy, toasted oak. The middle palate is definitely solid and the fruit-filled finish is long. A Webster's Unabridged "fruit bomb," this is a wine where I personally am not complainin'. Drink now-2030.
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10/23/2015 - grayfont Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intense concentration; tasted alongside the 40th Anniversary Edition to see the difference, which was striking. Very rich flavor profile and intensity and without the flabby soft or jammy side of the 40th anniversary bottling. Delicious.
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10/23/2015 - ungerlei Likes this wine: 100 Points
Well, someone has to go out there and say that even young, this wine is virtually perfect. The color, the nose (wonderful fruit), the texture, the finish. This is wine that you can savor and sip and make it last and last. Some of the special selections are good but a bit lacking in depth or character. Not this one. I haven't seen ratings on it but if you enjoy big, luscious fruit forward cabs, you will not be disappointed. I have had two bottles--in two entirely different contexts--and it was both time a wine that made everyone stop and simply say: "Wow!" Does cabernet get better than this?
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10/20/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
At STK in NYC w/some friends. Always nlove this wine, had some reservations about drinking this young. Splash decanted and drank over an hour.
Dark crimson/purple color. Nose jumps out of the glass, dark fruits, black cherry, spices. Palate of dried cherry, black fruits, blueberry, cigar box, currants, pine, chocolate. Silky and elegant mouthfeel, one of our party descibed the wine a a "cashmere sweater". A little heat on the finish, imporved with some time.
This was (surprising to me) great right out of the bottle, but clearly improved with air time. A big, rich CA Cab with the structure to age well. Excellent wine
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10/9/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at Caymus. Spectacular as usual. $140 from the winery. Love this wine. see previous notes
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10/4/2015 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Right out of the bottle this is excellent, but clearly will improve with time or a few hours in a decanter. The first thing I noticed was the color -- this is about as dark as wine gets! The concentration and fruit here are exceptional, this is an incredibly rich and silky fruit driven wine. I didn't care much for the 2012 Caymus because I found it to be a bit over the top and candy-like. The '12 special selection has more backbone and balance that makes it far more enjoyable and elegant in my opinion. Still, if you like a classic style wine you may not care for this as it's still a fruit bomb at heart. I think it's great though!
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10/2/2015 - 82Latour Likes this wine: 95 Points
Week in wine country; 9/26/2015-10/3/2015 (Napa Valley): Dried cherries, mint, hot nose, spicy, smoky and rich; wonderful complexity, layers of chocolate and dried condensed fruit. Magnificent.
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9/23/2015 - thi nguyen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful nose dark fruit. Palate dark fruit fresh spice . little bitter tanning like medicine but well balanced. Middium finish .Imagine for next 5 year . Will stock if you like fruit bomb napa
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9/7/2015 - conrad01 wrote:
Housewarming gift from Monica Vila
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9/6/2015 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Drank this as part of a bachelorette weekend with some pretty amazing wines. This came on the heels of a 2003 Colgin Tychson Hill and I just felt like it might have gotten a bit overshadowed. This is a big and bold wine and was more in the vein of the 40 year anniversary than not (lower acidity, high fruit, alcohol prevalent). Great to get to try it now, but our bottles are sitting for another 8-10 years so that it has some time to settle.
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8/29/2015 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for about 4 hours.
Nose was huge with dark fruit and spice.
The biggest impression was from the absolutely wonderful balance of the wine. Everything was tied together in such a beautiful way.
Black cherry and blueberry were present along with cigar box wrapped in leather it all was seamless. Add a just a touch of pine forest in there with a finish that went on for quite a while and you have an outstanding wine.
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8/29/2015 - Gerard Tully wrote: flawed
Decanted for 3.5 hrs then slow ox for 1.5 hrs more. Color very deep purple to the rim. Nose was redolent of blue fruit, and entry was of stewed fruit. There was little structure or secondary flavors, while the texture was notably viscous. No perceptible tannins and extremely low acidity, and perhaps the shortest finish I have experienced.
I concluded that this bottle was cooked while in storage at the distributor/retailer, and is not representative of the wine in the least.
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8/2/2015 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Much better balance than the 2012 regular Caymus, though still a fruit bomb. One of my favorites.
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7/31/2015 - CWang wrote: 93 Points
Also allowed to breathe in the open bottle for 1-2 hours first; the nose, thick aromas of ripe dark cherries and elegant spices; the palate, concentrated, creamy, and a bit spicy, dark cherries and wood spices mostly; the finish, long, dark fruits and lots of young tannins of course; overall, 92-93 points at this stage to me; should become more approachable in 5-6 years.
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7/30/2015 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for two hours. Without any doubt, this is the most astonishing, legendary Special Selection of the modern era. So much concentration and poise, yet every floor and mezzanine show with stroking independence. Mocha, blackberry, mint jelly, ground lava rock, blueberry capote and toasted oak. Divine on the entry and long throughout, with viscous, velvety tannins. Such a rich Cabernet. Drink 2019 - 2037.
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7/25/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank 4 bottles last night with friends. 2 had an 8 hour decant and 2 were pop and pour. All we spectacular. As I have said before the nose on the ones had been opened all day smelled just like Blueberry pie a la mode with cinnamon (literally). Its the most amazing nose. Huge blueberry notes explode off the palate with this wine. (see previous notes)
These wines are ready to go now. Smooth as butter. No heat. No rough edges. This wine is always a show stopper.
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7/17/2015 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 87 Points
A friend poured this wine. It was WAY too early for this to be opened up. Jammy, chewy, almost needed a fork and knife to consume it. This needs at least 7+ years before opening but it definitely was showing it's potential
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7/14/2015 - lavalava Does not like this wine: 70 Points
미국 치고는 나쁘지 않음 ...
그래도 미국 미국 ㅠ
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7/12/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Over night decant. Huge cherry vanilla on the nose. It literally smelled like a dessert. This is so rich and creamy. It fills your mouth with such a dense feel that stains your teeth and lips purple. This wine may be the buy of the year of higher end wines at $140. It will steal the show every time. (see my previous notes) I recommend an over night decant.
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7/11/2015 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the real deal. Everything that the 2012 Caymus Napa wasn't; rich, multi-layered and textured, outstanding depth and breadth of flavors. Worth the wait.
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7/10/2015 - PerfectVintage Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted at the winery: Dynamic aromas of mixed berries, cocoa, vanilla & spice. Succulent flavors of blueberries, sweet oak, chocolate and vanilla. A fruity & fabulously concentrated wine but certainly not one dimensional, this wine has tannins like a Klingon Warship, powerful and majestic but properly cloaked and in the end peaceful and friendly.
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6/29/2015 - Niagara wrote: 95 Points
really nice, great value, though I think another year in the cellar might just do the trick ... let it settle down just a touch. But no point in resisting temptation.
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6/14/2015 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 96 Points
flirting with perfection. Big, bold but very tame and ready to drink. Lots of fruits and chocolate intermixed with vanilla and smooth tannins. Just great!
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6/12/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
(See my previous notes) This wine is even more amazing with an over night decant. We decanted for 4-6 hours, poured back into the bottle. Placed it back into the wine frig. all night and reopened an hour before consumption on day 2. Simply stunning. This wine will be so good in 4-5 years I can't even imagine. I only bought a case. I need to get more of this one.
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6/6/2015 - atleastbepolite Likes this wine: 97 Points
Received this from my restaurant after another server's table turned it down after opening because of confusion with the vintage year. Poured almost syrupy, with a deep purple color. Opaque in the glass. Nose of cassis, black cherry, and a satisfying vanilla scent. Chilling complexity. Lingering finish with mocha, savory earth, caramel sweetness, and mild bell pepper. Opened up nicely over the four hours of sipping. Fantastic wine, and I was secretly hoping to come away not impressed, as I usually agree with the typical criticisms of California wine. This was really wonderful, though, and I wish the bottle was given to me unopened so that I could sit on it for at least five more years. An unforgettable treat, the first wine I truly felt as though I was eating instead of drinking. Will seek out older vintages now, where before I never could imagine spending money like this on a Napa cab.
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5/27/2015 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted a couple of hours, then consumed over the next 48. Tasted head to head with 2012 SLWC Cask 23. Special Selection was the clear winner. Unlike the 2012 Caymus regular, this wine was not over the top with jammy notes, much better balance with fruit and aromatics. Make no mistake, still a fruit forward wine. Improved the longer it stayed in the decanter. This is a big winner. Sad the price escalated so much, but I will be throwing more in my cellar.
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5/17/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank this with the 2006 Caymus special selection. I think the 2006 is more along the style of the 2012. At least much closer than the 2010 & 2011 are in style. Both are very dark, rich and very full flavor. The 2012 is much sexier, velvety and silky than the 2006 . The 2006 is massive and in your face and was undrinkable to some in the group but I loved it. I love the 2012 Caymus SS also. Its the best Caymus I have ever had. If you haven't had one yet you need to get one.
My previous tasting notes apply to this wine again.
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5/9/2015 - Slaz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day. Delicious nose with lots of blueberry fruit. On the palate, clearly young, with noticeable tannins and lots of fresh wood/oak. At the same time, tasted much smoother and balanced than Caymus regular bottling from 2012, with lots of blackberry and blueberry fruit on the palate, highly concentrated but not cloying. Should be really good in a few years. I am not convinced, however, that this is a great price/quality ratio (despite the score), e.g., some of the 2010 Bordeaux bottlings should be a much better run for the money.
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5/9/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. We followed a 2005 Harlan Napa Valley reserve and both wines were almost the opposite of each other as the NVR was more like a Bordeaux. The caymus SS came across with huge notes of Vanilla extract, carmel, toffee, milk chocolate and french oak. And almost a sweet taste. Massive rich explosive flavors throughout. This is so dark its almost black and it stains your teeth and lips as well as the glasses. I love this wine. In a few years this will be a 98-99pt wine.
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5/4/2015 - pdemaio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bigger yet more elegant than it's little brother, this is a tremendously powerful wine that is fun now, but should age well. Big red and black fruit is balanced with plenty of acid and mostly round tannins. The tannins should resolve in the next 6 months to year, giving it even better integration. A great example 0f 2012 Napa Cabernet.
Wouldn't be surprised to see Parker hit this with 99 or 100 points.
PDQ95+
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5/2/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Better even than the last bottle. no decant. It won the show tonight against a 2010 caymus SS & 2009 Bevan cellars Ontogeny. Massive milk chocolate and brownies, with espresso through out. Deep, sexy, almost black in color, and teeth staining. What a wine!!! It was #1 among all tonight. People asked "what is this". 97++ . This wine is underrated. I am going to order 3 cases.
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4/25/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Unbelievable for a 2012. Really drinkable, smooth. It was a dark as roofing tar coming out of the bottle. The glasses were stained purple as were everyones teeth. Full bodied but not heavy. Good flavors of dark berries, cola, chocolate, cedar. This will be even better with time. Good value at $150.
On the 2nd day we removed the bottle from cold storage and drank the remaining 1/2 bottle. It was spectacular. Blueberry and blackberry explosion. It smelled like blueberry jam. I recommend an over night decant for this wine before you drink it if you have the time.
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4/20/2015 - Luke Woods Likes this wine: 96 Points
My second bottle of this vintage. Definitely a great wine and I have no intentions of holding back. Six bottles will not last long.
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4/20/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
With a nose packed full of oak chocolate, boysenberries and licorice, the wine is full bodied, lush, forward and hard not to like. I'm sure this will age well, but if you them young and you're in the mood, you can pull a cork for pleasure now.
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4/19/2015 - yeti575rider wrote: 93 Points
Wally's Napa All-Stars 2015 (Hyatt Regency Century City): One of my favorites. Wife thought it lacked a bit of earthiness but I didn't mind. It's big and velvety with a nice sweetness on the nose. Very enjoyable and fun wine. Ready to go now.
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4/17/2015 - kevin23610 wrote: 97 Points
Fantastic 2012 from Caymus. Needs some time to rest. How this only has a 92 rating is absolutely ridiculous. Some peoples palates must be as bad as the Asian Palate Jeannie Cho Lee's.
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4/13/2015 - Luke Woods wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful Napa cab. Needs some time to rest.
If I can stay away.
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2/20/2015 - winoj wrote: 93 Points
This wine has some time on it to increase it's badassery, but as is it's still drinking amazing. The typical velvet that I expect from Caymus was there with a lot of depth too.
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