Lots of negative reviews when released, but this is great now! Smooth tannins, cherry. Agree that it is a crowd pleaser and truly enjoyable. Wish I had more!
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There so many reviews of this wine, I will be brief. It's a powerful wine, excellent in all respects, with rich fruit balanced by medium strength tannins and acidity. It can stand many more years in the cellar.
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mega crowd pleaser. tons of cherry fruit; no hard edges; more medium bodied; sweet red fruit with good acidity; decent finish; i loved the Leoville barton 2000 we had next to this but the crowd favored this by quite a large margin
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Served blind by the host at our monthly tasting group, this was far and away the last place wine of the night. It smelled pretty good, but on the palate was a distracting, cloying sweetness, and a caramel sugar flavor that was better suited to toddlers' ice cream toppings than fine wine. Oh how far the once mighty Caymus has fallen. Disgusting plus!
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Like many CalCab drinkers, I have quite a few Caymus’s in the cellar. And like some of my friends, I had stopped drinking it - overly sweet and blah. So today is a Tuesday, my favorite night to Wine Not, and I decided to pull this. OMG what a difference! Blackberry, tart red cherry and mushroom on the nose. The cloying sweetness? Gone. And is that a touch of anise in there? Mellow black and red fruit on the pallet, much more balanced than before. And the tannins! Smooth, and long long long with gentle touch of …vanilla? I mean the tannins are still rolling while I type this. Maybe 12 years in the bottle was what this wine needed. (PS, I’m a tough grader).
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My last bottle. Decanted it on 1/8/24 for two hours. Went to try before dinner and it had lost all of its fruit, no tannin or structure left. Too bad, because it was a great wine in its prime.
Finished the last one third of the bottle tonight, nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit has resolved itself and become typical Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, a tad less rich than last night, and a long, long, lovely finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit are now gone, rich, ripe, fruity, great expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, mouth filling fruit, and a long, long, lovely finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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Deep red color. Fragrant spicy oak and jammy fruit bouquet. On the palate, massive fruit extract and warm. Almost liqueur-like. Modest tannins lurking underneath, but the fruit totally dominates. Long finish. I know, the Caymus style Cabernet is somewhat controversial, but to me, it’s one that should be considered in the mainstream of the region as the microclimate can easily produces it. However, I understand you may not like it.This is an excellent representation of that style. Drink now or over the next 3-4 years.
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A beautiful accompaniment to the World Cup Rugby final between the All Blacks and Springboks!. SA because the undisputed champions of global rugby with a 4th win! Stunning - now back to wine.
This is still doing very well. The overt blackberry and red fruit nose is gone and the body is also still fruity but no longer over the top. (I like both versions though) It is still full bodied and if you are into powerhouse fruity cabs (like me at times) I might guess this has 2 or 3 more years max left at this level. Still a great wine with cheese and crackers (biscuits in the US)
Lengthy finish HL 4 FD 2 t6
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On the nose: Black currants, iron, spices, black berries, pepper mint, very aromatic.
On the palate: Full body, bold and concentrated. Fruit pie, plum, lots of black fruits and dark cherries, little red fruits, mint, slight licorice hint. Good acidity and good balance. Structured but well integrated and round tannis. Still quite youthful.
Peak for its fruits profile but can be aged. Need at least 5 more years to develope its secondary notes
Medium finish, seems a little too short for its complexity on the palate.
Need at least 2 hr to decant, drank over 8 hrs in decanter, holding up very well.
Very good California cabs. 94 points
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Hold on to every bottle you’ve got. Tasted this tonight against the 2019 and there was no comparison. The 2012 beat the 2019 to within an inch of its life, the 2012 being visually denser all the way to the edges, while the 2019 thinned noticeably. The 2012 has great vibrancy and fresh acidity to go with the fruit, whereas the 2019 was noticeably flat and sweet in comparison. Hopefully the 2019 is just an off vintage, not a trend.
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I'll have to jump in here and report on two tastings of this wine. First was when the wine was 5 years old. As with preceding notes, our group of tasters was widely divided on opinions of the wine. The person who brought said she was embarrassed to have brought it to a tasting. Second try of the wine was a bottle I brought to Jocko's in Nipomo, June 2021. I intentionally brought it to see if it had improved from the sweet, syrupy, concoction we had tasted previously. Nope, it was virtually unchanged and again elicited comments from "Wow, this is delicious" to "OMG, who brought this awful stuff?" I plan to hold my remaining bottle until 2032 when it will possibly be worth $1,000 and I can sell it and buy some good Bordeaux.
I remember the Caymus’ of old, wines of depth and complexity. This was neither. It was served blind, and I thought it was a sub $15 commercial bottling, notable for its sweetness (it tasted as if someone had added a spoonful of sugar to each glass). The host was embarrassed enough to run down to the cellar and get a bottle Bordeaux.
I would not have bothered to write a note, but for the Caymus name, and the astonishing price tag. This is to date the worst (healthy) wine I have tasted this year.
Plum and blueberry with licorice. Would have liked some mineral balance and more secondary complexity after 11 years, but this was otherwise very solid.
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My last bottle (of 8) of what seems like the most controversial wine ever. My final take is send me some if you don’t want it. I like it. Great core flavor and tannins don’t hammer your tongue. Why are there so many haters?
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Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser. Ric
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My first bottle ever of Caymus. Concentrated flavors of vanilla, oak, blue and dark fruits with a touch of oak. Mild tannins on the finish. Lacked structure for me. Had with ribeye steaks. Wife enjoyed more than I did.
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I never thought I was gonna write a comment like this one because my previous bottles were awesome but this one…. crap…syrupy and lack of structure and tannins…I won’t explain more just read previous reviews ( not mine though)….I truly believe that something happened to certain barrels here there is no way that you can have such a variability within the same wine…what happened ?
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Delightful. Upon opening, strong oak, vanilla, dark red fruits. Decanted for 2 hours and even after lunch (3 hours) it was still opening up. Impressive notes, even some dairy hints.
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Dark, sweet, blueberry pie. Strong blueberry fruit on both the nose and the palate. It’s fairly high alcohol but not terribly noticeable given the power of the fruit and sugars.
This wine undeniably tastes good. It’s easy to drink and quite a crowd pleaser. And while it’s really sweet (have I mentioned that?), it did have some emerging tobacco and chocolate notes after a while.
But it’s not my style. I found myself craving more structure, something to grab hold of to help balance the fruit and sweetness. But my girlfriend loved it for all the reasons I didn’t, and you know what? Isn’t that why we enjoy wine in the first place?
My last of the 2012s, and it was drinking very well. Medium+ length finish, and a fruit driven Napa cab. Not a huge amount of structure, so I'm not sure how it will age going forward.
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Much better than a bottle six months ago and several prior to that. It has shed some of its "baby fat" and is beginning to resemble a decent table wine, as opposed to some confection from Starbucks. The overwhelming vanilla is now merely obtrusive. A reasonable amount of fruit shines through, although it's still a little too sweet. It's actually developed some secondary notes and flavors, and it's resonably well balanced. Given another six to twelve months, it might even develop into a wine that's worth its price.
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Glad I held onto this one. Drank very well right out of the bottle and held up for 6 hours. Fruit forward but a nice long finish. Saved a glass for two days and it was still very good. This was the best of the 3 of these I bought as wish I had a few more.
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This is a special wine… to me. I know some people have enjoyed it more and less than others. But, I am unapologetically in love with it. Hope y’all loved it as much as I did. Last bottle enjoyed with a wagyu tomahawk ribeye that I cooked to my preference with precision.
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Lori and Jen loved this wine. One of the best if not the best wine they have ever drank. The vanilla flavor added to the black cherry flavor put it on top.
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Lori and Jen loved this wine. The vanilla made it unique. Very smooth. Nice blend of berries and the vanilla. Jen tastes the mocha flavor as well. Need to find more of this.
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I dont often rate wines but I have to say this is a phenomenal wine. Bought a case when it was released. Only one bottle left. No need to decant Fruit forward, floral bouquet, black licorice, fairly long finish. Age has done it well but probably near it's peak. Amazing with a great Ribeye! My wife says..."It's delightful!"
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Decanted for over three hours. Inky purple black hue. Initial wafts of freshly baked blueberry pie on the nose upon pouring but not much after that. Very unidimensional on the palate. Full bodied, big and full but lacking character. Not much on the finish. Probably past its prime, not withstanding potential bottle variation. Drink up.
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Walked over to a friends house and he open this up. As others have noted, great on pop and pour. Overall this was a wonderful wine. I don’t get to California Cab very much so I am sure that I missing a lot but this particular bottle was firing on all cylinders. Well integrated… Lots of vanilla, oak and chocolate but not in a bad way. Nice acidity. Overall a good drink. If served again I would definitely have another sip.
Haters need to hate Wagner’s stuff….plum integration deep lush velvet …fruit forward yes ….but good and well made. Great for pop and pour and consistency ….
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Pnp, last tasted 6/21, this controversial, somewhat unique Cabernet continues to impressed, very rich, explosive amounts of jammy dark and blue fruit, plenty of vanilla oak, very smooth, silky finish, void of tannins and acidity. Personal note: 14th bottle tasted since 10/2014, 5 bottles left to drink sooner than later while fruit is still dominating!
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Very disappointed in this bottle that was oxidized. It was stored in cooler the entire time I owned it. There was some evidence seepage on the cork making be wondered if it might have been cooked prior to arrival, but that was only discovered once the cork cover was removed. It was shipped in early May 2014, so not sure it was hot enough to cook, but who knows.
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I continue to be impressed with this wine. It is certainly in a special style but for me, it retains a reasonable balance with a solid acidity. It is however still made in a sweet Cabernet style that is not for everyone but there is tension and depth in the wine that makes it interesting and fun.
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Wow! Deeply flavored & “coat the glass” kind of heavy red. Opened up 90 minutes prior to drinking - so smooth, fantastic legs, elegant nose. Tannins are very relaxed, but could have another 10 years of life. This was a wine of the year and lived up to the reputation
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Same as a bottle about a year ago: doesn't totally suck, but it's certainly not worth writing home about. Nose and palate dominated by vanilla, with a hint of cedar. Not a whole lot of fruit and no structure whatsoever. Marginally acceptable as an apertif, but overwhelmed by just about any kind of food. A strong candidate to unseat Cakebread Chardonnay as the king (queen?) of Cougar Juice.
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Not sure how this was stored, as it was a gift, but pardon me while I look this free horse in the mouth: over the hill, with tons of sediment and distinctly pruney notes among the loads of ripe jammy fruit flavors. Not balanced. More like a dessert zin than a decent cab you’d serve with dinner, though I confess I paired it with leftover steak and didn’t hate it.
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I'm a Caymus fan but this is one of their more pedestrian efforts. Overly rich with fruit and the tannins are a bit out of balance making it a bit of a fruit bomb. Still an enjoyable drink but not their best.
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93+ Drank with flank steak. Really pleasing, not too challenging and probably at the apex of its drinking window. Lots of red fruit, soft leather, tobacco, melon and feint honey suckle. Not the cloying jam bomb some don’t enjoy. This wine isn’t challenging or so special, but always a good hang and methinks would be universally enjoyed in group. Not going to hit the heights of some others, but good stuff nonetheless. Took 90 minutes to get at its best and lasted well over the next 4 hours.
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Brought by a friend who was super excited to share it. You either love this wine, or feel like you outgrew this in your early 20’s. It’s kinda like eating fatty, rich food until the doc gives you a speech on your blood work. I have gone clean. I am so far from this, that I can taste quality in garbanzo beans now! Unfortunately, this is how picky or focused I have become. But I have much understanding and appreciation for the love this might bring to others. I was there…One day, you will join me in Marlboro country.. until then, nothing wrong with sweet chewing tobacco. I enjoyed this wine, because of my friends company and his so very kind gesture of love for our friendship.
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Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Given some cellar time, the over the top fruit bomb character starts to fade away and this wine starts to show better balance.
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Grape soda, molasses, and aged barrel scrapings on the nose. Full bodied, the plumiest plums you can plum imagine, a bushelful of blueberries, late showing tannins, dark chocolate, and a surprisingly quick finish. This fruit bomb was fun to drink and talk about. Many people who had it liked/loved it, others thought it was "strange". For one glass, I liked it, but I can't respect it.
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Last bottle. Drank this with dessert, a rich chocolate torte. This can complement that and, therefore, it’s general sweetness and extraction don’t stand out as much. This is a good wine, but I think Caymus’ Special Selection wines are better than the normal vintage.
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Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Chuck Wagner was one of my favorite talks at the Wine Experience. I don't necessarily buy into his form of wine, but I appreciate that while the market and popular opinion has moved against him he's sticking with what he likes (much the way I appreciated Randy Dunn did the same as Napa got bigger). This was served on the colder side and if you are going to drink it now I'd recommend that. It is big and very unapologetic about that. Made with the berries that are almost a bit raisiny at the time of harvest. Perhaps it calms down more with some age? Right now it's a wine that invites just a small sip or two.
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NYWE dark color. Rich plummy aromas with a minty evergreen scent. Lush fruity character with nice purity. Interesting Christmas spices. Generous fruit with some unusual citrus flavors. Soft and friendly style. Not a wine to really ponder as very upfront and showy. Better than expected. A cocktail wine of quality.
1972 first vintage 250 cases, dry farmed & still do dry farm. His dad was 60 snd chuck was 19. 1975 Randy Dunn became the winemaker and stayed for 9 years. david abreu began here too. tried to emulate Bordeaux in 1980s. 1990s began to go for more fruity riper style in 2001 picked later using wrinkeled grapes. slightly over ripe. more upfront fruit and drinks sooner.
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agree with many previous notes that this remains a Napa fruit bomb without sufficient acid or tannin to make an elegant balanced wine - the fruit is predominantly red cherries in character without much complexity at this stage of development - this is a wine that separates those who love over-extracted ripe cabernet fruit from those who love more balanced cabernets
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this is $250 now??? wish i knew that when i opened it. think i paid like $70. that being said it’s much much better than it was 3 years ago. recommend now but not for that silly number.
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I thought this was really special as this was opened last evening for a birthday dinner. 1st off this could easily spend 5 plus more years in the bottle it was thick, syrupy almost chocolate like in presentation. Flavors were rich like bursting chocolate covered cherries while its finish was smooth and transitional. Quite an impressive bottle.
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Very dark robe. Leather, wood and yes red berry nose. The attack was sweet. The acid was medium. The tannins were tame. A well balanced wine. It was a pleasurable experience drinking it. Had filet mignon with green bean salad.
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I’m loving the progress of the aging process on this wine. See my previous notes. Getting more earthy as it ages. Still plenty of dark fruit to go with limestone, leathery, tobacco hints. I hope I can keep my hands off it for a few more years.
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Lovely bottle, plenty of live ahead, it showed more layers after a couple of hours over dinner. Tannins soften with short finish. Not really sure what it is but sugars are somewhat there I mean not well integrated with the fruit.....still enjoyable wine. It reminds me Cabs from Paso Robles.....
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This wine is undrinkable. It’s not even wine. It’s a manufactured grape juice cocktail. To each his own has never been more true.
I guess that the takeaway from so many people liking this dreck is that at some level, perhaps infinitesimal, they will spend less money on wines that I enjoy - thereby making what I like less expensive.
Blackberry pie topped with chocolate flavors with little tannins and a bit too flabby.
Can’t remember the last time I had Caymus, but very glad I only have one more bottle in the cellar. I know my palate has changed over time, as I don’t appreciate the overtly sweet and extracted wines anymore and Caymus certainly falls into this category.
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Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser. Ric
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Decanted 1hour, agree with both the positive and negative-reviews, Amazing how the people who love this controversial cab liked it for the same reason that the negative reviewers hated it.
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Superb Cab. Elegant and perfect addition to celebrate Cristina’s graduation from Notre Dame Prep & Michael’s graduation from Macomb Firefighter academy at The Fed in Clarkston.
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I was not prepared for how fabulous this bottle was. Caymus seems to be generally too sweet for me. This was not. Beautiful right from the start. Pleasant nose, calm subdued middle and nice long finish. Wonderful bottle.
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Très surpris de l’évolution de ce vin. Il y a deux ans il était lourd, sucré sans intérêt. Aujourd’hui il est fruité et bien balancé avec une structure tannique et une finale assez longue. J’aurais jamais cru ça mais c’était ma dernière malheureusement!
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I tasted this shortly after release (and after I'd bought a few), and I was appalled. A vanilla latte with cherry cough syrup stirred in and absolutely no structure. Blech! I opened this one with more-than-a-little trepidation. The good news: it didn 't totally suck. Pleasant nose and, on the palate, the fruit was actually more prominent than the still-abundant vanilla. Good mouthfeel and a good finish. However, if it ever had any tannins, they are long since gone. Serviceable as an apertif or with very light apps, but not at all suitable with even moderately rich foods.
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Nice wine. Beautiful black fruit nose with plenty of overripe fruits, especially mulberry, on the palate. A bit out of balance with little acidity or tannins to back up the massive Napa fruit bomb. Drink now or over the next 2-3 yrs.
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3 Napa wines (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit has resolved itself and become typical Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, and a long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste, photo uploaded.
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Definitely getting better. This wine is maturing and is on its way to becoming great. I can’t say that about the other vintages of this wine lately. Dark fruit but not over powering some spice, rose petal, fennel, limestone, tobacco, and some earthy loamy hints. Again with grilled meats. I’ll try and wait another year before drinking another to see how it continues to age.
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Dark purple color. Decanted for 90 minutes. Creme de cassis, vanilla, milk chocolate nose. Heavily extracted palate, creme de cassis, ultraripe, big, spicy, vanilla, oak, oak, oak. Not sure where this is going to go, but it is very much over the top for me right now. Score reserved, but sub 90.
haven’t had this wine for a couple years. Last time I had it I was kind of disappointed because I thought maybe the wine was starting to fade decided not to drink my remaining stash as I only have one case left. But I’ll tell you what, this bottle is singing. The fruit is forward but not overpowering. It is not flabby and has nice structure with a strong black berry/cherry tone. The tannins are there but are not gripping and not chewy. The finish is long 2 to 3 minutes sometimes more. The alcohol content is not too heavy and it’s very smooth and luscious wine. This is drinking better than some of the other Caymus vintages I’ve had and better than a lot of the higher end wines in my cellar. I’m glad I have a case left I just hope my wife doesn’t find it.
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Last time I had this bottle was 2017 and I hated how sweet and flabby it was. This bottle is quite different. Nose had intense blackberry and oak, palate had well integrated oak, black fruit, and chewy tannins. Silky, chocolate texture. Had a fleeting hint of the sweet flabby fruit that blew off quickly. Definitely feels like it's just getting started. Wondering if Caymus isn't using something like a Passimiento method to deepen these flavors?
QPR 8.5 (of 10)
Aging 2030 at least
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Absolutely outstanding. Decanted for about an hour. A rampage of aromas of eucalyptus, meat blood, medicinal, liciorice and vanilla. Wine was fresh and smooth with a beautiful vanilla finish. Perhaps one of the top bottles of wine of all time. Wine may not improve much more but definitely has many good years ahead of it. Highly recommend.
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Drinking beautifully - very soft fruit and very dark ruby color. No sediment in this bottle, which I decanted for around 2 hours. It was drinking like it still had another 4-5 years of good shelf life.
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I was wrong in my last review. It did get better... but not to a great degree. Less Welch's Grape Juice, but still lots of red table grape flavor. Flat, too much fruit, tannins gone, no depth, short finish. Your teeth get stained but nothing in return.
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Wonderful nose consisting of blueberries, blackberries, coffee, toast and licorice. Well balanced tannins and acidity. Very nice layers of dark ripe cherries, blackberries, mocha, mint and dried figs. This vintage is slightly sweeter than others, but not offensively sweeter. It's a unique vintage, as it should be. I don't know why people are so repulsed by a little change from traditional Caymus vintages, but I like it. I can't wait for the 50th year vintage. Cheers!!!
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Well- I wasn’t sure about this one.. the first one years ago was overripe sweet and over the top for me. Now?? Very well integrated with gobs of cherry berry fruit pie filling, cocoa, toasted vanilla and hints of herb. This has become a terrific bottle of wine. Still a Cocktail wine to me, I’d have a harder time pairing with food but outrageous in its own right and I have to give it props.
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Unreal wine. This was last bottle in cellar, and most recently had a bottle about 6 months ago. So well balanced, super dark, smooth tannins, distinctive hints of cocoa, chocolate, and raspberry. As good as it gets and would recommend anyone who can get their hands on this vintage to do so! It literally blew us away.
Wonderful! This wine has improved over time - i.e. that overly-jammy sweet fruit has mellowed, and morphed into a black tea/ripe raspberry undercurrent. The wine is full and voluptuous - still distinctively a "Caymus" but beginning to become more multidimensional.
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Thanksgiving Day 2020--This was fantastic from the get go. Had a small glass before decant and then it sat for 45-60 min before consuming. I did not experience the overly-jammy sweetness that others have mentioned in their notes. Perhaps time has helped that jamminess fade away? This seems to have mellowed nicely and tannins are well integrated. Super dark in color, mushroom, blackberry notes. Very pleasing. Drink or hold over next 1-4 years.
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I tried this wine 6 years ago and I scored 93 pts., I advised to hold it for a few more years to really enjoy this wine, I could not be more right....I am scoring this wine a solid 95 pts., tannins smoothed and integrated wonderfully, currant, mocha, and violets all over. I truly do not get the controversy about this wine, some reviewers scored this wine 80 ish pts., I do not get it....what I am tending to think is that this wine had multiple batches that were stored /fermented differently and therefore some bottles are so different from my bottles, honestly Caymus is one of the most respected wineries in Napa...hard to believe that they did not discard the bad batches....anyways, this is the beauty of this website we all pitch in our reviews and experiences ...
Continuing to improve. Dark fruit, but more balanced and less jammy than a couple years ago. Excellent mouth feel and long, long finish. Should be really nice in a couple of years.
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A very tasty wine right now. Dark, creamy fruit, currant, blackberry with a hint of mocha and well integrated oak. No discernible tannins so I recommend drinking over the next year or two for maximum enjoyment.
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Viscous inky stuff, this came out of the bottle with a nose brimming of black fruit. Tastes consistent with the aroma. My wife said it was like the mixed berry pie from Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, RI. Hung in there with rack of lamb. This kind of fruitbomb is not my go to, but it is very full bodied and tasty.
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Dandellions of current, with railheads of fig and wafting zephyrs of vanilla with just a 'how do you do" of lavender. This little lion came out with a 'meow" but grew into its roar!
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Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, since tasting 2 years age this has mellowed and smoothed out, oak/wood/vanilla has disappeared, less floral nose more Cabernet Sauvignon nose, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, starting to show ageing potential and deliver the Caymus taste, long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste. 2 photos uploaded.
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Eye: deep ruby Nose: Med (+) intensity, developed. Ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum, cassis, vanilla. Palate: Dry, medium acidity. Low tannins, high alcohol, full bodied. Palate as per nose with addition of chocolate. Medium (+) finish Quality: outstanding Drink now. A decadent wine.
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Had this out for dinner with a bone in berkshire pork chop, broccoli rabe & cherry peppers. Popped and poured it was a medium ruby red with still a nice amount of viscosity left to it whilst swirling in the glass. its an approachable drinker, with a very boisterous nose to it. our table could smell the wine from the glass unclenched. picked up blueberries and a little lemon peel to it. some fruit but more tart. i do wonder however how these notes may have differed with my past ones given we had a good 1 hr wait for our table for six and i know the wine lost its cellar temperature during that time. eight years in and i'd say its on the back half of its useful life though by no means was its legs tired. this one is so curious because the jammy fruit bomb that so many dislike is gone but i'd say somehow given the wine makeup it wont be able to lay on its side as gracefully as other well made wines would. just my 2 cents fwiw.
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Drank from 3L picked up at retail two weeks ago. When opened, the cork was in great condition, with more of a thick syrup coating on cork that made a mess. I was nervous about how the wine was stored as it was vertical on the shelf. The store claimed they just got them in. Overall the wine had no issues and was a crowd pleaser for a birthday dinner.
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Dark overripe blackberry, overripe black plums (or pluots even for the added sweetness), sweet potpourri (roses), vanilla, sweetened dark chocolate. Overall sweet nose. Very lush, almost no tannins, with just a minimal amount of acidity on the top of the tongue, then the underside. There’s spice on the palate (black pepper, not cracked), with dark fruit, less ripe, and most definitely dark chocolate, touch of oak. This worked really well with slow roasted short ribs and that pushed the score higher.
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This wine improved so so much the last 3 or 4 years ! If you need a description for a Caymus cab I can say that is a delicious bombastic hedonistic wine that taste like cotton candy and blueberry pie. The wine is dark and playful and it can become overly sweet as Caymus is very well know for. We had it with Mexican food and a lot of picante and strong flavors and salsas and the wine was singing. This is a wine that does not dissapoint and you know every time what you are getting...and maybe that plays both ways because it is so predictable and to some extent common. It is your typical blond from California :)
This wine was drank with family on the 1st night we brought our newborn son home. I was holding this bottle for a special occasion because this specific bottle has a history of being a celebratory bottle with my family. The 1st time I had the 2012 40th Anniv was on my 1st vacation with my soon to be wife in 7/2014, when the wine was originally released. I immediately bought several bottles at this time to store in my Eurocave. The next bottle I drank was for my 40th birthday in 8/2015 and my 3rd bottle I drank was at our wedding on 5/29/2016. All were very enjoyable, a crowd pleaser, and very stereotypical Caymus.
I detailed my experiences with the 40th Anniv bottle because I want to make it clear that I'm not a Caymus hater, as I know Caymus has just as many haters as it does fans and its a very polarizing wine. This particular bottle was not nearly as enjoyable as my prior experiences. I decanted the wine for approximately 60 minutes prior to serving. The 92 rating is for the initial impression upon drinking, which was totally expected. It had a deep purple color and was heavily concentrated. It had very silky smooth tannins. Initially, it displayed flavors of dark cherry, chocolate and oak/vanilla. It was not a very deep or profound wine However, I had an opportunity to have a 2nd glass after approx 4 hours of air and the flavor had turned into a strong medicinal note, like a cherry Robitussin flavor and was almost undrinkable for my palate, which was totally unexpected. If I were to score this bottle on my final glass, it would plummet to an 88 rating.
It is very possible that my palate has changed over the years. The main reason why I chose this bottle on this night was more for the emotional connection to it and for that it served its purpose. I didn't want to open a wine to deeply analyze, as the night did not call for this type of bottle. However, I am glad that it is the last one I had in my cellar. I am not sure there are any great benefits to aging this wine for over a decade but may be I just caught it on a bad night. I would have a tough time justifying paying the current average Wine Searcher price for this bottle. There are many great bottles that show better that are in the $80 range, let alone at the $190 range.
I hope others that are fans of Caymus have a better experience with the wine than I did on this night.
Dollops of blueberry with just a whiff of plum, this champion had the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery and a finish like a tuba on crack cocaine, crazy and strong. Drink soon or you'll be sorry you missed this solid citizen.
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95 Nose Ripe red fruits, strawberries, flowers, light wood, some kind of herb vaguely like mint, maybe menthol. Taste ripe cherry, vanilla, well integrated oak, smooth but still a pleasant level of acidity. Oak, some chocolate and cocoa, and cigar on the finish. Should be at peak per vintage charts. I'd agree but probably could go a few more years. It is a fruit bomb.
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Deep purple color. Well balanced with soft tannins. A total fruit bomb. Lucious berries, cherries and plums. Supple and jammy. While I prefer more structure and complexity, this wine is always a delight.
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Caymus historically is very consistent. Approachable early. Fruit forward. Lots of oaky vanilla on the palate. Not necessarily my favorite. I like the predictability, just not crazy about the profile. This was no exception. Because this was an anniversary vintage, this was slightly better than other vintages I have tasted. Still fairly oaky however.
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decanted for an hour and probably needs 4 or more time in the cellar to slow down the jam bomb. dark purple ink color and dark berry flavors of plum, blackberry, dates and maybe a hint of dark chocolate. paired nicely with beef tenderloin.
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Decanted 2 hours - dark ruby color; long legs in glass; plum, full bodied and velvety tannins and some acidity on the finish.
This wine had no issues with warmer temps and remained elegant as the evening went on. This wine is perfectly ready to drink, still with a bit of life but not sure it will improve much more.
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Most controversial wine ever, and my scores have been all over the place for the half dozen or so bottles I've had. This was my last and it went out with a bang. Just great. Fair to call it a fruit bomb, but had the structure to support, and oak was not over the top. This was just really good drinking and likely to get better with a few more years yet. Wish I had more. Any haters out there feel free to dump them on me.
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Excellent wine that is drinking very well now. Served on Father's Day, it was medium Bodied, with soft tannins and no fruit bombs in site and a 14.6 alc%. It had an understated fruitiness that is different from other Caymus Cabernets and vintages; It has mellowed since we last had a bottle five years ago. Everyone who had a sip enjoyed it thoroughly. So, it was paired with Wagu steak which was thinly sliced and prepared to perfection. The Wagu steak melted like butter and had exceptional taste, flavor and texture. In my opinion, I would have paired the Wagu with a good Burgundy or a very good Pinot Noir from California. But the Caymus did come through and dinner, with all its accoutrements, was DIVINE!!!!
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Bought a case on release, this is my 4th bottle. In 2015 it was good, in 2017 it was excellent, now it is a bottle for the ages. Sweet mixed berry pie overlayed with syrup of cassis. Upon being open for a couple of hours it develops fine herbal tastes or oregano, thyme, and violet. The taste lingers on the tongue for 50+ seconds. Although the tannins are now supple, this wine will drink well for another quarter century or more.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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More than enough has been written so I will try not to repeat (JOSCH48 on point), it is what it is and was enjoyable enough with a nice steakhouse-style meal. Give 3+ hours air time to peak. Will hold up several more years but not likely to evolve into more than it is now.
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Puffs of plum and piccolos of raspberry and fig, this anniversary trophy delights the nose like a Bolshoi ballerina. Finish is like a Rocky Mountain rivulet, delighting with a wink of blueberry and banana. Ready to drink for sure, my friends.
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There is a massive presence of sediment clinging to the neck, shoulder and beyond, down the bottle. Squid ink color with intense blackberry fruit aroma without bouquet. Thick, viscous, cloying, jammy and unidimensional fruit profile without complexity other than the vanilla imparted by American oak on the finish. If we tasted this blind it would be identified as an Amarone style wine, of indeterminate grape varietal, perhaps a blend of Zinfandel and California Syrah, sweet, devoid of tannin, and with acidity felt in the teeth. There is no complexity in what is tantamount to a science experiment of building a well made wine, but THIS IS NOT A CABERNET SAUVIGNON. This is the last Camus “Cab” we will buy. Those of you who may have tasted the early 1990s Caymus Cabs (under $20.00 going to 20-24 dollars till around 1994, yea I know, ancient history) will know that the wines used to taste like cabs. Why?
Blind tasting May 8. Deep purple with minimal meniscus and high viscosity. Fruit forward with cherry, blackberry, mint, slate, coffee and cocoa on the nose. A bit less interesting on the palate with strong cherry flavors dominating, accompanied by a lighter rose flavor. Long finish but less complexity than expected as compared to others.
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My impression is that this is mellowed version of a fruit bomb. Good mouth feel. Expected better nose, but it was also a bit mellowed/muted. Enjoyed with cheese platter. I say drink now if you still have any cellared.
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This went through a "dumb phase" for me a few years ago, or maybe it was just a couple of off bottles, but it is drinking beautifully now. It is very much from the school of new oak and there is a richness and a warm, vanilla quality to it from that treatment so if that's not your cup of tea, you should avoid with all haste. But it tastes great to me! I would not anticipate 20 more years of aging, though. My guess is drink in the next 10 to be safe.
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Dark and opaque, with a black purple centre and robe, dark cherry rim. Intense nose, sweet dark cherry and black currant fruit, very pure, not a lot of complexity, but very nice. Palate is full bodied, sweet and juicy, loads of dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit, again not a whole bunch of complexity on the palate, but very sweet and pure fruit. Delicious and nicely balanced, but lacking complexity for a higher score. Drinking well, tannins are nicely resolved.
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Wonderful with my charcoal grilled strip,steak. Layers of fruit with a little leather and earth. I suspect that this a very ageworthy wine and in a few years it will show less fruit and more earth. I’ll get back,to you in a year or 2. This has a chance to be great in 3-5 years
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Shelter in Place Date night! Dark color, full body, clear. cran-raspberry upfront then vanilla/oak I middle to end with a Long finish. With its age it is very nice but the flavors are not as robust.
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Killer.... Best Vintage I’ve had from Caymus. Retails about 175.00
Black Current, Mint, Plum, Jam, hard Tannins and nice legs. 1.5 Hours open. Tobacco. Dark in color 14.6 Personally I wouldn’t wait anymore. I have 7 bottles lady and will end them this year.
Opened at 4 pm and for the next 6 hours it was the flabby fruitbomb others have mentioned. I put it aside and we enjoyed a ‘95 Calon Segur (opened a couple of hours before the Caymus) with rack of lamb. I was ready to completely give up on the Caymus, but before dumping it at 11:30 pm I found it to be the wine I had hoped it to be, a seductive, focused Cabernet. The nose was still kind of flabby, but the wine had finally evolved, showing notes of cassis, and red fruits with hints of eucalyptus and vanilla. Long finish. Moral to the story: this wine needs a lot more time in the cellar.
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Opened and decanted at a NYC Steakhouse. Wow, its been 5 6 months since my last bottle of this and what an improvement. Maybe the decant was the key? It sat in the decanter for about an hour before we poured it. I had this alongside a 2013 Caymus Special Select, and honestly, I preferred this bottle. Long finish, medium plus body. Nice nose, and the oak seems well balanced with the fruit.
Gotta say, I did not like wine at all when I first had it in 2014, I found it to be all raisins, currants, and fruit juice and not my thing at all. After all these years, I feel like this wine got some weight to it and became a nice red meat drinker. I will say, this was definitely something to have with a rich dish as it was sweeter on its own than I would like, but still enjoyed.
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From 1L special bottling. Young albeit smooth, ripe , rich, vanilla and soft cocoa. Very much the young modern new world wine it promises to be and especially at this young age too much of everything . Solid 89-90
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Decanted for about an hour, Previous taster said (is this wine?) no disrespect scaredone I actually agree along with the following, thick, rich, cocentrated, extracted, extremely dark, over the top, fruit forward, vanilla, syrup, blueberry pie, cherry cola, jammy, sweet all of these prior adjectives are used by both lovers and haters to discribe the wines of this controversial producer regardless of the varietal and I cannot disagree with any of them. So subjective, wine that is!
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Drinking quite differently now with tawny notes of herbs and soft leather. The fruit was rather absent which was a nice surprise. Drinking remarkable different than prior bottles opened in years earlier.
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decanted for 3 hours and still too much fruit. maybe this needs more time in the bottle. paired well with smoked prime rib, especially with the smoked fatty flavors.
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Very enjoyable even immediately upon opening. Inky black color, well integrated tannins, very nice balance all around. Fully ready to drink now (late 2019). Should hold up for several more years.
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It’s peaked not the typical calif fruit bomb Cabernet. It’s has silky tannins nice casis and berry flavor a little heat on the bouquet but it well balanced a and very enjoyable. It’s enjoyable with or without food. Had the first bottle a few years ago and What a diferencie a few years have made.
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Now I understand the love/hate relationship with this bottle. The word we used to describe it is astringent as in antiseptic. Had a strong fruit nose on opening. Decanted for 2:00. Seemed to lose much of the over the top power (a good thing) but did not evolve into integrated juice. Some enjoyed it so added a few points. I was not a fan.
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I have complained about this wine every time I've had a bottle - except this bottle. Unlike the others, this was not a big, syrupy, fruit-bomb. It was still more fruit-forward and with less sturucture than I prefer, but it was more balanced and complemented our steaks very nicely. 90+
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Dinner at Mountbatten Grill. 2 hour decant. Deep dark inky purple. Pronounced aromatics. Big and bold, almost over the top in its presence. Soft tannins. Concentrated sweet ripe fruit but not jammy and not a fruit bomb. Lots of sediment, but very much alive and showing no signs of fading. A good reflection of a great Napa vintage.
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This is a full-throated California Cab, although not overly extracted. Strong scents of dark fruit, chocolate, and warm spice jump out of the glass, and are followed by a rich, unctuous, texture. Black and blue fruits predominate, but do not seem overly jammy. The slightly astringent finish leads me to believe there is plenty of life left for this wine, as the tannins still provide structural integrity.
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A nose of dark fruit, chocolate and spice, dark garnet in color. A full bodied Cab, with blackberry, blueberry, cassis, dark chocolate and spices on long finish, drinks like smooth velvet, drink now. www.winelx.com
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Not much to add. You either like the over the top fruit or don’t. Given the consistency of flavor from year to year, is suspect they use spinning cone technology; but either way I like it.
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I really liked this wine.. but... you have to know what you're getting. This is an exceptionally fruity, oaky, slightly sweet wine. The nose is like smelling a bowl of puréed cherries. In hindsight, I wish I'd had it with a monstrous grilled rib-eye steak, baked potato, roasted carrots, and a big slice of cherry pie for dessert (with ice cream, of course). As fun as this wine is, it has the subtlety of a thrown brick. Tons and tons of fruit, modest tannins, and some sweetness. The downside is the lack of any real balancing acidity.
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Pop and pour. No idea why people are paying crazy prices for this on the aftermarket but it's a fine $75 bottle of Napa Cabernet. Rich, velvety grape puree on the palate coats every part of the tongue and mouth. Nothing subtle about this, or even their high-end Special Selection, but the taste is delicious.
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I shared this with my wine group at a NYC pizza place. It was a big hit, and may have been the wine of the night. I liked it, and it didn't show the cotton candy notes that I have seen on other vintages of Caymus' Cabernets.
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I fall in the category of finding the wine delightful. Decanted for about 2 hours before drinking. Very smooth rounded tannins, great fruit balance, nice lingering taste although a little short. Agree with drinking dates.
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I pretty much agree with hundreds of comments on this wine here at Cellartracker. People do have a love/hate relationship with this wine. IT has A LOT of oak in it. Some would say this is not a wine but red cherry ink and they would be right. Hyper concentrated, jammy, very oaky and very sweet (though dry) and fruity. Far not everyone like this type of wine but surely Parker does. Since Parker came around almost all of the producers (not only in Napa) are trying to make wine of this style to get his perfect score. U might call it a guilty pleasure but I do like to have such wines every once in a while. Should have had it with a nice rib eye)) Reminded me of Priorat btw.... Give it a try.
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Was very well received at a blind tasting. Some thought it may be Petite Sirah, others had nailed it as a Caymus Cabernet. Very dark. The heavy vanilla nose when this wine first came out has largely dissipated. Still good tannin. The wine still is a fruit bomb but enjoyable.
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Strong vanilla, jammy, black cherry with some acidity on the finish. This is the Caymus style, fruity and very sweet. Very good for the style that it is.
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Upon opening, typical jammy Caymus Cab. However, as the night wore on, the flavor profile turned very rich, overly dried fruit. The cork seemed to be possibly compromised, with streaks of red (one reaching to the top.) I wouldn't say the bottle was corked...but I think something is going on here. I have one more bottle - I think I will remove the foil to inspect the cork, as the glass is a pale green that will allow inspection.
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Had 3 bottles and just drank the last one and honestly this never came around for me. I kept hoping this would mature into something other than another over exrated manipulted fruit bomb. Caymus isn’t what it use to be.
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Pnp. Much more restrained since my last bottle. Not as much of a fruit bomb. But still very fruit forward with hidden secondary characteristics of vanilla, toasty oak yet predominantly the big lush dark fruits overshadow it all. I'm not down with the haters on here as I find this wine has it's place for those that love big fruit bombs. I love my old world wines, but every now and again an over extracted new world beast is a fun change up, especially when entertaining folks that have very primary palates. Drink up...ligthen up...and enjoy.
Maple syrup has less sugar than this wine. What a disgrace to good Napa grapes. (Tasted over several hours of decanting; became marginally better after 1 hour of breathing.) I've been tasting this wine (from this vintage) since 2015 and sadly enough it didn't get much better with age, if at all. I'm glad this was my last bottle.
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Smooth as silk but still has too much vanilla. Everybody at the dinner loved it except for me. I will give my remaining bottles away to my friends who like syrupy wine.
Drink, hold, or give as a present to someone who does not understand wine and be impressed with the label. This wine tastes like a heavy syrup, without any obvious positive benefits, and is not indicative of Caymus. Usually, Caymus is very good to excellent. A pathetic effort. Sorry, but that is the truth.
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If you’re like me and you’ve been drinking old world wines, opening one of these will come as a bit of a shock to your system and senses. But once you settle down with it and appreciate it for the over the top fruit bomb that it is...this is really great stuff. Dark purple in color. On the nose there is every dark fruit you can imagine, dark cherries, prunes/plums, blackberry, dark licorice and cassis, etc. Those scents follow on the taste, where it becomes a bit syrupy like with some vanilla extract and oak. However it’s very opulent and 100% smooth, so balanced and fun to drink. I’m writing this before I eat my steak and I’m sure it will pair incredibly. No complexity just straight up fruit power. Drink now or hold to let the fruit mellow out. Good job Caymus. Ok after supper I’m upping my score to a 94. The nose and taste have evolved. Incredible stuff.
dark purple; blackberry jam, black licorice, lots of new oak; full bodied, very jammy/syrupy, cloyingly sweet fruit; do not think it will benefit from anymore time in the bottle
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Rich, full bodied and concentrated. This Cab is classic Napa with some structure and secondary notes of mocha, cassis and milk chocolate. Not for everyone but really do enjoy this style from time to time.
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Opened this at a party with both serious wine drinkers and others who rarely drink good wine. Lots of reactions, from those who loved it to those who felt that the sugar was rotting out their teeth. I found the nose nearly imperceptible. And while the first taste was good, I found each sip less and less interesting, more and more sweet and cola-like. The family relation to Meiomi was impossible to miss. This just wasn't in my wheelhouse.
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Have been saving this wine for the right time and when the time came, nothing. Very disappointed in this wine. To start, the cork had started to seep through even though the wine had been kept properly. The overall taste was from what I'd expect from a $30 bottle, not that of a Caymus. If you have it, drink it. Dont hold it any longer, it's not going to get any better which isn't much as it is now.
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dark black-purple - no signs of oxidation - hug nose of over-ripe jammy fruit (blackberries, black cherries, plumbs) with surprisingly little oak/vanilla - same jammy fruit in the mouth with full body but relatively short finish - as per previous notes, I'm not sure about this wine re future development, but given the high degree of fruit extract, I'd be willing to give it another 5 years before re-trying
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Back on the good side after a couple less stellar experiences. Still huge, but less cough syrup-like. Good flavor and balance, but still lacks any complexity or secondary flavors. My only gripe.
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Bright red and opaque color. Vibrant nose. Raspberries. Decanted. Very full. Long finish. Cherries, thick, luxurious mouthfeel. Like drinking velvet chocolate cherries.
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This wine takes 2 hours to really develop. The cork was wet on top and took some time to work out. Medium - full bodied the cedar notes and sandalwood came out at 2 hours. The wine has a sweet cloying note that dissipates. I know its contriversial but this wine has attractive cassis notes. The complexity is fair, not enough to warrant a higher score. I don't think its worth the $ 60. I can find wines at less more enjoyable. I bought it originally for the 96 points Parker gave it- my bad.
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Indifferent. For me this wine was not as polarizing as some of the reviews would indicate. It’s also just ‘eh’. Doesn’t really live up to what I expect from Camus which is generally oaky and vanilla. Just not very distinctive.
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Good, solid Napa cab, but perhaps a bit underwhelming vs. expectations and reputation. Fruit-driven, with some odd eucalyptus notes, but otherwise, not terribly distinctive. I will probably choose others at this price point.
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Typical Caymus. Big, bold fruit filled. Nothing distinctive as this is a blend of fruit from around the valley. Inky purple in color. Lots of jammy plum and black raspberry. This has evolved nicely since my last tasting in 2014. The oaky, vanilla flavors have moderated.
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We were wary opening up the bottle because of the extremely mixed reviews. Certainly, it has the distinctive taste of Caymus, but it just drinks so well. The bottle did not need to air out--a good choice to open and immediately pour at a restaurant. It tastes wonderful before the meal arrives, and cuts through and enhances its flavor with strong food such as steaks. Seven years out, it is aging just fine.
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We enjoyed this a great deal. A deep, luxurious purple. Soft fruit on the nose that prompts anticipation of the flavors to come. The pallet was soft with a blossoming excitement of changing fruit. Boysenberry, cassis, mild vanilla.., There seemed to be no end to the changes and flavors possible as the bottle disappeared
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There is not a lot to write about this wine that has not already been written. It is definitely polarizing. Not like the type of napa cab that I typically seek out from the northern end of the valley. Am I happy that I tried it? Yes Am I happy that I only purchased one bottle for the QPR? Yes
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perfect wine for pre-game college basketball, pnp crowd pleaser great color, fruity and candy on the nose great in a paper cup with wafts of flavor on the pate and down the throat no need to pair with escargot, brie, or tenederloin smiles all around cheers
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Excellent wine, worked well for us for home Valentine's dinner. While I agree it has a touch of sweetness, it had notes of graphite and licorice, the fruit was slightly restrained, was quite elegant and smooth without being thin, great finish and nose. Classic Napa Cab attributes, 100% varietally correct. Fairly complex with a lot of depth, good integration and balance. We let it breathe for about 5-6 hours, which will get this where it needs to go in this youthful stage. Pop'n'pour will get you a mediocre outcome. Definitely a great experience with this wine....we came away being glad we opened this today...again...needs air!
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Drank with Kelly for Valentines Day. Overly sweet fruit bomb. Almost syrup-like sweet juice. Not many redeeming qualities. I still have some which we will drink eventually I’m sure, but I quit buying it after 2013.
This was one of four 2012 cabernets for the evening. The others were: Neal Family Napa Valley; Round Pond Napa; A. Rafanelli Sonoma Dry Creek Valley. I know I am bucking the trend, but this Caymus simply did not please my palate. It was too sweet, too oaked, too very nearly port. I'm glad I got to try it, but I don't need any more - it just isn't my flavor preference.
Because you might be wondering... The Rafanelli was the standout for me. It was beautifully balanced, represented the varietal very authentically, had a gorgeous long finish. The Neal was a close second. I felt like the Round pond was not even in the same class. Nonetheless, it was a great night with great friends!
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Could this be getting better in the last 3 years? IMHO it is richer, smoother and fruitier than I remember but not a lot of different notes. Dark and brooding like a Syrah.
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One of my better bottles, very close to special selection quality. Pleasantly surprised and fortuitous to open at Flemings with a rare filet mignon steak!
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Started with cheese and crackers and a Justin Iscoceles and finished with this decadent wine for a beef tenderloin dinner. Mature, balanced with sufficient oak and muted eucalyptus to carry the steak to a graceful conclusion. Hated to consume the final drop!!! Thank you Caymus and happy anniversary.
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Still very big upfront fruit. Lots of oak. Vanilla, black cherry and yes, some hints of cola in this. Still a solid wine if you like the big upfront fruit style. I don't think this needs more time. It's starting to I integrate and lose the tannins.
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Pop and pour. Aromas of vanilla, blackberry, currant, Cotten candy and plum. Flavors of vanilla, maraschino cherry, blackberry, plum and currant. Ends with a maraschino cherry and vanilla finish of 30+ seconds. Pushes ripeness to the ultimate edge and may be too much for some.
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Caymus has missed the mark with their 40th anniversary wine. Of the 3 bottles I’ve consumed, this was definitely the worst. Tasted like vanilla syrup. No other way to describe it. Awful.
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Still drinking well. This has had more staying power than I’d have thought a few years ago. Depth of flavors and saturation of tastebuds in full effect
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When opened the bottle displayed the "Vanilla Coke" flavors that others have described. I vacuumed the bottle and forgot about it for over a week. Tried again and the sweetness had disappeared and there was some OK wine in the bottle. I have one bottle left which i will leave in the cellar for several years to see what happens. Given the huge disparity in reviews there could be some significant bottle variation. I guess at the end of the day you like or dislike Caymus' style.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - This wine is aging very well.
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Bought this for our 40th - enjoyed it, but not really our target for a CA cab. Fruit forward for sure, but I think maybe it is a little too much oak for my tastes. Definitely will enjoy Caymus from time to time, but won't consume much of my cellar. Better options at this price point IMO.
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4 hours breathing time and viola, a fine inky wine fit for an 8 oz filet mignon. Soft, supple tannins melted away with each bite of steak. Shared with 2 others who all had stars in their eyes! One more bottle to go!!
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Served with Wagyu ribeye steak, corn on the cob, roast potatoes. Look: dark crimson, consistent to the rim, showing some density/intensity. Smell: Dark fruit, plum, enticing with hints of things to come. Taste: fruit, mild acid and soft tannins, a bit of pepper. Far more integrated than our first bottle - good richness and finish. A fair bit of extraction. This wine has come a ways since we drank the first bottle in 2015.
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Gave it a couple of hours of air. A bit concerned as the comments & wine is known for being too big. Very dark purple. Pleasant nose. Full bodied but relatively smooth and integrated purple and dark blue and red fruit. Big, but not overdone. Good finish.
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Pure Hedonism. There are Caymus Lovers and Caymus Haters. Pour yourself a glass and enjoy the chewy syrupy texture of this wine. First tried Caymus about 12 years ago, since then I always have some in cellar. Caymus Lover.
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Third bottle we’ve had (others were 3 & 4 years ago). This one had lots of chocolate intermingled with the expected fruit eruption. I’m one of those who neither loves nor hates this polarizing wine. There’s kind of an irony in that this feels overly manipulated, yet lacks structure. That said, it is loaded with flavor components and has an explosive nose, which is why I seem to be in the middle.
One helpful hint for those who have a hard time drinking this . . . Serve it with a bit of a chill (even as low as 50 degrees f). It tames the alcohol & improves the mouth feel without shutting down the aromas. Had this once at a true room temp of around 75, and it was a mess. As soon as we brought it down, it was shockingly better.
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So let’s concede up front that this is a style that causes a lot of controversy. I’m not going to get into the balance vs fruit bomb debate here, rather review the wine for what it is-a (very) fruit forward, full bodied cab with decent length to the finish. I don’t get any of the grape soda or Vanilla Coke flavors cited previously. It presents with typical California cab flavors, minus any Rutherford dust. My quarrel with this bottle is the straightforward presentation. Not a lot of complexity and while it does not bore you to death it does not excite, either. A few sips left open to air for 24 hours showed more of a fruit fade than an improvement. Seems like fans of the style should drink young.
Decanted for 2 hours. I took a sniff and a taste when I decanted and the decant allowed some of the alcohol on the nose and palate to blow away. In general, Caymus makes polarizing wines, and this one is no exception. The vast majority of people either love or hate this wine, not many are in the middle. Those who love the wine appreciate the integration of jammy fruit and oak, both of which seem to dominate Caymus cabernets (whether this wine or Special Selection). Those who dislike this wine, do so for the same reason, often pointing to its lack of complexity and chewy fruit, as well as the oak component. I am part of the former camp who believes Caymus wines rock!
While I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I certainly have a different palate than many when it comes to certain wines, I don't appreciate people who advise others not to buy a wine based on the reviewer's palate. Nor would I advise anyone to buy this wine based on my palate. With that in mind, I would like to note the following based on my palate and experience: First, I disagree with some who claim Caymus wines lack complexity. While I admit, I can see where some people would appreciate a wine with layers of complex flavors, I would also submit that sometimes there are complex flavors that are akin to cooking, i.e., a number of ingredients put together in the right proportion, and cooked for the right time, and then sitting for the right amount of time that allows a uniquely complex flavor that cannot be duplicated any other way. I submit, in part, that Caymus fits at least partially in this category, in the sense that no other wines are built the same way or have the same flavor profile as Caymus. As to whether you will enjoy that taste, that is up to each individual palate. I can say it has been my experience that more people love it than hate it, and that it is typically a very friendly consumer wine, even for non-connoisseurs.
As for this particular wine, I find it a couple notches below the Special Selection and a notch above the normal Caymus Cabernet bottling. I am not sure if that is attributable to the vintage, or if Caymus used some of their better barrels that would have normally gone into Special Selection in their 40th Anniversary bottling. The nose is perfumed, with hints of violets, lavender and chocolate, as well as blackberry and cassis. On the palate, their are jammy fruits of blackberry, current and sweet plum, as well as dark chocolate and sweet oak. I would like to say it has a long finish, but I always find myself taking another sip before I let the finish end (for me, the wine is that good!). It is a full bodied wine with velvety tannins (not as velvety as Special Selection, but not too far off). As I said before, you should try this wine yourself to see if it is in your wheelhouse. For those who love big fruit-forward wines with chocolate and sweet oak, they will love this wine (and Special Selection even more). This wine goes well with meat or on its own! Cheers!
It's been a couple of years since the last bottle, and I don't remember being overly impressed with that one. Tonight I decided to decant for a couple of hours before serving, so I missed the grape jelly and went right to vanilla. Very disappointed; it was like drinking vanilla soda that happened to have some Cabernet mixed into it. A couple of guests really liked it, but guess that shows everyone is different. My experience was as memorable as drinking a two day old coke that went flat.
Bcoup moin pire que les gens le deçrive et que je me rapelle avoir gouter ,le coté gateau a vanille a bcoup baissé meilleur integration du bois, un vin tres riche ,bcoup de fruits cuits,bel longeurtannins charmants.je m en acheterais pas un autre mais avec des burger sur le bbq c était ben correct
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I was not a fan when I first tried this a couple of years ago. After opening I let it breath in the bottle for about 6 hours before tasting. Much of the "jamminess" I found last time seems to have subsided. Lots of dark fruit, plum, dark bing cherry medium to full body. Much better than the last bottle I had, very enjoyable.
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At first it was all grape jelly and then it improved to be all vanilla. Seriously - that was an improvement. While better than 3 or so years ago when I first tried it, that's not saying much. It is still overpoweringly fruity and loaded with vanilla. A little hot though that calmed a bit. The underlying flavors were ok - blackberry and ripe cherry though I didn't need the cherry coke flavor. It's still a mess.
Still in the column of those that like this wine. Eminently drinkable, and while it's definitely a fruit bomb it's fun to drink. Still a long way to go, so no rush.
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The fruit is overwhelmingly ripe and admittedly overextracted. Lots of sweetness, almost like a port. Somehow my prior tasting in May 2017 was materially better.
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Deep and dark purplish red. Lush nose with vanilla, cinnamon, blueberries and a touch of graphite. Medium bodied with medium tannins (6/10). Similar palate with black fruits, spices, vanilla and a touch of bark. Medium to medium plus finish. Drink till 2028.
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A Napa Trio of Cabs (at Home): The classic fruit bomb Napa floor cab for me (or at least it fancier brother Special Selection is). For me this was the first standard Caymus that emulated the Special Selection although with a little less body and intensity. I am sure I will read the winemakers story one day.
Cinnamon on the nose and lovely late tannins on the palate with darker red fruits. Decadent over extraction with vanilla tones. The finish is slightly shorter than expected and moves it to 94-. Maybe the age is beginning to show? That might be a concern and given I have another case to go I should watch carefully.
I love this as a before meal with cheese and then again after dinner (it is a little too fruity to go with steak for me). For those who don't like fruity stay away.
N6 B6 T7 Fr8 F7
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Decanted for 3 hours. Drinking beautifully at the moment. Very jammy and fruit forward. Had in a flight with an '08 Bugay Empress cab and 2012 Chalk Hill cab. Although this was a Welch's grape juice fruit bomb when compared to the other wines in the flight, it still has its own intrinsic charm. When the mood strikes I find this to be a fun drink. I really expected this to be the WOTN considering the crowd I was entertaining but the Chalk Hill had it beat.
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Yes it’s decadent, not subtle, but why « bouder son plaisir ». Ripe fruits, intense flavors yet smooth in the mouth. Like others said: mollasses taste( in the long finish)
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My wife is a huge Caymus fan so I bought a case of this. Did not enjoy the overly sweet fruit extravaganza a few years back. Was hoping it would be a bit more approachable in time. It’s okay. Certainly not worth the cost, but my wife is enjoying it, so what the hell. Still too fruity. Overly ripe cherries and a syrupy sweet menthol flavors. A bomb on the tongue, but a touch more balanced now than a few years ago.
My wife & I were shopping at Central Market last night and couldn’t help but notice they were serving Caymus BTG at the bar. Needless to say, this got me in the mood for some good ol’ Wagner family juice. I figured I would open a ‘12 up since I have a half-case stashed away, just to see what we’re looking at. Rating will no doubt improve with decanting but as a P&P we have the usual sweet Fig, molasses, baking spice, Rutherford dust/dirt, blackberry cobbler, and rich plums.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Strawberry jam and full of fruit.
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Hmmm. I see all the CT controversy. I have only a few Caymus in my cellar, and all those are gift bottles. Not because I've avoided Caymus - just haven't searched them out either. So I'm probably not qualified to weigh in on the controversy. Just approaching this as any other bottle, I'm enjoying the ripe plum, cherries and who knows what else on the attack, but there's little to no nuance following, and I'm left with some heat on the back end. A great gift, that's very much appreciated - but this is not something I'm going to track down for a few more bottles.
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This is by far the most written about wine on CT and opinions vary greatly. I fall a bit in the middle. A 2008 Caymus was my first cult wine and over $50 bottle so I have a soft spot for Caymus. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2008, 2009. and 2010 Caymus. Even the 2011 was one of the better bottles of a poor vintage. The 2012 Caymus is a different animal all together. There were 122.000 cases made! That is a mind boggling number. For any business to double production of its main product begs the question of how to maintain quality. I believe the truthful answer is it can't be done. Caymus has always had access to great Rutherford fruit and is the hall mark of its wine yet when you make that much wine something has to give. Caymus has always bordered on the sweet side and 2012 fruit was riper than normal. I believe Caymus purposely erred on the sweet side to appeal to the masses and newer wine drinkers to sell those 122,000 cases. I enjoy great fruit but as I have drank more wine and especially more expensive bottles I want nuance in my wine that this does not provide. With that said I served my last 2 bottles of this wine to my family for Christmas and as newer wine drinkers they enjoyed it quite a bit.
I've oft thought of Caymus as the wine for those bold of wallet and slight of taste. The 40th Anniversary cabernet challenges that line of thinking. Recent assertations that the wine is simple, syrupy, and past prime are off. I agree that immediately upon opening the wine is a mess, but after a 30 minute decant the berry and oak give way to subtle tannins, structure, and depth. After an hour a velvet smoothness and persistent finish evoke. Drinking well right now, but not in danger of passing peak.
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Way too fruity for my taste. Cherries, blueberries up front with very little to back it up. Not very memorable. Don't get the feeling this will develop any more.
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Coludn't agree more with the majority of comments on this version of Caymus Cab. This drinks likes and over-extracted low-acid Zinfandel. Served it with simple roast chook and veggies. It delighted the sweet Zin fan at the table and that's who I suggest you open it for...
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So sad to see this great vintage go. This bottle has a special place in my heart as I drank my other 2 bottles on special occasions with my family. That being said, you know wine always taste better when you are amongst family.
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This bottle will always have a special place in my memory so I am biased. I agree with most of the comments: fruit bomb, over extracted, one dimensional. I think this bottle has improved with age but my palet is different and I think I have lost my taste for the Wagner’s recipe and price point.
Big juice bomb but it’s Caymus so what do you expect. Some sweet oak but not a lot of toast. I get minor minerality at all. But it’s layers and layers of luscious fruit.
So I took this bottle to a blind tasting with the theme: family-owned-for-more-than-40-years California cabernets. Goopy and sweet and I knew that but hoped some more into New World wine than I would enjoy it, but no they didn't and in the end I was embarrassed to have brought it. (In my defense, I'd ordered better options a month earlier, but because of the fires the seller was unable to ship.)
One of the poorer Caymus vintages and it is fading quickly. There is not enough fruit to support the amount of oak that this wine has seen. Instead of the classic Caymus bright, taut wine we are left with rather generic cherry, vanilla, and oak. Drank next to the 2008 vintage and the 2008 is a livelier wine. Drink now.
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After reading previous reviews, I didn't know if I'd find a 75-pointer or a 95-pointer. A rather monstrous wine, super-concentrated and seemingly super-ripe, big and sweet, like a thin red port. A cigar would overwhelm it, but this could be paired with a Cigarillo! I couldn't find the characteristics of a great Cab here, and I tried a few times. Interesting, but ultimately tiring. Taken to a tasting event to gauge others impressions. Most actually liked it, or at least said they did... 88 is my cop-out score.
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703 tasting notes to date is surely a testament to the popularity of this producer but the product in the bottle is becoming a disappointment nevertheless. This wine has not developed one iota since my last rating (90) six months ago. Still a sweet, blueberry pie fruit bomb with no complexity. I'm going to save my remaining bottles for several years in hopes that the fruit will fade and reveal why I paid north of $65 for these. Got caught up in the 40th anniversary hoopla.
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Easily the worst Caymus I’ve ever had. It takes all the vices of previous vintages and amps them up. The wine lacks balance, it’s sweet, cloying, lacking sufficient structure to balance out the persistent flavors of a highly manipulated wine. Awful - Caymus is laughing at us all the way to bank.
I am literally speechless. I have been drinking Caymus and Napa Cabs since the 1974 Vintage. I met Chuck Sr at the winery many years ago. Caymus was one of the bright stars of the late 70's and 80's. How far they have fallen.
I'd honestly love to have a conversation with Chuck Jr to see what he was trying to do and what exactly went completely wrong. This wine is a hot mess. It honestly tastes like a sweet $15-$18 Syrah or Petite Syrah and I'm not sure if I would have identified it as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine is black/purple and is so sweet I literally had one glass and I was done. I can't even drink this. My remaining 3 bottles are going to some wine shop that I will trade for something else. We drank a 2013 Kobalt last night which was amazing that I gave 94 points to. This wine is not even in the same Universe. I would have never imaged a winery of this status could even release a wine like this. It's an utter embarrassment and if Parker gave this 96 he has sold out completely because this is garbage.
I can understand why a lot of people would not like this wine. That said, I enjoyed it very much. I like some vanilla notes in my Napa Cabs, this was a little heavy on it. I think some of the fruit bomb has faded with time and it will probably continue to. Drank with my family who does not collect wine and they really enjoyed it, paired with really nice dry aged steaks on the grill and it works.
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This wine is apocalyptic. Imagine the product of the husband and wife team of Willy Wonka and Bjork, this is it. Utter swill with zero redeeming qualities. Thoroughly enjoy Caymus Zinfandel, but this is a toxic collision of fermented grape Hi-C, corn syrup, charcoal briquettes and aviation kerosene, just a syrupy mess and an affront to all senses. Is this what Caymus means by their 'signature style'? Good grief. Purposely keeping a bottle hidden for the future just for amusement and to see if it miraculously becomes drinkable by humans. Clearly generating polarizing reviews here on CT. 69 pts is flattering.
Syrupy blend of Welch's Concord grape jelly, black pepper, and grain alcohol. New world wine best served to those with immature palates and/or for whom the label will impress.
Updating my review after a new bottle was opened 3/13/18: wine has improved with some time. Velvety cocoa, coffee and strawberries emerging... still too syrupy for my palate, but definitely evolving into something more interesting.
Purple fruit - dark cherry, currants, blackberry, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration. As usual, quite rich and sweet especially for a cab - although I would imagine there is a decent percentage of syrah or petit syrah. Nice flavors of dark berries, vanilla, and a little spice. Fairly long finish but also quite sweet. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Not much improvement with time but appears to be at a nice drinking point. Interesting that Parker rated this vintage 96 points. I guess he appreciates this sweet, rich, extracted style more than I do. Still a solid wine but I believe more in line with the 91 rating from WS.
Enjoyed the last two nights, nose of black cherry, black berry, touch of tar, and plum, same on the palate, fruit driven nose and taste has greatly declined, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is starting to strut its stuff, still 2 years to peak drinking window, should easily age 20 years, paired with Caramel, Sea Salt Chocolate from Ghirardelli, flavorful, medium/long finish or the score would have been higher.
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Oh how I wish I had bought more of this. Such intense flavor and volatile nose. Deep purple color. The only criticism i would make is that it's a trifle "hot" with alcohol.
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The Vanilla flavoring imparted from the aging process of this wine has softened a great deal since the once dominant position that I thought it had in the bottle in the first few years - and the result of laying it down for awhile seems to be a much more subtle flavor profile of baking spices and vanilla, while the body is still round. I found that lots of dark fruit greeted me at entry, with the power and velvet exit that we have come to expect and love in a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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First night I thought it sorta sucked. Fruity, hot, discombobulated. Second night was very smooth and sweet with well structured tannins. Third night was maybe even a tad better as the tannins smoothed out further. Overall I'd like it with a good long decant and am going to sit on the rest for a few years to see what that does. Maybe the sweet fruit will settle down a bit.
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Deep purple/red color. Aromas of black berries, dark chocolate and wood spices. Thick, tongue-coating fruit in the mouth with very good depth and a long sweet finish. Unlike many tasters I found both the oak and the tannins to be fully resolved and well-integrated. This delicious wine may well deserve a higher score with another few years of bottle age.
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Deep purple black. Ripe blackberry, vanilla scents Ripe dark fruit vanilla, moderate but integrated enough alcohol
I failed to identify this wine as the 2012 Caymus. I thought it was a 2013 Napa Cab/blend.
I think this is good news. This wine finally seems to be settling down a little (But, just a little). Yes this is still very very ripe and oaky, but calmed down enough to consider with dinner. For its first 4 years it was simply too over the top to be considered a wine. Always a crowd favorite. Is this really $147 a bottle now?
Vanilla , still very young and will benefit from some cellaring. Some pepper notes and berries. Very strong and forth coming. Decanted 1 hour and should have waited probably another 2... Still very nice , yet alcohol was on the front.
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I purchased two bottles of this wine ( almost out of personal protest) because of the 40th anniversary. I used to buy this back in the early 90s when it was a very nice and respectable Napa Cab that put a flag in the ground and pursued a style. in my opinion it has pursued a direction that caters to a newbie consumer and not a veteran of the Napa cab evolution. Almost two years ago this wine did not get a rating or comment out of me, with deference to the history of the family and my respect for anyone making a cab in napa today. I must say that today the wine has lost a lot of that syrupy grape over extracted sweet vanilla oak thing and was now drinkable , even enjoyable with my dinner guests as one of 3 wines served with heavy pupus. it worked and i will now acknowledge that this wine is better this year than last. thankfully I don't have another bottle so I will not be able to report on the evolution of this wine. Drink it now if you have it. it could get better as the fruit fades but then what...... very confusing .......
As others have said, this actually seems to be getting better. It's not quite the syrupy, sugary, blueberry jam that it was a year or two ago. Lots of heat on the nose still. Aromatics have become slightly more complex...I get more secondary notes of cedar and smoked meat as opposed to a fruit bomb. I know it's mass produced, but the texture on this is still very nice. Silky. More full bodied now, and while not overly complex on the finish, it's nice when paired with the right dish. Will be curious to see how my remaining bottles evolve over the next few years.
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Frankenwine. You can tell that the grapes are of good quality - so i'll give them that. However, it is an over-extracted oak bomb. I would consider serving to guests who are peripheral wine drinkers because they would probably enjoy it.
Decanted for about an hour, thick, rich, cocentrated, extracted, extremely dark, over the top, fruit forward, vanilla, syrup, blueberry pie, cherry cola, jammy, sweet all of these prior adjectives are used by both lovers and haters to discribe the wines of this controversial producer regardless of the varietal and I cannot disagree with any of them.
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Relative to my prior tasting in 2015, this has improved considerably. The style is admittedly ripe but last two years have put more flesh and added more balance to the syrupy mess this wine was in 2015.
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initially I thought about pouring down the drain, just not my preference in wine, too sweet, contrived. However, I finished a large glass on the 3rd day after opening and by then I have to say I enjoyed the wine, it was in better balance and some of the sweetness seemed to have mellowed. 84 first two days, 90 on the third. I'll rate it 88 and assume consumers give it a good decant.
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The last time I tried this wine was in October of 2014. I recognize the wine as being about the same as it was then. Notes of cola and blueberry pie with spice and acidity in the background. I took this wine on a trip to the beach and forgot and left it in the car in the sun for a day. I decided to go ahead and open it to see if any damage was done. But, I don't think it was based on my notes of 3 years ago.
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Drank over 3 days via Coravin. Nice Caymus Cab. Rich and velvety on the palate. Lots of fruit with just enough heat. Well integrated and balanced but may improve slightly with age. Great value California Cab
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Inky purple color. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, cassis, and lemon zest; the influence of oak is very apparent here. Even though this wine reached 14.6% in alcohol and has defined legs in the glass, the weight seems medium to light. The dark fruit flavors are juicy and very sweet, while the mid palate is a bit hollow. There's fruit here, but it's over extracted and appears forced like from a sangria. One would probably not characterize this wine as structured and the finish is not particularly long. This does not constitute the greatest effort from one of the iconic Napa vineyards.
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Decanted and enjoyed over an hour Fruit and earth filled my nose. At first sip, the experience starts with an amazing gentle fruit wave, followed by layers of flavors that fill and cascade taste buds, feels heavy and soft and smooth as is finishes down. Will mellow a bit more, but I love the balance right now.
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This style of wine clearly chooses fruit over nuance. There's not a lot of complexity or finesse, no minerality, no subtle hints of forest floor, graphite, mocha or leather. Just up front sweet cherry/blueberry pie. That said, it was enjoyable for what it was and I look forward to seeing how it develops over the next 5 or so years.
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(Home Wine Dinner). Drank with chocolate mousse dessert after a couple of middle aged Bordeaux with the main meal. More integrated than my last tasting-- the fruitiness actually did well under these circumstances. Still had that prominent vanilla and oak base, but was not overbearing.
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A fruit bomb with strong hints of vanilla. However, it has enough balance to be really enjoyable. It could probably benefit from another year, but its very drinkable now.
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Better than the last time, maybe due to the 3 hour decant. Still a fruit bomb with no backbone but the syrupy sweet vanilla taste has subsided more this time...who knows with this one. I have a few more I'll hold for kicks...
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Overly-extracted, fruit bomb. Skinny, fast legs, entirely too much fruit, syrupy. Looks like blueberry pancake syrup; tastes like slightly-thinned Welch's grape jelly. Finish rough and weak; tannins gone. Considerable sediment in the bottle. We have had cheap Merlot we liked better. I want to get rid of my last bottle, but I'd be embarrassed to give it away or sell it, and I don't like the idea of throwing $60 down the drain. Maybe I already have....
Drink this now? There's no way it will get any better.
- Slow forming legs. It's unbalanced with a full body. Bright texture with a medium finish - Rich in blackberry and vanilla. It tasted brighter than I remembered and was a bit rough on the edges. It did smooth out a bit after an hour or so.
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Fruit bomb. This smells like jam and chocolate, and with pasta tastes like dark chocolate. Knott's boysenberry syrup. Vanilla. Oak. Black and white pepper. A touch of tannins. Cinnamon. Black licorice. Raspberry. Blueberry. Blackberry.
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BANG! Chocolate, dark cherry, velvet, luscious. This is a crazy deep and dark wine which is lovely and decadent. It's not for everyone but I think it's exceptional. If you like the "dirty socks" vibe you will hate this. I have now opened this on four occasions and 90% of the people I opened it for have said it is "the best wine they have ever had"
Add me to the side that's loving this wine. Changed a lot since my first bottle in 2014 (this was my 4th), but now second consecutive mid-90 after early "cough syrup" review. This was great stuff; big, fruity but with the underlying structure to support and long. Drank over three nights (liter bottle by myself) and it didn't fade or get pruney at all. I'm sold.
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My 8th bottle from this vintage. It has improved over time but I believe this is about as good as it is going to get. But still a disappointment from this winery in a great vintage. The volume of wine they make may be impacting their ability to mass produce in the same "caymus style" for which they used to be so consistent. Luckily, I still find their Special Select to be consistent and well done.
This has really mellowed over the past few years, and in doing so has revealed much is lacking. Overpowering sweetness and viscosity has dissipated and what is left is tastes just a bit off.
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No doubt it's fruit forward but the complexity and depth shows through now as if did a year ago. To me this has new world written all over it. I enjoy a Bordeaux as much as the next but the comparison isn't appropriate. As far as Cali Cabs go, hard to argue this one's rating down.
Decanted for 45 minutes. Aromas of blackberry, currant, vanilla, mocha and cherry. This is big and jammy with flavors of blackberry, cherry pie, current, boysenberry and touch of plum. Ends with a 35-40 second finish that echoes the blast of fruit. Can see why some people don't like this because it is new world to the max but there is no denying the wine has structure, even if it is all fruit.
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Jammy but better than when it was first released. I think the overbearing vanilla will eventually disappear as it balances out. Still, I like this wine.
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Drank at Cab night w/ wine club. Awesome bottle. Very dark purple, almost black. Nose of cassis and dried plum skins, not a very boozy nose at all. Before aeration, plum, black fruit, some cherry pit. After being open for a few hrs, became very jammy and sweet, almost port-like, and the already mild tannins were in the background. Big pleaser for the majority, but some folks really didn't like it due to the sweetness. Easy to drink this one without food accompaniment, due to the very mild tannins. A very easy drink
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Mega purple dominate, no complexity, syrup and fruit. Sure it's a crowd pleaser, but so many other wines I'd rather drink. Was hoping time would help this wine, but I don't think it will. Big name but isn't worth it
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Ugh, this is awful. I think it got worse. Taste like someone trying to make wine from cough syrup, grape vinegar, and molasses...with a hint of ass sweat. Have two bottles left and not sure if I am embarrassed that I want to sell them. Even the fruit bomb lover in our group hated this one. Yet, the bottle was gone in 45 min...with no help from me. Go figure.
Decanted for two hours. Very deep ruby color. Flowery nose of cassis, vanilla and pencil lead. Concentrated, port-like, dark fruit and cherry on the palate. While both acids and tannins are to be found, they are only background notes to the remarkably robust fruit. A lengthy finish that remains consistent with the initial blast of fruit. I enjoy many different styles of wine, including this one. But if I were expecting and wanting a typical Cali Cab, I would be disappointed. On the other hand, as a good after-dinner wine to serve with chocolate, this could be a delight.
Fruit and vanilla bomb as described by others. Not sure what, if any food it would pair well with. Would be 90+ if it were half the price but the QPR is way out of line. Just my opinion because I know many out there love it (and they sell a ton of it). I had a 07 Honig the previous night and it blew the Caymus away.
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PnP. At first I found the fruit & oak too over the top for my liking, even though I enjoy rich Cabernets. This was similar to other tasting notes criticizing this wine as a "soda pop" version of Cabernet. But after 30min the flavors settled down noticeably, and I actually enjoyed the bottle. It was a hit with my guests.
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Hugely extracted, heavily oaked. Pretty one dimensional. Has a pretty full mouthfeel and a medium+ finish, but not something I'd go back for. 2012 seemed to be a vintage where this bottle changed. The 2010 was more elegant, to my palate, and a much better wine.
I think it's pretty well made and the fruit is extremely focused. I love Napa fruit bombs but I think this is an 87-88 point wine living off of its pedigree (instead of what is in the bottle), which is a shame because every time a vendor takes me to dinner someone wants to order this. Poor QPR.
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Pop and pour with a perfect cork. Nose of ripe black fruit and vanilla. Bright red and black fruit on the attack, with a fantastic unctuous mouthfeel. No green notes whatsoever (which is a plus). Moderately long finish with a hint of licorice. Went very well with our grilled steaks. Drinking very well right now.
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Big juice bomb. Not a good wine but fun to drink kind of like watching a Will Farrell movie. It's not going to be a great movie, but you might laugh a bunch. Same with this wine. Just quaff it.
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Drank at Thanksgiving. This is typically a good party wine. I have been drinking a bottle of this about every six months and they seemed to be getting better each bottle with the syrupy sweetness residing. This bottle was not as good as the one before this. Drinking this next to a 2012 Justin Isosceles did not help as it accented the fact that this has no complexity or depth. Was hoping this would continue to develop but pretty sure it will not. This is a one trick pony and if you don't like fruit bombs this is not for you. Like most I am a fan of the 2010 Caymus.
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had a few sips at lori and vinny's thanksgiving day party. not overly sweet or syrupy. on the other hand, rather one dimensional. apears to be developing rapidly. unfortunately, was drinking out of a plastic shallow bowl wine glass, so probably was not able to experience more nuances in the nose and palate. will wait a few years and continue to watch notes from others before drinking my bottle.
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Consistent with all of my prior tasting notes on this wine. It almost could be a dessert wine as there is a sweetness on the finish of blackberry cobbler and a scoup of vanilla ice cream on top. This wine would make a great syrup at IHOP to go on pancakes. All that said, I always enjoy drinking it. You just need to appreciate it for what it is and you will like it. If you are expecting an intellectual wine drinking experience, you will be disappointed. Pop and pour. Drink now... probably won't improve with age.
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Very primary with copious amounts of fruit balanced with hints of vanilla and leather. I guess this is what you call a quintessential Napa fruit bomb. The wife really liked it. She chose it over a 2010 Opus One. I wasn't as impressed but liked it enough.
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I've had this bottle a couple of times and it was even better this last time. I think the additional aging really brought out even more richness and smoothness. Drank with friends at dinner and all 4 of us loved it.
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You get a little some-some extra than what you expect!
It has an explosive nose of chocolate, liquorice, vanilla, cask!
The palate has all the above and then some green bellpepper and Cassis. The heat showed itself after 3 hours and somehow disintegrated the whole shoobang. But it is lovely when a bit chilled.
Delicious Napa classic
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, raisin and raspberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish.
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Kind of sweet. Very fruity. Not something I would buy again. Fortunately, I have had other vintages that I enjoyed, so I'm likely to try other vintages in the future.
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This wine is getting better with age. Can't wait to pop another about 3 or 4 years down to road. This wine has brilliant bold color and depth in complexity and flavor. Every bottle I open is a little better than the last. The hard part is to make it last and only drink a bottle of two every year.
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syrupy and fruity the first night, sat overnight, and better and softer on day 2. Better nose, deep and dark color, opaque, more integrated, more spice, much better. Still has a bit of a sweet finish, but better.
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Well, still fruity and syrupy, but definitely tamed from the last tasting 18 months ago. I really don't think this is going to get any better with time. Just not a good vintage for Caymus. Much better players at this price point. Drink up if you have 'em.
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Decanted for three hours. Very dar in color. Very very fruity with mild syrup taste. I thought it would subside over time. It did, but did not go away.
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Tasted at WL from a magnum, not heavy, tannic, good fruit, needs to develop but much better than my last taste of this wine, will try again if I get a chance
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The second of six bottles. The first, drunk about a year ago, was awful. It was mainly syrup. This bottle was still not good wine, but while the taste of syrup is still there, it is not prevalent as it was a year ago.
I stick to my theory that something happened to a significant part of this vintage's production/storage/shipment. My bottles are no good. I have had this wine on 3 other occasions from bottles that were sourced differently. On all three occasions the wine I tasted was a 93-95 rating experience. That tends to prove that my reaction to the bottles I have is not due to my taste preferences.
18 months since last try - still over powered with fruit flavors. Taste of blueberry pie(which I love) - just not in my wine. Bold & fruit forward - enjoyable but still a little too over the top for me.
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Well I had my second bottle of this last week. The more I drink it, the less I want to buy more, and the more I think Caymus is letting wine drinkers down with these unbalanced blends. This bottle wasnt particularly good. The fruit had an overripe taste, and honestly this thing really is tasting more and more like a desert wine...and less a wine to have during dinner. This seems to be the "fashionable" bottle to order at dinner. Gonna have to change that moving forward.
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There is a sweetness to this wine that I don't care for at all. Not sure what the residual sugar is, but seems high. Otherwise wine is dark and brooding, with deep almost rotten plum notes, and a thick, dense mouthfeel. Can't get over the recurring impression that this is more reminiscent of a concentrated kids drink (like dehydrated Welch's grape soda) than a fine wine. To me this was borderline undrinkable. Gave it an 80 because others at the table were not as offended by it as I was. Maybe there was something off with this bottle, but didn't really seem flawed, just not good.
My first try with this wine found the bottle to be a bit tight with the alcohol kind of over powering. I believe this needed some age and definitely needed time to breathe. Big, bold cab for sure. I have more that I will save and try down the road.
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A Bordeaux it's not, but a very good example of a fine California Cab. Drank half the bottle tonight so we'll see what tomorrow brings. For now still very fruity with primarily dark fruit, but well integrated. Chocolatey finish with balanced tannins. Would have liked a bit more acidity. Don't think this has a super long cellar life but a couple of more years will probably put it at its peak.
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Has mellowed since my last bottle. Still chock full of spicy, extracted dark fruit. Almost zin-like. A big hit with the birthday crowd. Everything amped up in an unabashed style. You'll either love it or hate it -- but I'm in the middle -- can appreciate it for what it is but tiring to drink over the long haul.
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Loads of sweet blue and purple berries, some toasted oak torrefaction notes, touch hollow mid-palate, low acidity, hot alcohol. This was about as expected, drinkable enough for a style I don't love. Not scored. 14.6% abv
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After reading reviews I had low expectations for this wine. Not sure why the criticism because this wine drank exceptionally well. Big fruity notes and velvety smooth finish. Lush, rich and complex. Excited to see how this ages.
My wife, mother-in-law (whom I like) knocked off 2 bottles for the 4th of July. This wine is controversial and gets a bad rap for residual sugar. In fact, it was a perfect foil to the sweetness of my wife's awesome baked beans and sweet warm potato salad and my BBQ ribs and chicken.
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Very deep red color. Notes of anise and black cherry on the nose. Very fruit forward. powerful wine. Nice for an evening by the fire. We really enjoyed it.
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An entertaining wine, not a serious one. From a 1 L on a P&P. Touch of wood out of the box then the blueberry syrup flavors start. A honey, jammy follow up, made me think of waffles and ice cream and some of the big McLaren Vale wines.
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Pnp. Much better than the last time I drank this. Not the fruit bomb it was. This still has very powerful fruit but much more in balance. Have a feeling this will continue to get better with age. My third bottle and each has been progressively better. Drank about 6 months apart.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), cherry, medium toast and oak. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry, strawberry jam, and plum. The body is full. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Inky purple with staining tears. Medium intense still developing aromas (though a bit of cooked jamminess there) of cassis, boysenberry, blueberry, and a hint of minerality. Vanilla and othe oak notes. Lots of sweet, ripe fruit supported by medium plus acidity and tannins, though just supported. This wine is drinking fine now and may not have the backbone for a lot more cellaring.
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The 12 is getting better with a little more bottle age, loosing just a touch of the slightly over the top vanilla, and the forward fruit is integrating. Of note, the 07 is really starting to shine as well.
My all time favorites to date remain the 02 SS and the 08, but the 07 and 12 are pulling into a close second tie with the 08.
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This is what Parker was talking about! Really deep, cassis-first flavor, and any over-oaked, cough-syrup overtones were gone. This drank fantastic over three nights under pump. Not sure why the variation for me (last bottle was all cough-syrup) if it's aging well or just bottle variation.
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I know the Wagner family of wines has a signature vanilla flavor, I just can't help but love this wine. This bottle is very much a stereotypical fruit bomb and demonstrates the very essence of a Napa cab. Big, in your face with immediate flavor, and not apologetic about it. I see this as a collectors wine, RP rated 96 points. Quite frankly am surprised about the negative commentary I read here, but that's one of the great things about wine... Everyone's taste is different!
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Decanted first, enjoyed with dark chocolate cake and raspberries. The wine looks ruby colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture with a medium finish. Tannins are very soft for a wine of this age. Have 3 more to enjoy in the coming years.
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Confused on my expectations for this Cab. Cellaring has made it better than a 16 months ago. Still very fruit forward. Initial bite with almost lifeless notes dominated the tasting pour. After 10 pitcher to pitcher swaps the bite disappeared with fruit dissipating a bit to the background yielding to more expected cab notes. Will give my stock another year. Should last longer than 2020 though?
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I do not wish to rate this beverage as a red dry wine. As many mentioned it is very sweet. I would ad the first day it tasted unnaturally chemical and not grapy. I forgot about it for 2 days then tried it again. I admit the wine added some complexity and became drinkable like cab. still ... I fell in love with Cali Cabs in 90s and one of the first wines I loved was 1994 Caymus with other Caymus abs from 90s and 2000s. This is going a different way to satisfy different palates. Very sad.
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First of all, if there was a durability factor given to wines, this one would score a perfect 100 and be given a Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken award. Stored in a closet for a year under less than ideal temperatures then transferred to a cold refrigerator for 6 months until which time I noticed its cork had lost its integrity showing signs of seepage. There was a dried cold oozing of spillage coming from below the foil. Upon inspection, the sides of the cork appeared fine, leading me to believe the spillage was coming from the very center of the cork unseen to the top, something I have never experienced before. Now out of the fridge, I cleaned up the grime on the neck, noting that the spillage from the bottle "only" amounted to leaving the wine level inside at slightly higher than the base neck. I then stored it on its side in the living room for another 5 days at room temperature allowing the red syrupy coloring at the top of the cork to dry with no further spillage seen. On day six, we opened it......Powerful nose, sweet hints of oak and spice. Black cherries, smooth and chocolaty on the palate with a long finish. Slight hints of maple and oak mid palate. Firm tannins with a long life ahead. Sealed tightly in a Pellegrino bottle and drank excellently over the next two days. note: cut the cork at mid section, revealing a thin pins head sizeof dried wine leading from one end of cork to the other in the very center of the cork, kind of like a thin gold vein. Other than that, cork was completely clean. 92
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This fruit bomb will never be loved or appreciated by people that do not like fruit bombs. That much is clear and this has more fruit (and vanilla) than any higher end Cabernet that I have had. However, that being said, with time in good cellar conditions, this wine has improved markedly. The vanilla coated kirsch in the front palate has calmed down, the mid-palate has started to develop some chocolate earthiness and finally, some of the silky smooth fine tannins are starting to emerge from behind the fruit. Lots of toasted sweet oak wraps around a wine that at first was simple, but is now starting to show more subtle complexity. When I first opened this, it was the most disappointing Caymus I've had and probably scored in the 87-88 range. It has morphed into a crowd-pleaser as long as you don't expect a Bordeaux style Cab. It will probably get better over the next couple of years as the fruit integrates and the wine becomes more balanced.
Big juice bomb. Parker's palate is going or Parker is a sell out.
Remember the "Mr 305" song "juice box juicy"??
This is that wine. Serve it for those parties. Don't get me wrong. Those parties are fun, but this wine is not an oenophile's wine. This is a Pitbull's wine to drink in a Miami hot tub.
It is what it is. Closer to an Australian Shiraz than Bordeaux (by far). If you like Shiraz, you'll love it. If you like Bordeaux, probably not. As far as Napa cab - well, its not my cup of tea but it's a delicious fruit bomb.
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While this wine is clearly polarizing, I absolutely loved it! Full bodied Cab, massively fruit forward, concentrated, round with rich dark blackberry fruit. Notes of dark chocolate and cassis..Classic Caymus Napa Cab with even more extraction. Wonderful finish that goes on and on with a chewy like mouthfeel. Really fun to drink and share with friends...just not every night.
Delicious, as always, I enjoy the 2012's right out the chute because of how rich, suave, and bold they are. Yes, they have great aging potential but sometimes I don't want to wait. Lovely notes of fig, molasses, and blackberry cobbler.
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I have waited patiently to open one of my bottles as I have seen all the controversy over this wine. All I have to say is that I am very disappointed. Fruit bomb with no character. At the end of the night, this bottle was half consumed! Bottles opened 2 hours later were finished.
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Don't agree with all the hate for this wine but that being said, for the price I was expecting a little more. It is an easy drinking cabernet that some will like and some wont. It does have a "sweetness" to it but it didn't bother me that much. If I had only paid 25 bucks I would feel a little better about it.
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I'm sorry to contradict so many other opinions on here, but this wine is total crap. It is so doctored up that you really can't tell whether or not its a port or a cab. I would really love to see an ingredient statement from the winemaker, as there are so many chemical and color additives to this wine that it makes it undrinkable with food. Most of our group thought it tasted like crap, except for one member who only likes sweet dessert wines. Unfortunately I have 5 more.
My rating may seem a bit high, perhaps due to my lack of experience with Californian cabernets. But I do love this wine. Yes, berry attack, but strongly underlined with pâtisserie notes from chocolaty to caramel and sweetened whipped double cream. Soft tannins, well made, alcohol is not overpowering at all. I would like to drink all my bottles now. But then again, I'm curious as to how this might develop. Any ideas, fellas?
Decanted, on initial tasting we both noticed cola. This had a certain sweetness of dark fruit with a very short finish. We have a few left, curious to see how this ages.
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these bottles are all consistent good quality but tend to be way to fruit forward, while not describing as a fruit bomb as it is more complex than that concerned that the big bottles 3L may not develop like I had hoped.
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Heavy stuff : YES . Heavy fruit : YES. Heavy barrique : YES But if you are in the mood for that one night, and I do sometimes, then it is perfect. Be sure you have company....you cannot drink it all by your self.
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Good thing I popped this now as the cork was faulty and allowed some seapage right on past the cork. Under capsule was sticky and wine stained.
Tasted on opening and it was still OK. Decanted 2 hours. Still a Purple-drank, Vanilla bomb. Super smooth and integrated tannins. Always a crowd pleaser though!
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Not the perfect experience I had hoped for. The 2011 was a far better wine, but I suspect that the bottle might have been somewhat spoiled. It was far too mild and non-descript for this winery, but I couldn't find any other obvious faults with it. It was just a bland wine.
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Rich, purple color, with slightly viscous & smooth texture in the glass (bottle had thrown some sediment, but poured carefully w/o issues); aroma of black currant, cinnamon, pipe tobacco, & blackberries; black currant, smoke, & plums on the palate, accompanied by an earthy mineral quality; solid grip, driven by well balanced alcohol and tannins; a "big" wine, representative of the Cabernet Sauvignon genre at its best.
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Big, intense, rich, jammy, plenty of sweet plummy, raspberry, currants, cassis, low structure, acidity and tannin. Not for everyone, can t say much more but drink soon!
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Shared this with Friends at Olive Lucy in Morristown NJ. This wine followed the first wine which was a La Rasina 09 Brunello. This was noticibly thicker almost syrup compared to the Brunello. Nose of cherry coke and vanilla. Plenty of wood at play here. After an hour the wine settled in and it drank fine............. Big ......but fine. This overwhelmed the Paella dish which is saying something about its overripe blackberry mulberry flavor. I read one review which used the term manufactured and I think I agree with that as a tasting note.
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Boysenberry syrup from IHOP. To most that might sound gross for wine, but I've had this 40th Anniversary so many times now I know what to expect. Prior tasting notes I have referred to this as blackberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Call it what you want... It is unique and unlike most Napa cabs. Caymus must have wanted to make something that stood apart in 2012. As a Francophile who has had every first growth from 1982, I will go on record as saying... I like this wine. Just have to be in the right mood to drink it.
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Big juice bomb. Has over notes of blueberry syrup like you might find at Cracker Barrel. I'd score this lower, but that would be an artifact of my own aesthetic and without regard to the fact that it seems to always be a crowd pleaser.
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l Was a hit at the party which is why I chose it. Much smoother and less syrupy than first bottle. This is much better without food. I am a big Caymus fan but this is my least favorite year. Great bottle for parties without serious wine drinkers. Score reflects that.
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Chocolate nose. Allspice. Nutmeg. Cinnamon. Grape. Chocolate. Vanilla. Silky finish. A little hot. Perhaps some beef and salt. Raspberry. Maybe a 92 instead, but I really like this wine.
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My seventh bottle from this vintage and still steadily improving. My first score was an 87 - and would have been lower except the wife liked it. Tasted like grape juice to me. But now this vintage it is starting to blossom into the more traditional "Caymus Style" cab I know and crave sometimes. But this is a sweet one - "chocolate in a glass" as the wife calls it. But that is what you hope for and expect from Caymus and why they have such a following.
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Discllaimer: first up, this was a wine brought to my house by a friend and I do not like this style of wine although I have been a fan of Caymus wines in the past - generally a long time ago and when they made very different wines - think the 1980's. While I appreciate that many people could enjoy this wine, I personally do not and feel that the overly ripe fruit will show a distinctly pruney character in 5-8 years, much like many of its ilk already do. I'd simply advise fans to pay close attention to how it ages and drink regularly lest they miss the best drinking window. Different strokes and all that, but no-one likes prune juice (unless you're constipated).
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Took a while to open up, but was good. I agree with some other reviewers that it's not really a food wine. I wouldn't purchase again, but was happy enough with the bottle we tried and enjoyed.
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Overhyped , jammy , and tastes the same vintage in vintage out . Don't get the fuss with this house . There may have been a time but this wine is mediocre at best .
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Super jammy and hedonistic. Easy to see why this wine is so polarizing with that being said, I did enjoy it. Not sure how it will age, but certainly needs to calm down some. Needs at least 5 years in my opinion.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like burnt, cedar and black pepper. It tastes like forest floor and black pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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A little spice and oak on the nose. Tons of oak, black fruit jam, and vanilla on the overripe, round palette, and a little sweetness. Moderate acidity, silky tannin. Crowd pleaser, but I can't get behind this. Modern styling taken to an extreme. Needs more structure and balance.
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It's okay as a pop and pour if you want a dense, fruity cab and very purple teeth. Drink it within a few hours. I kept some to try the second day and it lose what little mojo it had. There are better cabs at the same price.
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Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a three year-old Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser. Ric
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PnPnV - 30 minute decant. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, finishes with a deep concentration of fruit and a hint of tea leaves. Drinking well at the moment, needs some more time to come together. Will try one again next year and see.
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wow, caymus what happened? This wine was flat, no depth. Nothing but fruit and very sweet. Not our taste at all, and not what we were expecting from Caymus. Wondering if this is actually Caymus wine at all, I know the bottle says it, but still?
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I was hesitant to even try this given all the reviews. I can see both sides of the argument. Darker than expected, pouring very thick almost like a petite sirah. Nose had cough drops and oak, vanilla, typical of a young caymus. Palate didn't seem overly fruit and tannins had started to integrate. Wished I had decanted, though. Cherry coke, marichino cherries, cherry Luden's cough drop, cough syrup, vanilla, oak, cream soda on the palate. Agree with,some reviews, that this seems manufactured. Mrs. Ball Coach liked it, and she hates overly fruity wines....go figure. Will be interesting to see where this goes...next bottle will wait til....2017 at the Earliest.
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One word sums this up, and that's peculiar! Mild nose, with extremely strong flavors of plum and vanilla. This is extremely "port like", which isn't bad but no where near a Caymus Cab.
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Crazy how the quality fell off in such a great year, loads of dark fruit, sweet vanilla oak and tea, lacks mid palate, acidity, complexity and fell apart on day two which doesn't speak well to it improving with age...
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This is so bizarre. I have watched the battle rage in notes here and other sites. The wine is so atypical. More like Barbera than Cabernet and, to me, bears no relationship to Napa. Yet, some people love it, some call it grape juice or soda pop. I cannot help but think there is unprecedented bottle variation. How else could Parker score what was in my bottle 96. Not possible.
Big juicy cabernet, not as good and satisfying as it was a year ago. I definitely don't think this is a long term wine. Better to enjoy sooner than later. Round, rich, jammy...once in a while :)
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This exceeded my expectations, I was very mixed about buying a case as the initial reviews were all over the place. While it is not my style, a bit too over extracted and fruity over the top, it is somewhat balanced. It might be interesting to blend this with a thin Syrah.
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To my taste - seems this is overdone. Odd nose. Cant describe it. Seems like a lot of fruit juice. I bought a case. Drank a couple. Will wait a while to try next one, maybe it will settle out a bit. Some of the 2012's just seem to be average at best in the medium priced category.
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Not the Caymus profile I know and love, way to fruit forward like your average mass produced grocery store cabs. I have a few more bottles so I will see if they develop but my instincts tell me to consume these now and be done with them. Not sure how Parker gave this a 96.
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Not hard to see why this is so controversial - a caricature of the house style, it has plenty of richness and big fruit flavors but there's a jammy, flabby feel to it which is over the top. I prefer other vintages of the regular bottling. Tasted alongside the 2012 Special Selection and the difference was striking, as to be expected.
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It's been a year since I last tried this wine. Decanted and drank over two days. I was really hoping that there had been a significant improvement in this, but unfortunately, any improvement was really insignificant. In spite of the overwhelming aromas and flavors of vanilla extract, and over the top, overly ripe, sweet black fruits, there seems to be some evolving earthy component that was not present a year ago. It did show a slight improvement on day two when paired with some red meat; however, there really isn't much in the way of notable structure and acidity, as the wine comes across as a big fat fruit bomb. This is just not a style I enjoy, but I've had many past vintages of Caymus that have been much more restrained and balanced than this. Unfortunately, I'm not very optimistic that this will show significant improvement
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Nice showing tonight, appears to be some bottle variation, given the mass production of this wine not surprising. Paired tonight with Peking duck, very nice match, the sweetness of this cab paired nicely with the richness of the plum sauce and the gaminess of the duck. This cab had plenty of smooth dark fruits, vanilla notes add a much need complexity boost. Enjoyed by all!
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At first thought it was going to be pretty good, but after a few sips, more like the kool-aid critics have talked about. Too sweet, no heft. Not unpleasant but very atypical for Caymus
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Uncorked and decanted for an hour. Barnyard, almost corked smell and unpleasant aftertaste. Was going to flush it but decided to wait. Gave it another couple of hours and the unpleasantness was gone. It developed an enjoyable black fruit with woodsy undertones. Tasty but, I expected much more from a 40th anniversary release from Caymus.
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Totoraku Night (Totoraku): Very very young. So fruit forward right now. Should balance out in a few years. I probably won't touch my other bottles til 2018+.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, blackberry and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Better than a few months ago.
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Had multiple times before with consistent notes. I rated tonight lower because I wasn't in the mood for blackberry cobbler. I wish I had opened a burgundy instead. Still a unique wine that could pass for IHOP syrup to put on a stack of pancakes. I could drink this for breakfast instead of a hearty dinner meal.
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I enjoy Camus in most vintages, but this was a bit of a letdown. Very simple cherry and vanilla profile and a lot of oak smoothness. Quite generic and boring by the end of the bottle. I am not excited about the prospects of the wine improving with additional time in the bottle, but I hope so.
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Color is super dark purple. Poured into large cab glasses to breathe for an hour. Drank with prime rib eyes from costco. Dark fruit with a strong vanilla taste dscribed in some other reviews. A lot of heat, I suspect more than the 14.6% alcohol on the label. There are a lot of better cabs at this price point. Glad I only have two bottles left. Not sure more time in the cellar will change things.
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Don't know if time in the bottle has improved this, but my second bottle was less sweet and syrupie than the first. Something seems to have settled a bit. Quite good and hit of the evening among a number of other really nice wines.
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The oak masks much of the varietal identity of the wine so that the predominant flavors and aromas are all oak driven. Seems well made so I presume that was the intent. Not my preference.
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Nose of cherry and brown sugar with incredible concentration and intensity on the palate. Full bodied and ripe, rich and highly extracted fruit. Again, about as big a fruit-bomb as I have ever had. Not a food wine. Simply overdone glop.
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While I agree with some of the posters that the fruit is overly sweet at this point, I disagree that the wine does not have stuffing for aging. This is my third bottle (over the last 12 months or so), and while the style of the 2012 is certainly over the top, there is plenty of tannins and well-balanced acidity to cellar the wine. I seriously doubt the wine will not improve in a few years. I will also note that 2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is a major and remarkable, albeit much more expensive, improvement over this regular bottling.
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As long as you can get over the sweet tones then you will like the wine. A definite step backwards in comparison to other vintages. Such a shame to have an off year when everyone else had a great '12.
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I bought 6 bottles of this late last year and have been watching the bifurcated reviews with interest. I had a glass of this wine at a dinner from a bottle brought by another guest to a party a few months back. That glass merited a rating of 93-95. The bottle I had tonight was syrup.....awful stuff. If the cause is my wine room, how do you explain that I opened a bottle of top cabernet a couple of nights ago, and it was terrific? That bottle has been in my wine room for years, not months. I have also had at least 3 other bottles of various reds over the past ten days from my wine room that have been up to expectations. Only one of those bottles have been in my wine room for less time that the bottle of Caymus I opened tonight. The source for my bottles is a reliable retailer from which I have purchased countless bottles without incident. I find it hard to blame their storage or shipping based on this past experience. I have had my share of wine that tired before the time forecast by the pro reviewers. I have had bad corks (in fact had one over the past couple of weeks with a French white Burgundy). I have kept a few bottles too long that were tiring when I drank them.......my fault. My experience tonight was none of the above.....what I drank was not really wine. I can conjure up a handful of explanations of how this all happened, but they all center on Caymus, storage of a large part of the production before shipment, and, possibly the transportation of a large part of the 2012 production. I do not believe the bad reviews come from people who mistreated the bottles, are bad reviewers, or just do not really like the style of cabernet associated with Caymus. I hope that Caymus is trying to understand what got off the rails here.
This feels like a softdrink with alcohol. Just tons of sweetness but no backbone, lacking structure. I usually love Caymus wines but I am surprised that they are bottling such a 'strange' wine to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
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With beef tenderloin, corn-on-cob, and salad. Opened this one out of curiosity after reading all conflicting notes. Opened 30 minutes before pouring. Cork smelled of yeast!? Decanted: purple and opaque, with a touch of sediment on side of bottle. Quick first taste on decanting: Jane got yeast and I got an almost burnt, grapy, over-extracted hit. Let it sit. Poured to glass through Vinturi. Some acid, but almost a bitterness to the palate. It softened a bit with some time in the glass - and the fat from the Tenderloin helped it along - brought out a bit of sweetness lurking in the background. Dry, but very little tannin. This wine has not integrated yet, and it is not clear to me that the components to integrate. I'll let my second bottle sit for a while, and watch the comments. Odd wine, and I do not think it's work the price.
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WOW. And I don't even like wine like this. But this sure could make a believer out of me. On the nose it was an amazing amalgam of cocoa, berries, tobacco, cassis, and honey. The nose was room filling. The palate was creamy, BIG, long, with note of earth, spice, anise along side the cocoa, blackberries, honey and tobacco. The finish was looooong, smoooooth and delish. Balance was amazing.
A tough wine to drink with food, rather its a meal completely unto itself. For the zillions of new world style cab drinkers out there this may be yet another milestone you have to say you've tried. I'm glad I did but not sure how many bottles I will add to my cellar.
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Finally got to drink a bottle and I now understand the see-saw of opinions about this wine. Personally, I hated the wine, but I can see why some people love it! "artificial" would be the best word I can use to describe this wine. Felt like I was drinking a glass of Welchs grape juice mixed with root beer. Going to age my other bottle to see if somehow magic happens and it becomes worthy of it's anniversary tag.
7th bottle opened, worst showing yet! When I open a bottle of Caymus I know what to expect, I am looking for a big, jammy, sweet dark concentrated fruit, thick Cabernet, I am not looking for Lynch Bages, anymore than when I open a bottle of Lynch Bages And hoping for Caymus. When tasting these ultra new world wines you need to leave your old world expectations behind. That being said this particular bottle was plenty big, rich, jammy, just terribly one dimensional, unfortunately boring and simple, a notch below the previous bottles tasted. I still strongly believe these are meant for early consumtion!
Dark inky purple, full bodied, big brooding ripe tongue coating plum, black and blue berry fruits predominate turning to a layer of mocha chocolate with a hint of cassis on a big finish.
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This is the third bottle of the 40th anniversary that I have tried. The first two were very "disjointed" and not what I call the consistent "Caymus Taste" that I get from every other bottle of Caymus. This one has evolved and I now pick up the "Caymus Taste" but it still has a ways to go. I think ultimately this will be a great bottle. Going to wait at least a year before the next one to give it time to evolve. It is definitely going in the right direction in my opinion.
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Only breathing in the open bottle for 1-2 hours prior to serving; more oak and mixed spices than dark fruits in the nose; also quite some oak on the palate; the finish, a bit weaker than anticipated showing mostly dark chocolate and woody tannins; overall, 89-90 points; needed a few more years of aging.
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I was anxious to open my first bottle and weigh in on the debate. First glass of wine I can remember that I was unable to finish. Usually able to find some quality in every wine to appreciate. Not the case here. Artificial cotton candy/marshmallow fluff/ child's' cough syrup combination. All of natures' imprint on the grape just wiped away. Truly disappointing. Will gift away my remaining bottle..
No tannins. No acid. Tooth-achingly sweet. Viscous mouthfeel. Overwhelming vanilla. Somewhere on the flavor spectrum between Welch's grape juice and A&W root beer. Likely highly rated by aficionados of these beverages.
It's hard to imagine serious aging potential with this lack of structure of any type.
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Let it open for an hour while I cooked dinner. Black currant, blackberry, hint of dried tobacco on first sniff. Poured thick voluptuous purple. Tasted and it's overoaked, over ripe, syrupy and extracted. All fruit and sweet tannins, little else. Very disappointed! If this is what Caymus is about, leave me out. Judging by this, Belle Glos, and the 2013 I won't be returning. Ridiculously overpriced and overhyped!
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Like many people have mentioned in previous notes we were pretty curious to try this given the very different viewpoints expressed. My dad was kind enough to open a bottle while we were visiting. I get it. Wine is intense and in your face and coming off of a very elegant Provence rose it felt almost a bit overpowering. But with some time and more air the fruit and spice came through. It's not an elegant wine, but it is kindof a 'yummy' one. Like some of those really big Aussie shiraz which we enjoy from time to time. I'm interested to see what a bit of time does so will let our bottles stay laying down.
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Deep reddish/purple, oaky nose,taste shows vanilla, lots of fruit, rich and soft, nice full finish, good balance for a wine this young. Probably won't age a real long time, but its very nice now.
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An exceptional wine that does credit to the vaunted Caymus name; well deserved praise is at hand for this classic, fruity, full bodied California Cabernet Sauvignon. It is well balanced with a delicious Caymus taste that drinks so well now and for a long time to come.
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Had it on our 4th anniversary. Deep dark glass-staining red/purple color all the way to the rim. Some graphite and black fruits on the nose. On the palate, a tsunami of blackberry, cassis, wet tobacco, and cocoa dominates everything else. The hedonistic fruit core will keep going for another 15-20 years. But will it be better? Judging from its weak structure, I think, as fruit thins out, it'll be different but not better in any meaningful way. Enjoy this fruit bomb now through 2025.
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Pleasant surprise. Second bottle from this vintage was much better! The first last year was not ready. I am very excited that this is maturing. It was "thin" last year and I was concerned it wouldn't reach true Caymus potential. Turning into it's yummy, full-bodied, big bold Napa Cab destiny.
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2nd bottle, a year after the 1st. Same score. This wine is such a conundrum (no pun intended). There's no doubt this is a jumbled unharmonious mis-mash of parts that equal less than their sum. I don't believe it will ever cohere, and it is by far the most manipulated feeling wine we've had. It's like they just kept tweaking it to the point where all varietal character & balance was lost, so they tweaked it some more trying to fix it.
So why score it 90? It's still not bad. It will never be great, and it's annoying that they had the grapes & vintage to produce a better wine than they did, but it's an enjoyable crowd pleaser for casual wine drinkers. Just don't put too much thought into it.
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Here's another example of wines that are under-rated by members at large on this site and why I always add 2 or 3 points to the average rating. This is a great wine that is way too young right now. It is surprising soft and silky but the flavors are separated and racy. Color is a bright violet and the nose explodes out of the glass which should tell people a lot. I sacrificed one bottle out of a case to get a baseline of it's development as it ages. Nowhere near drinkable. It should get roughly 4 years time if you want to start drinking but I can understand if you can't wait. I drank this the same evening as an '06 Mollly Dooker Enchanted Path which was stunning (an easy 96) and showed why many wine lovers need to assess bottles at maturity instead of throwing out a score as it's tasting now that is not a true assessment of its potential.
Tasted head to head with 2013 and the 2013 won. 2012 is an over the top fruit bomb. I think, after some time in the cellar, the fruit will thin out and this will be wonderful, for those with patience. I've had similar experiences with Caymus from my cellar, eg. 2007. I can easily understand the "syrupy" tasting notes from others. Definitely not a wine that will be liked by all. Patience.
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- Medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Decanted three and a half hours. It needs it. Young wine with a ton of potential. Excellent fruit and excellent "bones".
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Strong notes of black currant and black cherry with hints of cassis and plum. Not overtly oaked - perhaps due to the American oak. Paired well with a porterhouse steak, sautéed mushroom and Caesar salad.
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Still deep purple with a pretty thick crust already developing. This is an easy party wine, the crowd favorite. Not necessarily all that fascinating, but deliciousness isn't always a bad thing is it? This actually has settled down a bit over the past year.
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Wow! A Wine Advocate 96??? Clearly Mr. Parker -- with all due respect -- and I have divergent tastes. This is a steakhouse wine. Big almost jammy fruit with heavy oak and only a hint of Caymus Soecial Selection terroir. My advice: enjoy this wine with food. decant it; after 30 minutes the oak blows off and the jam dies done a little -- there is actually phantom sweetness in the wine from the fruit before an hour. Enjoy with something that has some fat to it. I don't think age beyond five years really helps this wine, and will likely hurt it.
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Encouraged by other reports of this wine, I decided to open another bottle a year after my first one (which I scored an 83, which was probably generous for that swill.) My first bottle of this was awful: vanilla nose, vanilla flavor, nothing else. This bottle was decent. Over oaked, for sure, but at least I could taste the wine. It still doesn't compare to the Caymus I've been enjoying for over 20 years, but at least this one was drinkable. A lot of vanilla, but also some sweetness on top of fruit. Okay wine, but a terrible QPR.
I can see why this wine is polarizing. We liked it but it was somewhat out of balance. Great fruit, great tannins, but the flavors weren't integrated. Long finish but it came in waves instead of a smooth long finish. Hard to describe. I wonder if it will get better with time?
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This is my second bottle (one liter) and perception was quite different than my first. Overwhelming impression over two nights under pump was cough syrup, which never really subsided. Not sure how much was fruit and how much was oak, but really didn't do a whole lot for me. If I wait another year or two before next bottle maybe it will subside.
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Dark red color. Sweet-sour oak-y nose, with soy sauce, hyper-ripe black cherry, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla. On arrival, medium low soft tannin and low acidity. Sweet fruit and sour wood in the mouth, just overdone for my taste; I fear I taste Bazooka bubblegum in here, with the ingredients from the nose repeated as well. The effects of using fully mechanized harvesting equipment on such ripe fruit, coupled with a very high percentage of new American oak barrels (and now, no French oak at all) delineates a complete break with Caymus' original stylistic heritage. Makes me sad.
I have had a few of this cab with consistent results (yea) Still getting a lot of vanilla, decent cab, not up to typical Caymus standards. I'm hoping for improvement with age. FYI we had a 2009 special select , excellent 95 pts, no comparison
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I have seen the many notes on this and tend to agree this is overdone, although not to the point of a major miss. Chocolate and cherry, oaky vanilla in a smooth rich wine. Assuming the Wagners intended the outcome they got, this is a well executed, hugely rich wine. However, it lacks the dynamic secondary nuances to make it a great wine.
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Just a great pop and pour that got better as it opened up. Good fruit on the front end. I don't find it heavily oaked and it shows decent balance while being still young.
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Deep color. Full, round Napa Cabernet flavors so indicative of its mid-Napa Valley origins, complete with a "Rutherford dust" finish. A wonderful mouthful, almost reminiscent of a reserve Brunello or a high-end Aussie Shiraz with its preponderance of sweet oak. Yes, for Bordeaux lovers it is perhaps too soft and too sweet. But it is not Bordeaux. It is Caymus. And it should be judged as such. Highly recommended for those who can afford it. (Cases produced: 122,158, according to http://www.kenswineguide.com/wine_review/Caymus-2012-40th-Anniversary-Cabernet-Sauvignon. There's something odd here since I've seen the winery's annual case production listed as from 58,000 to 65,000 cases. However, the Rutherford facility bottled 830,000 cases in 2012, according to http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/48765.)
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Dark purple color, thick body. Vanilla and rich black fruits predominate. I can see how this is a polarizing wine. Caymus is remarkably consistent in what they produce year to year but for the 40th they made what feels like a caricature of their wine. The fruit, sugar and lushness are way overdone. Like a good caricature, its ridiculous, but you recognize the subject behind it. It was fun to drink a few bottles this year but I won't seek it out in the future.
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Confected nose of vanilla bean and marshmallow (both of which I detest). On the palate, lush and rich dark fruits and root beer float with an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream. Balanced and silky with soft tannins. Horrifically sappy for this traditionalist, but sweet-toothed new world wine lovers at the table raved.
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Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Youthful fruity nose of multiple berries. Hint of dark cherry and dark chocolate. Alcohol on the nose indicates youth.
Very dark red almost ruby. Could do with decanting.
Not a complex dimension in the finish.
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Ordered a glass of this at a hotel bar. Was a bit concerned i might get an over Oaked and vanilla cab but was pleased with it. Full bodiesd and silky smooth cab. Aromas of dark fruit, anise, vanilla, French toast. Silmilar flavor profile and good acidity to cut thru it. I enjoyed it but feel it's a one glass wine. Too rich on the palate for two.
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Finally tried this after reading hundreds of CT reviews (which has been fun and interesting). Gave it a 3 hour decant and found it to be okay and drinkable. Not really my thing, but I'm curious to see it change over time. Shared with work colleagues and they thought it was the best wine they had ever drunk. No surprise there.
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Thought this was better in the past. Too much oak with vanilla and lots of wood. It just overpowers this. A little astringent and hollow lacking structure. Fading all ready. Drink up.
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wow, what a polarising wine!!! if anybody is ever looking for the definition of "wine snobbery", or they simply want to have a good laugh at the ridiculously pathetic comments of individuals who have egos far, far bigger than their brains, go take a look at the thread on this wine over on the "wines berserkers" forum. It most certainly will make you cringe, from the first post onwards!!! anyway,to the wine. Yep, it has masses, and I mean masses, of everything. Black cherries, vanilla, coconut, blueberries, maybe even blueberry pancake. As an Aussie, I have seen this style of wine on countless occasions, although it is usually found in shiraz-based reds over here. Pretty hard to drink if pop and pour, but let it settle in a decanter for six hours and you have a very bold, but never-the-less, decadent and quaffable red. My guess is this wine will settle nicely with another 5 years in the bottle, and whilst it will never challenge the 2012's at the top of the Cali tree, it will still be interesting, enjoyable and excellent drinking. Whilst not my style, I can see many wine-lovers really adoring this wine, with good reason. Those idiotic wine snobs who wrote that only "people with terrible palates" could love this wine are just that. For me a 91+ point wine, but it is easy to see why many would rate this 96.
Nice color and mouthfeel. The vanilla notes were really overpowering at first, after about 45 minutes to an hour it became more integrated into the wine but was still prominent and got better the rest of the night.
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Day 2 review... What's not to like here, excellent dark full bodied fruit, seemless oak/vanilla notes even at this young stage, and a long palate filling finish. Everything in balance with a brightness lifting the dark fruit notes.
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I wanted this to be as good, but I was disappointed. The wine was way too sweet, no tannins and the value just isn't there. If this were blind tasted against it's peers I think it would be ranked near the bottom.
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My second time trying this. The first I recall a very pleasant experience about 5 months ago. This time, it again did not disappoint. I popped and poured. Silky sweet tannins. Delicious varieties of berries, spice, cola and oak flavors dominate coupled with a nice long finish. This is full-bodied and age-worthy.
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This is a tribute to the New World red wine style, as we come across with this gluttonous cake, pouring out sweet cherries, blueberries, lots of chocolate and licorice, as luxurious as it gets, deeply flavored, full and creamy, with a long and intense cocoa/butter/caramel aftertaste. All this overflow is backed up by solid structure and spices, keeping it tolerable. An ode to excess, maybe to vulgarity, but undeniably tasty! 94
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Terrific nose of black cherry cola fruit, cassis, and dust, more of the same on the palate, this bottle much richer tasting than the last bottle a month ago, big, intense, fruity taste on the mid palate with lots of dark fruit like cherry cola, easy to sip and enjoy while eating dinner, big body, and a long, flavorful fruity finish and aftertaste.
Right out of the gate this wine is big and offers up velvety tannins. It did come across as borderline sweet and at times it was overpowering, staining both the palate and the glass. The heavy oak and the sweetness almost reminded me of "Vanilla Pepsi." It was infinitely better over the course of a 3 hour meal as it was exposed to oxygen and mellowed. Clearly a well made wine, but perhaps not my style no matter how long it ages.
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Cheesecake topped with blackberrys and blackberry syrup with a side of vanilla ice cream. That's how I describe this on the nose and palate. I'm not used to these wines as I drink mostly old world. Yes, I know there are good California wines. Call me gauche and flame me now, but there is nothing like that Bordeaux funk and the essence of a nice Southern Rhone! The bottles of Caymus I have left will be good for visiting company that like "sweet reds"..
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Initial sweetness was not what I expected, and it either mellowed out over the evening or I got use to it. I'm not sure this is a wine for everyone, I'm not convinced myself yet, and I'll wait before trying another.
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Deep, dark purple. Tobacco and blackberry juice on the nose. A tiny bit of tar, overripe blackberry, and black raspberry. Some coffee. Very modern style. Orthodox Easter at Stefano and Janine's house.
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Had several bottles at a dinner -- paired with a range of food. Nice color, not particularly dark. Impressive mid palate with very soft texture. Finish was not as lengthy as some other big cabs I like, however great taste with lively fruit helped make up for it. A better vintage for this wine than what I recall in the 2010 or 2011.
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Purchased from a Napa Valley restaurant's list at a lofty price, this wine proved itself to be enjoyable but certainly not a blockbuster. Its beautiful purity of fruit somehow pushes beyond the boundaries of its excessive oak. It is a heavily extracted, round, "fruit bomb" that is, by its nature, controversial among tasters. To my palate, it pushes the threshold of being over-the-top but somehow is hard to dislike. Drink now-2030.
I thought the tasting notes I've read were extreme, but after opening a gifted bottle with a group of 6, I totally get it. As polarizing of a bottle as I've ever had/seen. To me, it tasted like a "Zin Port" - ridiculously raisin with a viscous mouthfeel, but if I wanted what this has, I'd just go all in and drink a really young, but nice, vintage port. The other big takeaway, besides the fact that it is dark as night, is that it lacked any distinguishable acid or tannins. It is palatable, and jeez does it please certain parts of the crowd, but if you're a "serious" wine drinker, I highly doubt you'll like this. Undoubtable that "old world" drinkers will point to this wine as everything wrong with new world wines, which is supremely unfair - this is as extreme an example as I've ever seen, and this new world guy is simply not a fan.
I was a little leery opening this after some of the less than stellar reviews, but glad we did. The 40th Anniversary Cab was pretty good. Still a little young but not overly tannic, a good plum flavor and a little licorice. This is the first time I've actually experienced the Rutherford Dust with a slight cocoa taste. I rate it a 91 but my wife says 93. Bottom line it's a good Rutherford Cab and worthy of the Caymus reputation.
Consistent notes as previous, with a different meal. This time brisket and ribs with spicy BBQ sauce. I absolutely suggest this kind of complement with this wine as it mellows out the sweetness.
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Following the banter on this wine is really fun. From "It's awful--tastes like Kool-Aid." to "Best Cab I've ever had--99 points!" This wine lives on the extremes.
So, my view. Decanted for an hour and consumed over another 90 minutes. Dark, dark purple. Powerful plummy aroma. On the first sip, the first thing you notice is the sugars--this wine is in fact awfully sweet. But it's also pretty smooth and accessible, with a nice balance and a long finish.
Served with a spicy, slightly sweet Thai beef dish. Without the food, the wine's sweetness is a bit overwhelming. But the pairing worked great, toning the wine's sweetness levels down while the sweetness balanced out the spiciness of the food. It's not an awesome wine, I don't see it improving over time, and it's probably too expensive for what it is. But still, it's enjoyable.
Deep plum, mildly oaky. It's fairly balanced, and easy drinking with moderate tannins. For me, it was a little too sweet and not big enough for steak which is what we were having. Still, a good wine overall.
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Welch's grape juice, disjointed sweet mess. Why someone would go out and buy two more cases of this after tasting it, is beyond me. Bought four of these @ $55 due to consistent past years of solid 92 performances. Thought I might be getting a bargain. Maybe a strong vintage given the massive harvest. WRONG! This is really disappointing. I'll wait a year before I pop the next one, but I'm not holding out much hope.
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Another overblown fruit-bomb that was again too sweet, too rich, too cloying and simply not very interesting or enjoyable. Apparently there are a lot of taster who like this style ... but I cannot imagine why. This was simply awful.
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What a change. I first tried this wine and thought it was a 90. At times I didn't really like it as it seemed too sweet, somewhat syrupy, and synthetic. Not thrilled. So after months of avoiding it I tried it again. Suddenly, it's not the same wine. It has more depth, complexity, balance and the over-powering sweetness is gone. I did not trust myself as the transformation seemed too great. Well, I had a second bottle a week later and felt the same way. I strongly recommend retasting this wine as I believe you will likely be astonished. I just ordered two additional cases. This wine is now a screaming bargain. Will it get even better?
Similar to most, we found this to be overly sweet and pretty one dimensional. There were some tobacco notes, but tough to overcome the sweet ripe fruit. Very little length. My wife said it best : I didn't really dislike the wine, but I have no desire to drink it again.
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Popped another one last night, with a veggie pizza, it amazes me that vintage after vintage of Caymus you consistantly here the same moans, too much fruit, too much oak, too jammy, too sweeeeet, too much vanilla, too over the top, too extracted, too much of everything. does not taste like cab, taste manufactured, etc. etc. For me this is one damn good red wine, why are these people drinking this wine anyway, go figure!!
I still have a bottle of this but drank this bottle from a friend's stash. I'll try and keep this short, don't buy or don't drink. It drank like a cheap cab catered toward the masses. One dimensional fruit bomb with too much oak turning it into a creamy mess suitable for a baby's bib. My only hopeful suggestion is it's an odd phase and wait a few more years before revisiting.
I'd be leery of any 95 rating...seems like the most recent favor southern wine and spirit wines.
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I Grilled Sirloin Steak and sweet mini peppers to make a great pairing with this wine, nose of black cherry, and cassis, more of the same on the palate, slightly subdued but rich fruit on the mid palate, big body, tasty with lots of black cherry fruit like cherry cola, mouth filling, seems to have lost the jammy fruit quality mentioned by many so it may be dumming up, easy to sip and enjoy while eating the steak, flavorful fruity finish.
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I think this sh!t is really bleeping good. Dark purple fruit profile with chocolate undertones, great mouthfeel, long finish. Had with a Costco Prime Ribeye. Great pairing, give it about an hour or two of air.
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I posted a note a few weeks ago on this wine and didn't fully capture the essence of this wine. It might have been that I had a small pour at the winery and didn't get to fully analyze it over time. This is truly a unique Caymus, unlike any I have ever had (and I've had decades of Caymus vintages). Tonight, my evaluation is that this is an unctuous and thick wine that is truly the most dark purple colored wine I have ever had. I mean, stain your teeth purple. There is such a sweetness to this wine both on the nose and finish. It is a dessert in a glass. Not a dessert wine, a dessert. In short, Blackberry Cobler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. That is the best description of this wine. Why am I rating it so high (Especially for a guy who prefers old world wine)? Cause it is delicious!
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Honestly, I know Caymus is fruit forward and sweet for a Cabernet. But this wine does not drink like I expected. It has the nose and body of a Meiomi Pinot Noir. I thought they may have put the wrong the wrong label on it. If I wanted a sweet Pinot I could have spent $20 instead of the $55. I will try again next year to see if the fruit mellows. Not sure why RPJr gave it such a high score.
Wow. In your face, over the top, packed with lots of fruit, flavor, tannis, and heat. If you like this kind of wine (I do), this wine is basically the epitome of over the top Napa cabs. This is a 93 - 94 for me, but I'm going to give it a 93 because it lacks the refinement and nuance of better wines out there. But for me, this is one to try now and keep for maturing for 5 years.
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I served this in my wine course. Over the top nose of blackberry vanilla cobbler. Very primal right now with loads of fruit and acidity, but decadently enjoyable, and certainly a crowd pleaser. Not so much my kind of wine, but really well done for what it is, and I can see this becoming outstanding once it settles down.
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Nose of vanilla custard, dark chocolate, and dark berries. Palate of blueberry/blackberry pie filling, baking spices, milk chocolate or mocha; oak shows in the creamy, vanilla custard tail end. Finish is rich and lingering; tannins are either missing or blended in very well. Overall, perhaps a bit syrupy to be fantastic, but there is enough going on for it not to be disappointing.
This was tasted alongside three vintages of Corison cab (01, 03, and 11)--there's a large difference, with the Corison being much more herbal and tannic, but the comparison was eye-opening.
(Tasting note written the next day from disjointed paper notes from the night before)
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First taste of the Caymus 40th Anniversary vintage. Good, but did not distinguish itself from other wines served that evening. School is still out on this one.
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The wine has wonderful deep purple color, very heavy, thick wine, with several layers of yummy testing oak, berries, vanilla, and cherry, almost like a paring of light good wine and a good sherry from Spain, so bold, I loved it, it was too bold for my wife that is a Chardonnay lover. I think the wine need to be consumed now, I have seen some where that it can stay to 2026, I am not sure this wine can get any better that what it is now.
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Brought this bottle from a 53 degree environment, decanted 2 hrs. Not anywhere as much welch's as previous five bottles I have tasted, way more structured, still plenty of jammy flavors, yet somewhat restrained, in a way, a bit disappointing.
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The wine has a very beautiful deep purple color. Everything was tied together very well with layers of fruit and well integrated tannins. It is full of blueberry pie, exotic oak with vanilla and spice. There was some black cherry on the long and smooth finish. After 3 hours in the decanter I also started to taste pavlova and milk chocolate. This was sweeter than I expected.
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Yeah I enjoyed this wine- "cocktail wine" to quote Mpricher... but kinda couldn't help thinking of its lack of connection to its pedigree. Like, I dunno, Nikki or whatever Hilton. Joe Dimaggio Jr.... Joffrey Baratheon. In no particular order.
While I wouldn't call this a "classic" cab, I would call it a crowd-pleaser, with good fruit. Was more of a cocktail wine than a true deep thinker type. We drank for fun during the Super-Bowl and enjoyed it for what it is.
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Blackberry flavors, somewhat hollow compared to other vintages of this wine. Easy drinking, good to pair with food, say, a nice rib. 40th anniversary wine, but this drinks more ordinary than anything special. Still a good wine.
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Deep dark purple center, purple rim, no signs of age. Sweet, intense, black cherries, blueberries, tar, charred oak, dust. Smooth and sweet, cassis and blueberries, alcohol, low tannin, good length of extracted fruit and oak. Not sure about the controversy, this is a typical Caymus of recent years but on steroids. Too overblown and extracted for me to really enjoy, but I can see how many would. Not clear what has been done to make this wine what it is, the purple colour is truly teeth staining, and the extraction renders the wine close to port.
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You have to admire the Wagner family for always making such a consistent wine in such large quantity year after year. In addition, they have not raised their prices for at least a decade, which I appreciate. Tasted the 2012 40th Anniversary today at the winery. This is a one dimensional wine that is not to be over analyzed. Just pop and pour and enjoy. This is a pleasure wine with more red fruit than black. Cherry, vanilla, toasted oak, and a creamy finish that will please any crowd.
Fruity, silky and balanced. Creamy and bold. Flavor all the way through. BlackBerry and plum with dark cherries. Lots of cherries but very enjoyable. Dry finish that drags the bold flavors through long and hard. Powerful. Recommended
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I had to try this as it appears to be a very polarizing wine, at least judging by the preceding tasting notes. My wife and I have both enjoyed Caymus from earlier vintages. My wife likes this one also although not as much. I lean more to the sweet, lush, generic, tannic-free, glop camp. Would not buy again. They are stealing money at this price point. The score is my wife's.
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This is clearly an effort to awe and impress. But for me, too over the top of fruit bomb Cabernet style. Deeply extracted with a sweetness and ample tannins. Drink one to participate in the anniversary. But if you like more Bordelaise style taste one before buying a case.
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No need to add a TN, everyone knows this "wine" profile by now. If you love it (not me), try Columbia Crest H3. Same juice for 1/5th the cost. I think Chuck tapped their barrels and put on his label!
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Varying opinions on this wine - even my opinions have varied through each experience. IMO - mood & food matter. Drank last night with a mixed cheese platter, the wine continues to be bountiful with berry & grape flavors. But last night, the wine did not express itself as too "candy-like" when compared to the last time I tried. So, a better experience than my previous encounter.
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Bottle was fresh with no depth or complexity. Tasted like bright Cherry candy and overly sweet. It may develop some nuances with age but it is difficult to drink now
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Had a sip at Wine Library Superbowl party. Served from a signed magnum. Doesn't seem to be as robust as the 2007 but I like it. Wasn't overehelmed by sweetness. Needs a few years to fully reveal itself.
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This is tough. With the chocolate torte it was a great match. On its own it seemed too thick and sweet. We noticed no tannins. I am hoping it will Improve in time Will wait two years
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Pop and poured and followed for many hours. Note about three hours in. Blackberry jam, cassis, milk chocolate, smoke, vanilla, powdered sugar, earth, and a very pleasant top note of raspberry on the nose. Sweet blueberries and blackberries, mocha, earth, cassis, caramel, and some tart cherries on the palate. Lowish acidity (more comes out with air), fine tannins behind a huge wall of sweet fruit, long finish. Big plush, fruit bomb wine, so you have to be in the mood for it. It's pretty easy to drink. I wish it wasn't so sweet though.
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What the hell! Robert Parker revisited this wine and gave it another 96. He has clearly lost his ability to taste anything. I cant believe i bought a case of this stuff. Id prefer a case of Bogle at $20 per.
What is amazing about this wine is that you can use it to dye anything a deep purple, probably from too much use of that purple drank they used to enhance it. Its better that cherry coolaid in this regard. You really do have to brush your teeth, gums and tongue vigorously to remove the stains.
Liked it. No presumptions or politics involved, it was enjoyable to drink. Perhaps needs a bit more tannin and also acidity, but the fruit palette is sumptuous and enveloping.
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With a bunch of these in my cellar and the polarizing reviews I was really excited and nervous .. But tonight was the night to jump into the fray. Since so many people are citing bottle variation I will call this bottle one. Fruity jammy nose, hint of chocolate its screaming sweetness. Deep dark purple with long legs almost too purple most of the glass gone but the entire glass looks stained magenta. It's a fruit bomb with a hint of dark chocolate cedar, I get polomar blackberry or raspberry jam. No tannin on the back end ...well at least not strong enough to overcome everything else. Going to give the rest of the bottle some air time and see what happens. So it was not what I expected when buying these. People it's not a 70 and it's not a 92 plus. Right now considering the price it's mid 80. Will come to the rest of the bottle with some chocolate in a few hours. Next day did not get back to the bottle till following day looks like a night with some air was good for this bottle opened up a little more. Fruit mellowed a bit really rounded out very smooth and velvety but a little more going on. Not sure what to make of this wine I would say second day high 80 if you like the style low 90. Hopefully I got a consistent lot of bottles.
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look, I understand most of the comments left by a lot of people that have tried this wine. I am not happy with it either because I expect a lot from Charles every year, especially given the how good the growing season was. With that being said, I feel like this wine might surprise us in a 3-5 years or so... The fruit is definitely strong but I think if it fades some and the wine can round out, this could shock us all. Agreed though, not what I would expect from Caymus! Not a bad wine, just not worth the money.. I wonder if that's why they dropped the price this year???
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This was my second and last bottle. I'll be brief. The wine has plenty of acidity, but no tannins. The most polarizing wine I've ever seen on CT. I'll say no more.
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So you have to understand this does not taste like the Caymus of previous vintages. This is a California fruit-bomb, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you are looking for complexity, and layers, look elsewhere. This has BRIGHT flavors of blackberry, cherry, balanced with a light influence of oak. This tends to be favorite among "I only drink Napa-Cab" customers.
Saw the bottle on the shelf at Safeway. Read through some of your comments and have decided it may not be worth the risk. They are asking $74.99, is that too high?
Dark red color. Rough, strong nose of barrel char and raw wood: vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, dill, with some cherry and mixed berry fruit hidden behind. On arrival, medium low tannin and low acidity. Oak dominates in the mouth too, but there is more dark and sweet fruit here than suggested by the nose. My least favorite release of Caymus cabernet in recent memory, the most imbalanced since the 1988 release. Very sad for the state of this estate's current product. Methinks that old Charlie would have not approved. Bottle #1 of one.
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I certainly see what the drama is all about :-) It is very extracted and concentrated but still a very decent wine with some qualities to it. Plenty of almost dried blackberry fruit and with some air and at the proper temperature it does have the appropriate amount of acidity. I can certainly understand why people feel the lack of tannins but I do believe that it is there behind all the extraction. I don't believe that you can argue with the objective quality of the wine but definitely about whether or not you like the wine. I liked it a lot but it is not one of my favorite wines :-)
Deep Crimson color. Dense, full-bodied. Vanilla and blackberries on the nose. Delicious juice, if very primary. Packed with sweet rich black fruit; deeply flavorful. Should be excellent with a couple more years sideways.
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Birthday Party (River Bend Golf and Country Club): This is a powerbomb. The only way to say it. Dark chocolate and heavy blueberry and cassis on the nose. This was decanted for 6 hours and next bottle I will try at least 12 hours. Folks loved this and we went through 3 or 4 bottles.
By itself it is almost too overpowering, with strong food it clearly holds its own and is complimentary. I would love to see what this is like in 10 years. I hope I can not drink the entire case. Historically, I have been a Special Selection fan and not the standard Caymus. For me this year's Caymus is closer towards the Special Selection in fruitness. It just needs to mellow and integrate to remove its youthful brashness. It may then even see and increase in score of 2 or 3 points for me if it can do that?
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Previously rated this at 90 points. Had my second bottle the other night AFTER a 1997 Rubicon. The difference was stunning! The 2012 Caymus was awful in comparison. First time ever to not finish a bottle of Caymus. Dumped half a bottle down the drain. Four experienced wine drinkers all really disappointed in the 2012 Caymus effort and lots of talk about how many bottles were still in the cellar that now needed to be "dealt with" in some form or another. I'm sure I'll find a way to drink what I have but this comparison has really changed my opinion of the 2012. How did they manage to screw-up such a good vintage?
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If you like huge fruit bombs, very fleshy wines, you'll love this one. Very intense nose of rasberry, straberries and cherries. Good lenght. Not sure how well this will age...
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As many others have noted, not worthy of the Caymus label. There was a syrup-like consistency and it was so sweet it seemed like a grape juice of sorts. Not just the usual Caymus fruit bomb, this had no complexity and almost tasted like a sugary drink. We only held this for about 6-8 months but it was properly cellared for the entire duration. Very, very disappointing. We poured it out, unfortunately we purchased two bottles...we're hopeful that there is a variation between bottles as others have commented and that number two will be drinkable!
This is a great wine. Have not had the bottle to bottle others have mentioned. A little sweeter than typical California cabs, but for someone who rarely drinks cabs with meals this a wonderful choice,
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First bottle a 94 this bottle almost undrinkable. I have never seen such huge bottle variations from a producer in a single vintage. Good luck you will get either a fun fruit bomb or throw away swill.
I am beginning to believe, as others have written, that there may be tremendous bottle variation. I was very disappointed with my first bottle form this vintage back in August. But this bottle was a more a typical bottle of Caymus. Not sure 5 months can make that big a difference - thus the bottle variation theory. My first bottle was like Welch's grape juice. This was a more typical big, dark fruits, chocolate styled Caymus with nice finish. I hope the rest of these I have are more similar to this last bottle.
While scores are all over the place on this wine, let me just say that in most cases this is a fun and crowd pleasing wine. Rich, spicy and fruit forward. Dark purple and viscous. Velvety texture and a long and round finish. Not all that sophisticated, but a great bottle of red wine.
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I have to preface that Caymis is not my favorite out of more more expensive wines. +$75. There is a sweetness to the rich fruit I just don't care for. This particular blend is has longer sweeter notes than th reg Caymis cab. Which some may care for, but not what I consider a good wine.
Very one dimensional, a bit sweet with tastes of maple syrup, the same from beginning to end. Much better can be found at this price point. They spent a lot of $ and effort on the appearance of this "special" bottling, which is always a concern, since what we want is great wine first and foremost, you can't drink the glass or the label. Suitable for an unsophisticated pallet; a dominican cigar vs. a fine cuban. An expense account dinner wine where a client is being taken out and the supplier wants to impress on appearance and brand, vs. real taste and value. Maybe a tad better than Silver Oak or Jordan.
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I love this wine! Dark color, good bouquet, smooth dense flavor, not acidic. Ready to drink now, but could age as well. This is a delicious wine. Stock up on this.
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OK, it's not bad. Definitely a little "sweeter" and more syrup'ish, but not bad. With two other people, hour decant, everyone enjoyed. Not sure worth the $50-something price, but not dump or cook wine either
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Very dark in color, intense raisin in smell. A light spicy-ness. When finishing the bottle a couple days later it was nearly unpalatable, so I would suggest to enjoy in one sitting.
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Can you say Welch's? Both RP and JL are way off on this. Perhaps the scores would be somewhat reasonable if they were estmating a drinking window that begins in 5 or so years. AG is the only sane one on this stuff. The only benefit that I have seen is that this offering has lowered the price of the remaining 09's and 10's at my local store to $59.97.
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Gave a bottle of this to my novice wine drinking boss, who served with wood oven roasted prime rib for Xmas dinner, he said and his guest that it was one of the best wine they had ever drank. Again this is quite a crowd pleaser!
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This wine is a massive rippoff. I hope Wagners realize they have screwed their reputation with the swill they bottled (10,000 barrels) here and the Belle Glos sugar bomb "pinot noir" since 2011. Horrible. The label is awesome, the 1 litre bottle a great idea, the cheap thin green glass not a good idea and the light bodied sweet nose plonk they bottled from an awesome vintage not a good idea. And no I did not get "a bad bottle" but how I wish.
Curiosity got to me, and as luck would have it, a dinner guest recently gifted me one. So here goes, lets see what this taste like.
Nice nose, fruit, bit of sourness to it. Another sniff, embers of pot luck stew. Color, as dark as purple can get. Moment of truth, first sip, big fruit, rich classic fruit, not ramped up Cameron Hughes glycol. Tannins carry through, but leave your teeth after a couple minutes. Another sip, faint licorice and leather. Anyone who hates this, either got a bad bottle, or does not really drink Cab's often.
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All mouth and no trousers. Left to breathe for 6 hours, and still hard pressed to detect any structure or underlying tannins. Lots of big, sweet, berry fruits and a mouth-filling juiciness. Undoubtedly higher class than the average crowd-pleaser; but still seemed astonishingly dumbed down, with very little finish. More useful as an exorbitant holiday gift to an everyday wine drinker, maybe.
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Well it wasn't as sweet as Moscato. Really though this was a mammoth fruit bomb both on the bouquet and palate. The wine was thick and purple. Perhaps remove half the flavor and three-quarters the sweetness of prune juice, and this is what you get.
It was interesting to note the color of the glass utilized for the bottle. Normally a darker glass color is used, but in this case the glass is clear and nearly colorless (perhaps marginally green). This presents the wine, while still in the bottle, as though in a decanter. After opening the wine, and pouring a couple glasses, the bottle was appealing. That's very subjective of course, but at least I have my reasoning.
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Monster fruit bomb! Candied pineapple. Sweet mint. Caused my insulin level to spike. Actually quite delicious, just over the top sugary. Not much complexity, but velvety smooth and easy drinking.
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Smooth, over-the-top vanilla. Guests really enjoyed and commented constantly about it's velvety texture and utter drinkability. I must say I disagreed and think this was too fruit-forward and over-oaked. Just OK.
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This wine is drinking very well now . I was surprised by the youth and how the wine is drinking right now. All tannins are gone. I would not wait much longer to consume this.The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. It has a slight cherry aroma. The flavors are very nicely integrated.
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This pretty much fits the definition of an excessively manipulated, “spoofed” wine to a tee. Just an overwhelmingly extracted, sweet palate of vanilla and oak with the consistency of cough syrup that tastes as if it were created in a lab, with absolutely no expression of terroir whatsoever. Even fans of full-bodied, concentrated California cabernets should cringe at this manufactured mess of a wine. Maybe other reviewers are correct and this will improve with time, but I found this to be abhorrent in its current state
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I was so disappointed. Caymus makes some very nice Cabs and this is not even worthy of Chuck Wagners name. Decanted 1 hour. Inital nose was promising w/leather heavy nose. Strong legs. Licorice, chocolate with fair backbone on initial taste. Then the wine faded rapidly almost to a point of not drinkable. I served at Christmas and asked my 4 adult kids to blind rate the wine. Ratings went from 52 to 82. Would not recommend this wine. One of the kids described the wine as sweet, which is not a normal profile for a cab. Many flavors going on with no consistency
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Various berries on the nose. Forest fruit on the tongue. Spice cake. Syrup. Sweet. Nutmeg. Blueberry. Very similar to Belle Glos, but more subtle. Numbing finish. Sort of hot. Vanilla. Wood.
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Sharp nose that softens after it's been open for a bit. Lots of fruit - blackberry and blueberry. This is my first experience w/ Caymus, but agree w/ the reviewer who cited the lack of tannins, and that the acidity is overpowered by all the fruit. Also agree that it does lack complexity or structure I would expect of a Napa cab.
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Had this on Christmas Eve with standing rib roast, truffled mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. Drank from 1L bottle that was decanted right before serving. This is a highly extracted wine but it is balanced and was liked by all. Went well with food, but I could drink this by itself. The nose is candied and sweet (like grape bubblegum) but if you can get past that, there are aromas of crushed violets and wood. Same with the initial taste. It is very fruit forward and seems sweet, but as it opens and you taste more depth, there are more dark fruits, plum, dark cherry, vanillins and oak. It is well balanced and drinkable now, but I wonder what it will be like in 3, 5, 10 yrs? This is the second time I've tasted it and the bottles seem consistent. Seems like most people either like this style or hate it. I liked it.
Decanted for 1 hour, served Xmas Eve and was a knockout success. People loved it and only negatives were the 1L bottle was gone & seemed almost too smooth. Actually surprised me as I thought it might need another year or two. Buying more bottles.
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I know reviews are mixed on this but I really enjoyed it. I did taste the 2009 and 2014 in tandem and rate the 2009 higher but it's still really good and stands on it's own. I'm not rating it agains what I expect or people say but strictly on the taste and it's definitely a solid, bold Napa Cab, rich dark berry color, a bit acidic, and overall a strong wine. Looking forward to enjoying my other bottle in the future. I also shared this with 2 other people and they like it as well.
Christmas Eve Dinner at Flemings. One of my hosts thoughtfully provided a glass which was poured fifteen minutes into the evening meal and sat there for seventy-five minutes before I took the first sip. When the In Bone Filet Mignon was served for dinner, a swirl of the glass and the nose reminded me of the 1985 Napa Cuvee when Charlie made three cabernet sauvignons in the old days. Fragrant perfume of rich and ripe cabernet sauvignon, lots of black cherry, black berry, and cassis, more of the same on the palate, young wine but smooth with mouth filling and mouth coating cabernet sauvignon flavors, definitely a big body of fruit, easy to sip and enjoy while eating the steak, rich and flavorful fruity finish.
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Whoa! - and not in a good way. I used to drink a lot of Caymus cab from the 1985 - 2005 vintages (and I remember paying $15 for the '85 and $17 for the '87!), but this is the first Caymus cab I have had in many years. I was shocked at how much of a fruit-bomb this has become. Really lovely rich, ripe, layered blackberry/boysenberry flavors with a luxurious, unctuous mouthfeel and a nice finish. However, it was almost totally lacking any structure - not even a hint of tannins and whatever acidity was there was completely overpowered by the sweetness of the fruit. Overall very disappointing effort for what used to be one of my favorite cabernet producers. This bottle had no hope of improving with more time.
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All I can say is glad I didn't drop any money on this as it was brought to a Christmas Eve dinner by a dear friend. His intentions were first class so I raved about the wine but really don't get the whole Caymus experience. I struggled to find any wine like character in the glass and found nothing but oak, butterscotch and toasted almond and vanilla. At the end of the evening one third of the bottle was left while a couple of Jaffurs Syrahs from Santa Barbara were emptied.
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Fourth bottle I've had at various venues. It's always amusing to read the disparate reviews on this wine, ranging from 50 to 100 points. Absurdity! It's a sound, pleasant wine with big fruit and high alcohol, and enough tannic backbone to improve for 5 or 10 years. Time to rate it for what it is, not what it's supposed to be!
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Has been almost a year so I tried again. Still hard to get above 89/90. I agree with others it won't hold out for a long time. Left a little overnight in the bottle to see if time helped. It did not! Not sure if I am disappointed in the wine or that it is not the Caymus Special Select that I love. Could be a relative thing I suppose.
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Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): This is a turning "wine". If you put it near your nose, your head turns away. If you swallow it, your stomach turns. I hear points are assigned arbitrarily these days by the big critics. I will endeavour to do the same here. I give this 100 points, minus one point for every year Caymus has been in existence. Then I take away 10 points for the ugly label, which made me turn my eyes away. The Wagners are laughing all the way to the bank.
Short cork. Inky red/purple, glass staining color. Nose is an interesting mix of ripe plums, bing cherries, cassis and ripe sweet black berries with subtle top notes of pie spice, sweet oak and prunes. Very fat midpalate of: black raspberries(the black cap kind), cassis and fudge brownie and...prunes that coat the mouth along w/ripe tannins that show up lightly in the finish. It's all a little overwhelming but not quite the blueberry pancake syrup I thought of when I first popped a bottle back in June. 90-93pts. depending on where your head's at or what you like. Parker's buds must be drying up to give it a 96 because it's all a bit much. I had wines he'd scored 96+ (Shrader, Spotteswoode, Peter Michael..., none of which tasted like this 2012 Caymus. But I did get it for $47 on sale. Tasted over two nights with very little change. Wondering how it will age???
There are textural qualities that show up across almost all of the Camus family/related wines, a kind of rich, extracted smoothness. I noticed this in the 2012 Meomi Pinot noir I tasted around the same time. Think they're using the same recipe?
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2014 Tree Lighting Party (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): Large-scaled and rich on the nose with toasty brioche, blackberry, currant and milk chocolate. On the palate, velvety textures ushered in dark fruits, spice, coco, licorice and cherry liquor. The finish was long with saturating black fruits and a linger hint of hard candy.
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Full body experience. Nice fruity smell. Full flavored start, nice middle and smooth finish. Light tannins at finish. Decanter time not required. Tastes great after 5 min. Top 10 ever.
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This is a wine that you will remember. First the nose; rich, solid, chocolate, berries and alcohol. The first drink will bring you to wines like Spain's Toros' or the strong Garnacha from Campo de Borja. Fully bodied, 14.6% alcohol is not usual for a California Cabernet. Dark in color is a wine that the more you drink the more you want. As it is young and to my taste it requieres decanting; after one hour the wine screams to drink it all. Excellent. Bought one more case to age it. I red after that the cork maybe poor (I notice that it is a lot smaller than the special selection one). Hope not, otherwise I will have to drink this fast since obviously it will not age well.
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Ouverture prématurée. Nez pâtissier, un peu de miel. Un élevage omniprésent qui devra s'intégrer. Pour l'instant, des notes de vanille assez concentrées viennent nuire à la dégustation. À attendre sans aucun doute et à revoir.
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My husband and I always adore Caymus, such a consistently rich, delicious Cabernet. So when they announced a 40th anniversary vintage - we ordered four cases! Unfortunately, I have to agree with my disappointed bretheren here...this vintage starts out like Caymus (rich, cherry) but then falls off the tongue - no bold, smooth finish. I guess they overproduced to take advantage of their anniversary and their loyal subjects. :( Pick any prior year vintage for a great wine, but NOT this one. Hoping it gets better with age - but I don't see how...there's nothing to smooth out!
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I laugh at the wide divergence of opinion on this wine although given the volume of wine produced there must be a lot of variation. Chocolate and vanilla notes, decent cab that I hope will improve. Not as good as any older Caymus Cab.
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Robert Parker must have been wasted. This tastes like spiked Manischewitz. Nevertheless, if you like fruit juice, this is a grand substitute for Welch's + soju.
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A winery that has had a strong record of consistently excellent wines has broken its record on this wine. I have tasted 3 separate times and it has a nice fruity nose and then nothing. No tannins, peppers, or complexity.
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Gave this a marginal "I like it" Still needs time to integrate and hopefully soften its overpowering sweet vanilla/mocha taste component. However, my wife, son, and daughter-in-law like this wine more so than I. Will give it another try around Christmas/New Years. I have another 11 bottles............ and faith that it will improve.
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Beautiful. Lived up to expectations. Opened for Thanksgiving dinner to share with guests. Luckily several at the table weren't drinking, so had a couple of glasses :) Front to back this is a beautiful classic Napa cab. No over-extracted fruit bomb here, just gorgeous subtle dark fruit with hints of smoke that opens up in the mouth. I would hesitate to pair this with heavily spiced/sauced foods, because it is more subtle than other "big" cabs, so i'd prefer to eat light and focus on the wine. Impressed how ready this is to enjoy. No grippy tannins or funkiness. BTW, the 1 liter format is getting very hard to find, but the 750ml is a nice gift idea (even to yourself :).
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), blueberry, violet and vanilla. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry and plum. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Second bottle in two nights, thanksgiving with the kids at Charlie Palmer steak house Washington DC. Big of course, rich yes, extracted, no doubt, jammy, sweet purple syrup, maybe a bit over the top but fun as hell to drink. This was clearly the wine of the night by all who tasted it, including the sommelier.
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A good but atypical offering from this usually consistent producer. Although Caymus is usually approachable early, I sense this needs more time. Deep, opaque, indigo in color. Upon opening, a strong aroma of vanilla permeates the area. On the palate, this is hugely fruit forward with bing cherry and overripe plum the most predominant characteristics other than oak. This is big but a bit out of balance. I think this will be better in 2 to 3 years.
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This was the wine by the glass program at Fleming's and paired with the In Bone Filet Mignon for dinner. Wonderful nose, more perfume, lots of black cherry, pencil lead, and touch of earth, more of the same on the palate, smooth but mouth filling and mouth coating, rich cabernet flavors on the mid palate, big body of fruit, lovely cabernet flavors on the finish and aftertaste. Improving and evolving nicely.
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Dark purple/plum. Floral, fruit, vanilla nose. Big, rich, and fleshy in a good way. But unfortunately a little flabby. Not as sicky sweet as I feared from other reviews. Still, at this price point there was a bit of imbalance.
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Decanted 2hrs, I think it is important to remember that what makes wine so different than many adult beverages is that it is and always will be subjective. One Budweiser taste the same as the next Budweiser, but with wine one vintage of one varietal will vary from vintage to vintage and even bottle to bottle. I believe there is no better example of this subjectiveness than Caymus regular Cabernet bottle. I have said it many times that one man's junk is another man's treasure, for me this is a treasure. That is my two cents worth and I am sticking to it! The bottom line, everyone is entitled to their respected opinion, especially when it comes to wine, after all this is America and it is a semi free country!
Unbelievable! Shared a bottle with a few friends at my bar and we were blown away. The idiots that are saying this particular vintage expression from Caymus is awful need their head examined. This is arguably the BEST vineyard in California. Stop being a hater! Parker gave this bottling a 96. 96! Hello? Buy as much of this as you can procure/afford!
My first time with this wine. Obviously controversial among CT drinkers, and I can see why. Very big and ripe, easy to drink. Slight cough syrup flavor and absolutely no "complexity." I actually enjoyed drinking it, but can see why others would differ. Parker's score way out of line.
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Tasted on two separate occasions with consistent notes. Big cabernet-typical bouquet of ripe black cherries and graphite, with vanilla notes in the foreground imparting a confectionary impression. Delicious red and dark cherries flood the palate, along with some supporting earth and graphite. Good acidity, medium-plus polished tannins, and fairly lengthy finish. Smooth and delicious Cab but not much else to say, because frankly the complexity seems low at this stage. Perhaps the bouquet and fruit will calm down and it will show more of what it has to offer in a few years.
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Over-oaked and sugary. Taste is reminiscent of vanilla-infused cough syrup...which I'm pretty sure nobody makes because it is a terrible combination. I might have liked this during my senior year in college, but I'm having a tough time getting it down as a mature adult.
Similar to others' experiences: a huge, sweet, overripe extravaganza. Tastes like it was made in a laboratory, not by a wine maker.
Bizarrely, I did not hate it, perhaps because this is what I have come to expect from Caymus more often than not. (I do like the basic Cab for what it is; this one was more like the typically over-the-top Special Selection).
Huge wine. Warm dark berries. Chocolate, baking spices. The palate is big but enjoyable with blackberries and oak. Drinkable in a bigger than it should be kind of way.
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Sweet, pruney and simple with virtually no structure. I can't see this wine going anywhere positive, it just doesn't have the stuffing to evolve. A sad showing from this splendid winery. Parker's 96 rating is inexplicable and very worrisome. Tasted three times from three different cases over a five week period with consistent results.
The same as before, not bad, actually good, but not 96 Points to me. Dark extracted fruit, stewed prunes, raises, with hints of milk chocolate. Getting better to me but it's not registering a 96 points. Obviously, if you don't like FRUIT BOMBS, you will not like this wine. The score is all over the place with this one, either love, like or hate it, but it's not a terrible and I will admit that I have enjoyed previous vintages more so. I also know that one of the major wine shops in my area had several cases of this wine (pallets) and they have sold out and people are still asking for more if you can believe that. 90.6 Points tonite.
Tasted on two different occasions and came to the same conclusions. This is a good wine that exhibits a soft silkiness of dark fruit however its flavor profile contained a dominant element of prune. While this was not off-putting, there are just other Cabernet Sauvignon iterations I enjoy more.
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The 1 L bottle broke so I had to drink what was left. On the fruitier side, with a candied component reminiscent of Carneros Pinot. Still very primary. Strong ethyl notes on the nose but not too hot on the palate. This is clearly no Special Selection. 88-90+ points
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Good, but overrated. Big rich wine, dark fruit and cocoa flavors, balanced oak and tannins well in check. The only missing piece is the fruit has a slightly bitter character and lacks sweetness. Maybe this will come together in time. I'll wait at least 2-3 years before opening another bottle.
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The nose and the flavour are both jammy. The nose was intriguing to me. For a while, I didn't want to drink the wine, I just wanted to continue to enjoy the aroma. On the palate, a big, juicy fruit bomb. I like that kind of wine, once in a while, for a glass or two, or maybe a half bottle at most. But I was expecting more. More complexity, more subtlety. I got a lot of black fruit, i.e. blackcurrant and blackberry, and a little bit of black pepper, wood, and dill, this last perhaps being from the American oak barrels being purchased too young (they need to be aged for three years, to dry out). The flavour of this wine is more lingering than evolving. This wine got 96 Parker points, whereas the Venge Silencieux I had last week got only 94, and I liked it better, for the same price. That scoring should be reversed. Overall value: 3.5 stars of 5. Overall impression: excellent (90.5).
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If you are into Bordeaux you may not like this wine. It's a true California Cab. big and bold with layered fruit and lots of power but one that's very enjoyable and a pleasure to drink. I will buy more at $55 it's more than worth the price.
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Second time I tasted this. Had a glass over two hours. Big nose of fruit and minerals. Nice complexity, the oak / vanilla flavors continue to dominate the profile. The tannins remain distant in the background. For me it seems to lack the acidity to optimally bring it all together and it comes off a little bit flabby. It will be interesting to see how this develops into over the next decade. Their 2007 is currently drinking very well and more my style.
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There once was a wine named Caymus Whose ratings made it quite famous but when it started to clot and seized engine blocks they gave up, feeling ashamus
The nose shows vanilla, black fruit and oak which leads to much of the same on the sweet palate for better or for worse. Not exactly sure how this is going to evolve but right now it is a little bit of a one trick pony.
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I am by no means a regular cab drinker but that is why I loved this wine. It is so fruity and with well resolved tannins for a very young wine. With out the hint of dryness of the finish I would have thought it to be a full bodied pinot.
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Absolutely gorgeous with beautiful cocoa notes on the nose and dark leather and pipe tobacco elements giving great depth to the taste countered by lighter, floral elements that balance the heaviness of the overall presentation. An absolute triumph from Caymus that should improve with age. This will become a collectors item. Get it while you can.
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The 2012 vintage release also shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.
Typical legendary Caymus Cab style - dark blackish ruby/garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel and kirsch giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish.
OK.... I had to test it out. Not ready to drink yet. The fruit was backward and not integrated and overall a disappointment. The 2012 vintage is drinking better young than any in recent history, so I worry about this one. On the other hand Caymus is one of the most consistent producers in Napa, so it will probably just take some time to come around.
This one is pretty weird. Quite good in its own way. Highly extracted, sweet, dense, probably the oakiest wine I can recall ever tasting, thick tannins and fantastically young and immature. Full of flavor and downright chewy mouthfeel. It was great to taste it but now that I have I can safely say that this one needs years of rest to integrate, min 5. Not sure what will become of this one as I didn't detect acid in any way and would think it will age into something flat without that needed pep. Haven't looked at the spec sheet to see if the acids exists and are just hidden behind the overwhelming bulk of this thing.
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Big Caymus. Love it or hate it, or pretend to hate it because it's too delicious to be wine. This is tasty stuff, not to ponder, just to enjoy. That said, I wouldn't serve it with anything subtle. Maybe pizza, burgers or a big steak
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Always great wine from Caymus.
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Pleasantly surprised at this Caymus. While I find most caymus needs a few years in the cellar. This 40th anniversary from the 1 liter was a crowd pleaser. Nice fruit vanilla and chocolate on the nose very smooth with moderate tannins. Very approachable now....
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I have had so many Caymus vintages I just can't log them all. I tried the 40th anniversary 2012 vintage from a 750 the other night and it was awesome. Dark dark color, great rich nose of dark fruits, earth, vanilla and toasty oak. Did not taste like a baby, tasted older and it's only 2-3 years old. Rich, opulent, long lasting finish. Listen, there is no such thing as a bad Caymus, decant it, go through a vinifier, swirl away. Highly recommended, do your homework, the best track record over the last 20 years for Napa Cab? Caymus and the SS....
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Sexy and concentrated. Big gooseberry and plumb fruit with a long finish. Notes of milk chocolate, rose pedals and vanilla with noticeable yet a nice use of oak. Lingering puckering tannin. Great structure and balance. Excellent.
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Oh! All the haters! What do you want? This tastes like vacation. Yes, it's a bit sweet, lots of oak and vanilla and currants and fruit. A bit too much, more like a cocktail. But very easy to drink. Why so serious? When there's fun to be had... Other than that, difficult to recommend.
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Just had a glass of this at a steakhouse with lunch. I was anxious to do so, after reading all the love/hate tasting notes. It's definitely not the Caymus of old days. This wine is huge, sweet, oakey, and show's no finesse at all. I will not even attempt a bottle for 3-5 years and hope that it starts to balance out. This is a hot mess right now of black fruit, alcohol, oak, and vanilla.
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Wow, this was inky black, jammy, fruity, explosive, sweet -- "wine candy." It was fun to drink, not serious. Maybe it will mature over a long time into a serious wine, but for now enjoy, talk about it, smile or shake your head and say it's just wrong!
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This has to be one of the "Sweetest" Cab I have ever had. It was like someone sabotaged the wine by pouring sugar in the bottle. If you have friends who won't drink reds because they are "too dry"....give them this soda pop. Terrible!
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2012 Napa Cabs ("reasonably priced"), 68 Madeira (Our Home): Glad to finally get a chance to try this. It was very tight when opened. I think of all the wines tonight, this is the longest lived. When it opened the nose showed cassis and plenty of fresh oak. There is a fair amount of chocolate as well, or as one guy described it, ovaltine. Deep on the palate. It slowly unwinds to show tight layering with plenty of fruit and oak. I di think it all sorts out, but I wouldn't touch these for a while.
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Dark but fruity and borderline sweet. Soft tannin barely noticeable until open for many hours. Probably won't stand up to many foods, but went well with a very mild manchego. My other bottles with be drank soon, as I'm not sure how much better this can get with age.
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Whenever I'm in the US I buy a few different bottles of Napa Cabernet that I get recommended, to see if I can find an alternative to Bordeaux. So far it has always been a slight disappointment to me, I think I'm just unlucky but I keep ending up with fruit bombs without any structure, but I'm pretty certain there must be really good Cabs in the 50-100$ range. This attempt was unusually unsuccessful, I ended up with a fruit syrup bomb instead of a wine. Pretty disgusting to be truthful, I kept refilling my water glass during dinner to get some balance back. Totally hopeless!
Some Blind Cali Cabernets (My Place - Washington, DC): Dark purple color. Gorgeous nose of blueberry, rich currants, blackberry, rounded out by cola, vanilla, loamy soil, sweet mocha and a hint of tobacco. Full-bodied and rich with structured but velvety tannins and some acid for refreshment. The fruit is layered and complex, with waves of blueberry, red and black currants and some dark plum jam, then add in the elements of cola, cedar, espresso, graphite, mint and tobacco. A bold wine but it presents itself well, chewy and smooth at the same time with a long finish. Shows surprisingly well but will unfold a lot in the cellar.
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Rich raisin and cedar nose, maybe a little eucalyptus. Realm round body. Lots of fruit and tannins are not prominent. Lots of fruit. Will be interesting to see how it ages but drinking well already.
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Decanted for about 3 hours. Flavors of cola and blueberry pie. Round and rich tasting, not a lot of structure, acidity and spice are in the background with the fruit forward. A good value in a Valley full of wines that are over priced and under deliver.
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I bought this at a restaurant (and paid at least twice what it was worth but I wanted to try it). I really think this is an outstanding wine. As someone else pointed out, the tannins seem very tame even without decanting, which may mean this is something to drink young.
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I expected a fruit forward wine, but not this. This wine was quite sweet, with vanilla and chocolate taking center stage. I can't imagine drinking this with food and really wonder how folks can rate this so highly. I will not deny that this brings the delicious factor - I would not turn this down as a post-dinner sipper at all. But at $55, this wine concerns me and I have to wonder if someone enjoying this wouldn't benefit more from a half case of Apothic Red.
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From 1 Liter. Decanted for 2 hours then poured and let sit for another hour. Beautiful bouquet of sweet fruit and spice. Had a nice, almost creamy mouthfeel. Tannins are already tame and I thought this was quite nice. Interesting to see all the conflicting notes/scores. I have a close source for discount bottles and picked this up for about $35, which was a great price, but at $70, pass..... Very enjoyable though. 92
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Wow. Like candy. Caramel, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, red fruit and a wonderful creamy texture. Great balance. Sweet, forward and easy. Good now and will evolve. Like the wine but the 1L bottle is pretty funky. I was looking for the "30% MORE FREE" banner across the top.
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No numbers from me on this wine. Bountiful medium dark fruits in a silky balanced wine. Finish is medium with soft tannins. A very nice wine to sip on its own. It made an excellent pairing with a grilled salmon and I think it will be really nice with a lot of foods associated with a lighter style red. I'll be interested to see what people say time does with this wine. It seems to me that it will always retain the fruit and it is already as mellow as it needs to be.
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Didn't get the depth that the true caymus cabs in this. The cassis/blueberry profile was there, but it was lacking true structure and body to make this worthy of the Wagner name. I was a little disappointed in how fruit forward this was.
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Really enjoyed this bottle. Very representative of the Rutherford area. Big fig and cassis highlights. Nice bottle/label as well. Alcohol balance felt right to me. We ordered more for home while sitting at dinner.
Paired with pecan crusted crab cake and ancho rubbed NY strip.
It should improve in a few years IMHO.
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Delivers those wonderful tobacco, cherry and vanilla flavors. Smooth and delicious like I have come to expect from Caymus. A little more fruit forward than the standard Cabernet but equally as nice.
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Decanted 2hr, all I can say is one man's treasure's is another mans junk, it is what it is, as for me this vino is a treasure, sweet, rich rich, flavorful and concentrated. No offense!
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I buy this for my guests who know little about wine and gravitate toward the "crowd pleaser" portion of casual wine drinking segment. I reluctantly let my wife talk me into opening a bottle tonight, but only after dinner...thank God!
What a sugary mess! Yuck!!! Should have been made into port, obviously the grapes were way past ripe. Vanilla, dark berries, and zero structure, perfect for the gotta drink it now crowd. Caymus whiffed on this; no wonder it's selling at a highly discounted price. IMHO a total waste of money. Couldn't finish a glass for fear of hyperglycemia and I'm not diabetic! lol
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Black in color turning purple at the rim with a deep nose of ripe dark berries, vanilla and creme de cassis. The palate is dense, powerful and bold with a velvety texture. Opulent flavors of ripe dark cherry, blueberry, mocha, tobacco, black tea, kirsch, liqueur and toasted vanilla. The fruit is just so rich, jammy and intense, it may tend to overwhelm. However, from track record, Caymus wines age beautifully in controlled cellar conditions, and I suspect that once those fruit flavors mellow down after 5-to-6-years (better actually in 10) subtle nuances of earth, oak, and dried herb will balance this one out. Finishes long and lifted with high alcohol levels. Drink now with a 1-hr decant until 2027. 92+
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Much better after open for an hour. At the start, there was a very strong, prune-like flavor that wore off after time. I didn't like it as much as past years, but i did not find it as bad as others either. Almost more like an over-the-top Zin than a Cab.
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This first half of this bottle was enjoyed At Fleming's for dinner the previous night after the Premier Wine Tasting Event. Pulled from the refrigerator two hours before dinner and placed on the counter top. Grilled burgers and skewers of chicken with peppers and onions. Went to the kitchen and uncorked the last half of the Caymus, and poured a glass, wonderful nose, more expressive than last night, lots of blackberry, kirsch, pencil lead, with a hint of very ripe black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, smooth as silk, east to sip and enjoy as it lingered on the palate, big body of fruit, lovely cabernet flavors on the finish and aftertaste, I think it will peak in 3 years and last 20 years.
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1 liter bottle. Initially only faint dark fruit muted by alcohol and tannin and oak. Following 1 hour double decant, wonderful notes of dark black fruit, currant, and vanilla. More of the same on the palate with prominent black cherry. Tannins mellowed more than enough to enjoy. Overall a fruit forward cab, fairy typical Caymus. Drink now with decant or hold for 3-5 years.
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At Fleming's for dinner after the Premier Wine Tasting Event. A sample taste was provided by the server since I was interested in this wine. I tasted it and immediately ordered a bottle for dinner. Dark, bright plum, beet red color in the glass, hard to see with the lighting in the room, nose of blackberry, kirsch, and dusty earth, swirling dramatically improved the aromatics on the nose, more of the same on the palate, the fruit is very concentrated and silky smooth like a warm Hershey Candy Bar, terrific match with the mushroom ravioli and the double breasted chicken, very tasty, massive body of fruit, concentrated, subdued fruit and a touch simple suggests it needs time, medium/long wonderful finish and aftertaste. Corked the bottle and will enjoy tomorrow night.
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Dense on the palate, with flavors of blackcurrant, boysenberry, blueberry pie. Just this side of jammy, but with enough delineation to carry off the fruit. The tannins are sweet, but not firm enough to lend enough structure. I worry that this wine might not age well, as the lack of backbone will only render the wine more out of balance as it ages.
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This wine is always heavy on the fruit. I have never had a bottle that was not. But I actually think this is a great quaffing wine with people who enjoy wine but aren't enthusiasts.
Well.... Had liter bottle in late August and upon opening, nose had some promise. However, after that all that came through was maple syrup. Four experienced wine drinkers and could not finish it. 24 hours later not any better. More maple syrup and one dimensional. Caymus always surprised me (pleasantly) how early they could release and still be approachable/drinkable at such an early age. This one doesn't stack up right now. Opened up a .75 liter in late September with similar notes - my wife thinks might be good with pancakes or to pour over some vanilla ice cream. Disappointed at the moment and time will tell if any improvement - have a bunch of liter and regular bottle left to open up every 6 months or so to see if any improvement. Not holding out much hope though. Also have 3 liter etched bottle signed by Chuck that will hold the longest and hope for the best. Overall, quite disappointing "special" vintage for them - broke the string of our caymus saying "never had a bad Caymus".
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This much maligned wine is better than I anticipated given many of the reviews. Overextracted? Yes, definitely. But given time to decant (and I'm talking 2-3 hours), this wine mellows out quite a bit and is actually a nice, round wine with big red and black fruits. Nothing complex here, and the tastes don't linger, but it's quite enjoyable if you given it enough time.
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Good dark fruit on the front, but out of balance with very little finish. It is very approachable right now. Not everything you'd hope for at this price point, but enjoyable none the less.
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I'm really torn with this one and I hate giving a Caymus wine an 89 score. But, sadly, the 2012 40th Anniv doesn't deserve a 90+ rating. I have found that the $50 and above price point usually begins to separate the "ok" wines from the exceptional wines. On one hand, it's too sweet/jammy and the finish is fairly non-existent. On the other hand, it has great mouth "feel" and is a very easy drinker. I'm generally underwhelmed and just a little disappointed with this one. Maybe I expected a little more from Caymus.
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Depending on your style preference for Cabernet, you're either going to love this wine or hate it. This wine is a jammy fruit bomb that borders on the overripe. However, we liked it because it's a '12 Cab that's ready to drink and delivers a lot of flavor. Contrary to other reviews, we did not find the wine very tannic which suggests that the wine will certainly evolve with more age, but not necessarily improve.
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Major dissapointment! I am shocked at how awful this wine tasted. We opened up a Peju Cab and Hall Cab first...saved the Caymus for last and it was truly undrinkable. Tasted more like a lower shelf grocery store magnum for $7.99 than a high end Napa cabernet!!! And what's with the clear bottle??!!!!!! I am sorry I have 2 more bottles waiting to be thrown away....I just HOPE time will help this junk....feeling very ripped off.
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Black fruit, it has an overwhelming vanilla creamcile, pepper, cinnamon, safe, smokey oak. Lacked some complexity. It is well balanced. Good acidity. B+.
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Ruth Chris had this by the glass and my wife and I both enjoyed it. I do agree that it is jammy and a bit sweet but I found some complexity in the wine that others didn't. We took our time and tannins were revealed and some nice luscious undertones. I just ordered a bottle so I'll post again after tasting at home
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Such a wide range of reviews, just had to try one for ourselves. Three hour decant. It is very fruit forward with loads of dark fruit flavors, but the oak is ever present and that was a bit out of balance with everything else. Slightly grabby on the finish. This is more simple fun than sophisticated Napa Cab. My wife described this as smooth, jammy, and yummy. Can understand why some have labeled this as "sweet". A nice fun wine but not exactly what I expected from Caymus.
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Ok, our third bottle so I would like to say a few things. First, I agree this wine should have some aging issues. That being said, I recommend giving Caymus the benefit of the doubt and holding some bottles just in case. As a heads up, all three corks from our bottles thus far have shown visible signs of wine creepage. I am saving each to see how or if this trend continues, but clearly this could be another aging issue. Finally--for now--this bottling has the damnedest capsule I have ever encountered. I need a box cutter to get to the cork! All in all, while I still have high, long term hopes for the 2012 Caymus vintage, I am happy to enjoy some tasty if not enigmatic wine right now.
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Again, good solid wine but far from incredible. Very sweet, almost in the Mollydooker kind of style witch is ok but not great. I don´t know how the wine will be in 3-5 years, but right now it is just a good wine and nothing else.
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Wow, is this sweet. I almost never drink a Cab, incl a Caymus so soon upon release, but with all the other comments I had to taste. I will rate this one, but won't touch this vintage again for a few years and assess at that time.
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This my second bottle (of 12) that is overwhelmingly sweet. I grabbed a $10 bottle of Malbec, at a dinner party, and mixed to cut the candy grape/super purple. Glad that a good portion of my bottles have been pretty good/traditional Caymus in taste.
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Caymus consistently delivers year after year. A very aromatic nose of fruit and oak. The same velvety smooth wine we have come to expect. Berry and oak flavors with a strong vanilla presence throughout and perhaps a hint of clove. The vanilla was somewhat unique for this wine and reds in general. I slight bit at the back end, but this should diminish with aging.
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This youthful wine may end up surprising many that criticize it now. I think that it is starting to settle down, but it is still in its early stage. I opened my 4th bottle and tonite I am enjoying this. I drank it with a meal and it is getting better. I will give it time and we will see how it evolves as I think this will integrating beautifully with time. 90.6 Points.... Boom (huge fruit) bomb, but that's okay by me.
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Fantastic, typical Caymus. Very fruit forward. Drinks well now but will drink much better in a few years. If you love California fruit bomb Cabernets, you will love this wine.
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I disagree with the comments stating that this is not a classic Caymus. The second I popped the cork the nose instantly screamed Caymus. This is as fruity and bomby as all previous vintages. I am a fan of Caymus so this is drank well.
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I see why these ratings are all over the board. If you were looking for the typical caymus fruit bomb, you were disappointed. This year is much more restrained than the last 10, and possesses great verve with a lengthy finish. Yes, there is still oak, but the oak meshes well with the energetic grapes. Not a jammy juice bomb this year, which is also great, but a soulful wine with great character. I'm excited to follow this wine over the next decade. I believe it will age great.
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Damn. The most consistent winery I have ever found has broken their streak. I bought a case of this upon release as I am a Caymus fan and since 2012 is supposed to be a great vintage overall for Napa. And then the reviews started coming in on this wine...and I was hoping it was from the "Caymus Haters" out there that just do not like their style. Well finally popped one open... Great nose. I got my hopes up. Decanted 5 hours at cellar temp. But upon tasting, my disappointment sank in. This has the big Caymus fruit front end, and I have no issue with fruit forward big wines. Love 'em actually. But they need to be balanced. The issue with this bottle was that there is no back end to support the big upfront fruit - tannins hardly existent. So you end up with wine that tastes good on the tongue, and then with the swallow comes the disappointment - nothing there. Just way out of balance. Like another reviewer wrote - not far from Welch's Grape Juice. The wife still liked it. So I am not going to pan this wine completely. Had I paid $25, did I not have my palate ready for a one of my favorite wines from a great vintage and from one of the most consistent producers I know, and instead I was just drinking this wine blind on a Tuesday night, I think I would have rated it an 87. Not a horrible wine - just a tremendous disappointment for Caymus for what should be a great vintage.
Ummm...in a blind test people thought it was Belle Glos Las Alturas. They thought it was a new vintage. Since I love Pinots...home run for me! Jammy, inky, delicious
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I have had several bottles and the majority of them have been fine. The last bottle was very poor. Port like, thick, poor wine. Maybe there is bottle variation?
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This wine started off a bit jammy and was almost chewy in my mouth. After letting it sit for most of an hour it did open up more revealing more distinctive fruits while ending with a long finish.
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Tasted 3 bottles, consistent notes over three months. I'm not a fan of Caymus' wine, in general, although their whites seem to possess an authenticity their reds lack. I'm grouping the Belle Glos (confected) and Conundrum efforts into the same boat: these are "made" wines not wines that speak of place (except for California dreaming). The 2012 is a Grenache like wine, all playful in Strawberry Fields and lacking the grit and verve and backbone of King Cabernet. I think of the wine like a Beaujolais of Cabernet and the bottle speaks this thought too! Playful wine, meant to be chilled. Serve casually. Success in wine business for 40 years but an effort than suggests a marketed wine less than a farmed wine. Sorry to say.
Big, rich, vivid and deep color. LUSH and jammy, maybe over extracted (almost too sweet). Give a decant and it will show much better that to pop and pour. Getting better in my opinion, as I think that it was a little young and disjointed in the beginning. And Parker gave this a '96 points?'.... "I don't know Ollie"
There is one word to describe this wine: sweet. It is very a dark & dense wine. Another review said it was like drinking Welch's grape juice, which I can't say is far from the truth! There is some alcohol on the attack, which blows off with about 3 hours of decanting. After that, you are left with a very grape-y effort. Maybe this improves in a few years? Its a 40th anniversary year but in my opinion you can do a heck of a lot better for $57. Way too one dimensional at this price point. Buh bye.
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This one needs two years in the bottle. Tight, but the potential is there for a wonderful, even classic Caymus. It will be interesting to see how the SS compares. For the early drinkers, have patience.
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This was a good Cab, but a bit sweeter than what I'm normally used to from Caymus. A bit too hot as well. However, after 3 hours in the decanter it finally started to settle into a nice place. Not sure this has the potential to age well though. I would say drink this one young.
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Truth be told, I think this vintage is a bit young. I decanted for an hour, and it still tasted no different than a $10-$20 special at the local grocery store, but after 2 - 3 hours, this one opens up quite nicely. While I don't discount the lower scores, I do see some potential with a few years in the cellar. I plan to grab a few more to hang on to, just to see.
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The low reviewers obviously don't know what the hell they're talking about. Just had to break one of my liter bottles open from the case I just purchased. Decanted for just a bit, and this is showing excellent potential for such a young wine. Strong, beautiful nose with lots of beautiful fruit showing through already. This is a cab lover's wine. Will be a stunner in 3 to 5 years.
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Dense, inky, completely opaque, the color and body of Welch's grape juice. Classic Caymus candied black fruit and burnt sugar aromas, undertones of camphor. Dense in the mouth. On open tannins are light but present, muted fruit. Moderate finish. Will update with additional notes as I give it air and drink over the next few days. Update: Vacuum sealed and stored in the fridge, then returned to room temp one day later, fruit is more present both in aroma and on the palate, but still the caramel and camphor notes are present. By day three, everything beginning to fade, suggesting you should drink up in the next 3-4 years.
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8 of us did a blind tasting of '09, '10, and '12 Caymus. The notes and reviews were very similar. 2012 is just another solid year for Caymus (if you like Caymus).
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A very polarizing wine on CT. It is indeed a fruit bomb with black fruit, oak, vanilla and chocolate. The slightest hint of tannin but needs more. Not a $55 CA cab from a price point aspect but not a horrific bottle - its pleasing but not captivating or interesting. Had with various grilled meats and it was decent but the lack of tannins is the big downer. Not one for aging given the lack of tannic structure at this young age. Drink'em if ya got'em.
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I HOPE that this is just youth but this was decanted 90 minutes prior to tasting - - this wine is an 80 right now and that's putt it very nicely!!! This was tasted with a group of 3 oenophiles and we didn't even finish the bottle. This wine tastes like it rivals Menage-a-Trois at present. Sweet - tastes like an overdone, thin, sweet, generic 10 dollar wine. There is nothing about this that reminds me of any other Caymus wine I've had before. As someone who is already on the fence about Caymus to begin with, this doesn't really help to win me over. Since '11 was such a difficult year, I really hope that the Wagner family didn't rush this one to market before it was ready. I will certainly not be buying any of this stuff, but I am going to stockpile the 2010 Special Selection..... that wine was amazing. It's definitely an NR here.
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Typical Caymus. Rich, chocolatey, dense fruit bomb. Young and lacking tannins indeed but enjoyable, smooth, and crowd pleasing. Not as big and lush as previous vintages but still good.
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I had this wine at Gram and Dun in KC. The wine is serviceable, at best, for a Napa Cab. I enjoy older Caymus Cabs and have them in my cellar and this wasn't even close. This is the Meiomi Pinot Noir (use that lightly since it is 25% something else) of Cabernet for 2012. I just don't get the reviews on this wine. This was such a fruit bomb that it almost tasted like Port. The bottle had only been open for 30 minutes or so. Thus, the wine in the bottle wasn't oxidized. I'm kind of scared to try the 2011 that I purchased and have in my cellar.
Used Coravin to extract 2oz. After 5 mins in glass @ 56F: Hot with blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, tart red plum, bright violet, sweet baking spices (nutmeg), brown sugar/molasses, sweet tobacco, leather, vanillin, slight oak, soft tannins. Smooth and had a medium+ finish. Left a bit a sweetness on the palate that left me craving more.
After 1 hr in the glass @ 59F, the wine became more bold with stronger tannins, deeper/darker berries (strawberry in there now), stronger vanillin, and still lingering heat. Less sweetness on the palate and much more in-your-face body.
This is a young pup that needs at least 5 years of down time. I feel that the flavors will marry more and it'll be a beautiful, luscious, velvety, bold Napa cab. 90 now with a potential of 93.5 with some aging.
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Glass-coating. Dark and dense - 85% opaque. There are a dazzling array of aromatics present in this wine: Ripe plum, Chambord, black and blue fruit, cedar, a hint of cinnamon. It gets a bit boozy at times, especially on the nose, so if you're looking for a balanced wine (between fruit, acid, and tannin) this probably isn't for you.
That said, the wine is incredibly smooth and easy to drink. Hardly any tannins to mention and as heavy as it is it doesn't get tiring coming back for a second taste.
Overall, I think it could use more structure to bump it up to being truly extraordinary. But considering the relatively favorable price points this vintage is being offered at it's worth buying a bottle or two if you like fruit forward Napa Cab.
What an enchanting colour. 2012 produced a full-bodied, felt-tannined Cabernet that is meant to age - believe it or not. This is forward, yet architectually structured. Texas Bar B Q, anise, coconut meat, coffee liquor and dark berry medley, with a little medicine. Savory and suave during the approach, then an element of new oak - that will lessen in the next three-to-four years - during the long finish. It has been awhile since I have enjoyed their entry level Cabernet to this degree, yet, she is still a baby. Cellar, please... Drink 2017 - 2030.
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Deep rich purple color. Beautiful bouquet filled with berries and oak. Rich fruit with, cherries and cassis. Long finish medium tannins. Wonderful structure with great balance. A pure delight. Caymus went all out with a great vintage to commemorate its 40th anniversary. A Tour de force!
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I thought this was the best Caymus Cab I have had. Typically Caymus Cab is to jammy almost like Zinfandel. From the first smell toasted oak shows with subtle fruit, again for typical Caymus. This is what appealed to me. Light tannic structure and medium plus body also takes it away from the typical Caymus Cab.
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Been reading all the commentary on this with great interest (and amusement), so we were eager to try one. First thought is that the CT average of 90 is right on, although I think those giving this scores in the low 80's or less are being a bit too harsh in order to make a point. Setting aside stylistic differences in taste, I agree this does fall short of what Caymus was shooting for, but 80 points?? C'mon . . .
Second thought, based on all other TN's is that this may have some wide ranging bottle to bottle variance insofar as the flavors go. For instance, yes there is a ton of oak, but on our bottle it didn't manifest at all as over the top vanilla or coconut, rather it was a sweet chocolate & roasted coffee/toffee note. It was actually quite nice, unfortunately it utterly dominated all else.
To me this is a hedonistic pleasure bomb (or attempts to be) that I'd give more points to if it wasn't so one dimensional. As many have noted, it lacks both acid and backbone, so holding this for more than a few years is iffy. Will hold at least one, just to see what happens.
Don't let my sacrifice go to waste. This is a dreadful beverage that has more in common with Coca Cola than wine. It might be tasty reduced with blackberries and served over ice cream.
2 days later no change, like Dorian Gray. Beneath the skins lurks a foul portrait of a wine.
I’m a die-hard Caymus lover and have been collecting and drinking both the Caymus Napa and Special Selection for some 27 years. I've had the opportunity to taste the 2012 Caymus Napa cabernet on several occasions now and am seriously unimpressed. Instead of approaching this note according to the more-traditional "wine tasting protocol, I've decided to summarize my reactions with the following points:
1) No one who knows Caymus could ever state the 2012 Napa cabernet is in any way “classic” or “typical.” Really now! This wine tastes like no Caymus I’ve ever experienced. 2) Specifically, I find it smooth, lighter than usual in body, shallow in fruit and tannin. 3) The drinking experience, with or without decanting and breathing time, is unsophisticated at best --- lacking in fruit, body, complexity and depth of character. 4) The most prominent impression I get from this wine is a strong flavor of VANILLA !! 5) In my well-educated Caymus opinion, the 2012 Napa cabernet is a complete disappointment. Caymus should be ashamed to have delivered such a lackluster effort on this their 40th Anniversary. It’s no wonder they increased quantity and decreased price for this wine --- that might say it all. 6) I can't find any professional reviews as of date of this note, and I can't say I'm surprised. As we all know, when the big wine critics have nothing good to say, they tend to conveniently skip the vintage. While I’m eager to read their reactions --- their silence is deafening.
In summary, this is a Caymus to be avoided. I suggest you invest your "cabernet dollar" elsewhere.
I had to weigh in on this wine as it seems so many others on CT are giving it varying reviews.
Give this wine at least 30 minutes of air time. I agree with some who said this vintage does not have the tannic structure of previous vintages. On the other hand, to me it did not seem over the top on vanilla or coconut. The tannins and finish do feel relatively sweet, but It's still in the traditonal Caymus style/flavor profile. Drink sooner rather than later. This wine had only been in its bottle 6 weeks. Very enjoyable with a juicy steak.
Drank from a tasting pour at the wine shop. Dark in color. Lots of oak and blueberries, very primary. Not as tannic as many of the earlier Caymus Cabs upon release, but the tannins are still there. Good concentration. Glad that I bought a couple to cellar earlier in the month.
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Well, because I have a Coravin, and a case of Caymus, I figured I would give this wine another try. Over a little bit of time. I poured one glass via Coravin. Yes I know I was not supposed to use the Coravin until my safety post it note and sleeve arrives, but I like living dangerously.
On the nose, it was actually very muted. I let it rest for about twenty minutes and still not much there. This was way different than the previous bottle. Not much of anything really.
I then tasted it and again, it was not like the previous bottle. Still no tannin or acid but also not some syrupy grape jammy mess. Very little specific fruit but I did get a note of coffee once or twice. Yes their was some oak and vanilla but again, not like the first bottle.
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I agree it's a bit of a fruit bomb right out of the bottle, but it becomes quite composed and a bit more serious after an hour of decanting. This is pretty supple, smooth, extended and appealing, though a bit simple and one-dimensional too. The structure is light, though the alcohol is pronounced. Not sure how much better this will get with age as it's approachable already. It's nice enough though hard to justify the price, even though this vintage is cheaper than usual. I wish it were more meaty and structured. There are better cabs for less money.
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Nice wine. Well made. Bright purple fruit. Concentrated. Again, nothing crazy, but classic Caymus vanilla, etc. Clearly a good vintage, less tannic upon release than typical Caymus.
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this wine has some dark fruits mocha vanilla chocolate. It's silky smooth soft tannins nicely structured and a vanilla bomb I get some cigar box cinnamon.
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Very intense fruit and a lot of volatiles. Since it's still young I found it rather lively> definitely changes for the better after an hour or two of decanting.
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Had the 2012 as part of a Caymus vertical which included 2004, 2004 SS, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012 during a big family get together. I must say I love the New World style and have always been a huge fan of Caymus. The 2012 and 2004 SS were the hands down favorites of most of the crowd, but border on transcending jammy into sweet. I like the vanilla notes (reminds me of Quilceda Creek), but is slightly over done here. That said, this wine and the Wagner products in general tolerate POP incredibly well and are often my go to bottles when bringing wine to restaurants. Love the 1L, perfect size, bought 5 cases!
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Not incredibly impressive, even for a young Napa cabernet. Some here have call this a "fruit bomb" -- but I got hardly any fruit, so I'm not sure what the deal is with that. Lots of vanilla and oak, with only a little bit of the typical dark fruit coming through towards the end. I am certainly not a true professional here, but the overall structure and absence of any professional reviews leads me to believe there may little hope of substantial improvement here. Of course, the price (less than the 2011) also supports this conclusion. It's a shame this once powerhouse did not aim a bit higher on a bottling they chose to label as their 40th Anniversary blend.
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As many have stated, you pretty much know what your are getting with Caymus, so..... If you don't like this style, don't drink it (no offense). I say, if you drink it now you should give it a long decant. There are certainly some very dominant quality / sensual aspects to this 2012 vintage, but I think it get better with some aging and the point score will ascend with time. 90 points for now.
When I drink a Caymus, I usually know what to expect. Caymus is one of the in-your-face, oaky fruit bombs. There's nothing wrong with this style, and when you're in the mood for power over subtlety, Caymus is usually a safe choice.
For me, the 2012's fruit is hidden by oak at this point. On a pop and pour, the nose and flavor were all vanilla. I like vanilla and don't mind it in my wine as one of the flavors, but I don't care for it as the dominant flavor. Over the course of an hour, the vanilla changed to coconut. Strong, unpleasant coconut.
After a night sealed with a Vacu Vin, the vanilla had faded ever so slightly. It was still the dominant flavor, and fortunately the coconut didn't reappear.
There is an undercurrent of black cherries and plum, but the vanilla is far too strong at this point for my tastes. The rest of my bottles will sit for a year or more to see if it mellows out.
Very deep dark inviting red. Fruity but hidden beneath the oaky overtones. Improved as the wine breathed in the glass. Maybe a little young but allow to breath and you will be enjoyably surprised.
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This wine was dark and inviting. I have had several caymus wines before that were off putting of raisin and prune. This one did not show those characteristics but was very ripe. There was vanilla, cocoa powder, espresso, and dark berry. This borders on over the top ripeness and will surely turn off some as too close to a port profile, but with time and/or the right food this is a nice wine. I can't see myself drinking more than two glasses due to seeming a bit rich.
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Opened tonight. Let it set for bout an hour. Great nose. Very dark, clings to the glass. On first taste way to much vanilla. After letting it sit it did calm down. Still a bit disappointed. To much vanilla for me.
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Read from other reviews how approachable this was and opened a bottle for friends at lunch with steak sandwiches and burgers. This a new world cab with a dark ruby color and a lots going on on the nose. Blackberries, blueberries, a hint of chocolate and even a little plum. Medium body and a nice finish. Universal approval from friends. Think this will get better with some age as fruit dissipates slightly and the wine gets some added complexity. For now, it is just plain enjoyable.
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Uber thick and sweet. Too far in that direction for me. I found myself missing some tannic grip and complexities with the fruit. It's like drinking a glass of milk chocolate.
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Almost black in colour with rurple rim. Jammy, ripe and consentrated. Apart from a hint of smokeyness, I could discern nothing else. Tannins are present but fine and acidity is at good levels for a Cab. Medium finish. This is over the top for my tastes.
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Better than the 2011 Napa, though might not age quite as well. Screamed black currents and spice on the nose. Rich purple color. Lots of tannins, and not much acid, finish didn't linger as long as I had expected. Hoping that this will develop in time, a little underwhelmed at the moment. Wine wasn't decanted at all, maybe that would have helped. There's still quite a bit of promise that is evident, but the window will be short though.
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Popped and poured. Dark black/purple in the glass. First swirl/sniff brings all fruit, black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, all in preserve form. One of the ripest wines I've smelled in a long time. With more air, the American Oak comes out too, in the form of coconut, cocoa powder. A note of anise shows itself later.
On the palate it's all super-ripe fruit. Basically no acidity and hardly any tannins. Same black fruit preserves as on the nose. The finish has an odd burnt brown sugar/molasses quality to it that I couldn't really figure out.
Super soft, super ripe, I don't think this will improve with long-term aging. A cab for people who hate acidity and tannins, and instead prefer only ripe fruit and oak.
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wow this is a big chocolaty vanilla rich pleasure to drink, unlike what i expected as a Napa Cab....everyone at the table loved it but it aint no regular Napa Cab.........
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Oak, vanilla, caramel on the palate. Good God what happened.
Some sort of fruit medley explosion on the nose but cant pinpoint anything.
I had previously, on certain other vintages, said that Caymus was Hawaian Punch for adults. I meant that in a good way.
This here is Hawaian Punch.
I also found that this wine adhears to the sides of my glass in a very unnerving way. Give it a swirl and a rest and see for yourself.
$55 and I can see why the $10 price drop. Needs another $10 off, unfortunatly, I already bought a case.
Ok, so... Anybody who has posted a 94 or higher on this one is off their rockers. That is just my opinion of course. Im not trying to offend other posters here. Just saying.
Just FYI. This did not improve on day two. Day two score drops to about an 85
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Dense and dark. The nose is intense; a mix of cotton candy, oak, and concentrated fruit. Rich, soft and elegant, the dense body is full of juicy black cherry, plum, and kirsch. Fine tannins and medium-plus length on the finish. Quite enjoyable now, and will likely improve a bit with age.
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This was a little bit of a surprise to us, but it will be interesting to see how this one ages. Too much fruit and not enough structure for me. No tannins to speak of and very fruity, blueberry, cherry, and chocolate.
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6 hour decant. After reading the reviews to date I gave it a six hour decant and then consumed the bottle over the next almost 3 hours. It was still opening up.
That being said of the 6 adults including two wine managers at the restaurant everybody gave it a huge two thumbs up.
Beautiful color, expressive nose and a bouquet of fruit supported by tannins. This will age beautifully and will be adding it to my cellar. Just a really good wine.
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This is the first of the hightly anticipated 2012's and I was a little disappointed. Typical Caymus lush flavor and texture, but a little too much vanilla for me. Much better than the 2011, but not my favorite recent Caymus Napa.
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OMG what an over the top blueberry maple syrup almost neon-purple glowing concoction. Nothing like the Caymuses of old that were more balanced with dusty Napa eucalyptus. This would be better paired at iHOP and a stack of pancakes.
Good wine. Don´t think that because it is a 2012 it is much better tan other vintages, it is not. The wine is solid, it is delicious , but is is not a home run. I find the finish quite short and definitely it is not as fruit bomb as other vintages. Quite dry. I will buy a case or so for drinking in the next 2-5 years, but make no mistake, it is not an incredible wine.
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Tasted at WL. It was decanted. Maybe I need to try a bottle but the wine had no oomph. It paled in comparison to a South African Cab that I tasted at the same time. Anyone calling this is a fruit bomb has not had a fruit bomb. The wine is pricey and having had plenty of Caymus wines, maybe we should stick to the Special Selection, which is pricey and vg. Will try again.
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The 2012 vintage release shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.
Typical Caymus Cabernet style - dark ruby/garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel, giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish.
2 bottles in 2 nights says a lot, this is a very "pleasant", ready drink now Napa Cabernet, unmistakeably Caymus. Eager to please, vanilla, oak and plenty of grape. While not profound or complex, its a real treat, simple, delicious and so very easy to drink. Dark in color, the richness is surprising given its youth and overall balance. While it may not generate big scores now or ever this is a wine to serve others and enjoy without any pretense. In fact it was so enjoyable we opened a bottle 2 consecutive nights. For what we paid, unbeatable. Will be buying more this weekend or as soon as I can get my hands on some at the same price point. Don't pass this up.
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Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Ah, the return of the Caymus fruit bomb. After an off year in 2011, 2012 returns to form. Classic, over the top jammy fruit with notes of vanilla. Definitely some good aromatics hiding in there somewhere. A recent tasting of 2007 shows that some cellar time gives this wine time for the fruit to recede and balance out. Caveat emptor on this one, this is a FRUIT BOMB, some people just don't like the style and will give it low scores. Don't be fooled. Patience will be rewarded here. I suspect with about 5 years of cellar time, this wine could easy score 95.
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Deep dark reddish-purple; almost opaque. Forward, fragrant and attractive nose of youthful dark fruit aromas of cherries, boysenberries and plumy with toasty oak and vanilla overtones, spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, some herbs, dark cocoa/mocha and cedar. Full bodied with a very good concentration of youthful, balanced, smooth textured, rich, ripe, dark jammy fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries, plums and cassis dominated by toasty oak and vanilla, spices, some herbs, cherry-cola and dark chocolate. A bit soft in the middle; could have used more acidity. Surprisingly, drinks quite well with decanting and some airing and may develop further with additional aging but it appears to be made for the short haul. May be a bit over the top for some with the combination of sweet fruit, toasted oak and vanilla.
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I think other CellarTracker drunkards (and I include myself in this group) have got the notes right.
Personally, I was somewhat jolted by the nose. I thought I had been transported to Dylans candy store (NYC) when I put my nose in the glass. On the palette, the wine is super-sweet, with vanilla wining over the fruit. This is a crowd-pleaser, that in my opinion, won't cellar for too long. Wifey loved it, extravagently lavishing 95 pts on this specimen. However, editorial liberties will prevail tonight!
Cherries and spice box on the palette. Hints of cloves and cinnamon tease the palette. Finish is acceptable, but not anything to write home about. In my mind, a good wine, but somewhat of a "construction site". I anticipated much better, but still good. The 2011 is much better.
:0)
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This wine will be polarizing... lots of candy-like fruit, big, rich, dense... very tasty, but not showing too much restraint. Perhaps a bit over the top for some people, but I think it's great.
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Tried two bottles of this in the last week and notes were consistent. 2011 was unquestionably a terrible year for Napa Cab, with wines that were thin, vegetal and off-putting. Well, our not-so-long national nightmare is over, as this 2012 Caymus lives up to everything we've heard about how different 2012 was. Caymus is traditionally a HUGE wine, and true to form, this wine is a massive fruit bomb. If you like that style, as I often do, you will like this wine. If you do not like big wines - please .... don't even bother to score this wine. You won't like it.
Tremendous dark fruit on the nose, tons of berries and a hint of cedar. Wine is thick and viscous, and I found it dominated by blueberry. Huge finish. Tannins were fine and long lasting, and fairly well integrated. As is traditional with Caymus, this wine is drinking well right now, but sitting it for a year or two certainly wouldn't hurt. I'll be looking for some more of this while it's on the shelves.
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Nose of candy. Fruit syrup. Vanilla. Oak. Sweet. Needs to cellar. Similar to Mollydooker, but more refined? Maybe too sweet? Silky. Smooth. Very light tannins, maybe even lacking balance. No acid. Cough syrup.
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It certainly is different, but the vanilla is almost overpowering at times. I'll gladly revise my ranking upward but I don't plan on tasting again for a couple years in hopes this ages well.
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Your date, the self-proclaimed arbiter of haute couture and cuisine, who identifies social status through the amount of repeat Yelp reviews on Per Se and Daniel, will absolutely love this spiked fruit juice.
For those who have no predisposition, or grew up drinking French wine, appreciating terroir, finesse, balance, and hamony, the 40th is the essence of Californian arrogance in a bottle. It looks and tastes completely artificial.
The color is brightly purple, clinging heavily to the glass, the taste - oh so sucrose - and the finish, of glycerin and wax (some know where I am going with this). I would love to put this blind against Manischewitz for the fanboys and watch their faces turn screwy with impetuous glee.
I was excited to try this wine given the Napa 2012 growing season. I drank it from the same bottle over three nights. The first popped and poured, the second night after 24 hours under gas, and the third just with the cork in and the bottle half full. On the nose were very ripe, almost over ripe black fruit, cassis, and a hint of cinnamon. However, on the palate, I was very disappointed on all three tastings. It is dominated by caramel, vanilla, and cream with a slightly sweet taste. This flaccidity obscures much of the fruit and I could barely detect any tannins to provide balance. The wine did not improve over the 48 hours and if anything, the caramel grew stronger and the profile became more monotonous. It did have a pleasant gylcerol mouth-feel. It seems to me that it is probably grossly over oaked, probably with new French oak and was probably harvested late. I have not seen any vintner's statistics on this product. I have three more bottles and it will be interesting to see how and if it evolves. It reminds me a bit of the "great" 1994 Napa vintage that was a crowd pleaser right out of the shute, but declined rather rapidly with time.
I will not give this wine a score now, its too young.... BUT, it is special and I like it. It has all of the characteristics that make Caymus Cabernet a very good wine, but it is in its youth. Age will produce a true, dark fruit driven, monster Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The best is yet to come!
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The color of the wine is deep purple. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. Aromas are blackberry, vanilla, chocolate and molasses. On the palate I experienced black currant, blackberry, plum, basically all dark fruitiness with a little dusty vanilla, cinnamon, and definitely chocolaty molasses that powers its way to the front. The body is medium/full. The wine has satin-like texture and finishes medium with medium acidity. Overall an enjoyable wine but no doubt showing its youth. Glad to have a case to experience its journey and report.
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Was very excited to taste a 2012 from a top producer and I know that it's very young now. 12 was an almost perfect growing season, so the fruit was very ripe and the skins thick. I wasn't surprised by the incredibly massively ripe fruit which cloaks the acid and tannins initially. But make no mistake, both the acid and tannins are there in full force. Aggressively decanted for 4 hours and the caramel & chocolate coated blackberries notes begin to subside and the acid/tannins start to come out along with the beginning of red fruit & meadow flowers. It kept getting juicier with more tannins until unfortunately the decanter was empty. Patience will be rewarded with this delicious wine. Also, interestingly for this year, they used a lightly green tinted bottle, so the color you see from the bottle is the very dark cab itself.
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Drank another bottle at Cellarmasters today with the wine crowd. Decanted for 1hr and drank across 3. Super sweet notes of caramel and milk chocolate. The longer the decant the more it tastes like a caramel chocolate milkshake. I know, I know a lot of you will poo poo it for that comment but it is strangely addictive and yummy!!!
Tasted the wine last night.....way too young (I'll probably wait five years to open my three bottles), but I could tell this wine has a lot of potential.
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Got my first shipment today and couldn't resist opening a bottle. Popped and poured. I taste a lot of wine futures and like to drink wines across their lifespan. While this wine is not a "wine future" it is young and a bit disjointed similar to a freshly bottled wine (possible mild bottle shock as well from shipping). Nonetheless there are classic Caymus characteristics Present. Nose: strong aromatics of sweet young black fruit, milk chocolate, cedar and vanilla. Palate: highly extracted blackberries, slightly bitter red fruit, currants, vanilla, cedar, mocha and chocolate. Mouthfeel: Soft silky tannins, light fruit weight, thin mid palate with a relatively long warm finish. Overall, a bit disjointed at this phase, but has the potential to turn into a very nice fruit forward classic warm vintage Caymus. I don't think structurally this one is for long term aging, but given a few years in the cellar to integrate this should lead to a very enjoyable wine. 93-95pts. I'll revisit this same bottle tomorrow and any relevant updates.
Oh Boy; A disclaimer first of all, I do like structured wines where large fruit is balanced with acidity and finishes off with some substantial but well integrated tannins. So keep in mind, Caymus is not quite up my alley! However, I still like previous Caymus Cabs- they were typically fruit forward with a mellow mid palate but pretty balanced overall. I usually don't post my tasting notes and never post such low scores. However, we had this at a wine tasting with 6 or 7 other people. It was totally out of balance. The smell of vanilla and cheese cake was overpowering. It tasted just like it smelled. None of us could get over the candy sweetness, vanilla taste and the utter lack of mid palate. Others called it over extracted, reeking of melolactic fermentation. Most of us poured the wine down the drain. In short, this is more like a bad dessert wine. If you normally like Caymus, dont waste your money. If you have bought it, drink it soon, because it doesnt have enough acidity or tannins to make this an aging wine. Sorry!
Emmolo Tasting with Jenny Wagner (Gibson's Steakhouse - Chicago): Showing very nicely. Blackberries, blueberries fig and black olive. Creamy, oak and lots of fresh milk chocolate. Very aromatic. Some spice but mostly lots of fruit up front. Obvious Napa styling. Hedonistic and quite enjoyable.
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4/7/2024 - VintagePeacock Likes this wine: 81 Points
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3/29/2024 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much improved. Deep chewy. Dark. Not as heavy fills your mouth will last a long time
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3/20/2024 - cabsrgreat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lots of negative reviews when released, but this is great now! Smooth tannins, cherry. Agree that it is a crowd pleaser and truly enjoyable. Wish I had more!
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2/8/2024 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 94 Points
There so many reviews of this wine, I will be brief. It's a powerful wine, excellent in all respects, with rich fruit balanced by medium strength tannins and acidity. It can stand many more years in the cellar.
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2/4/2024 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
mega crowd pleaser. tons of cherry fruit; no hard edges; more medium bodied; sweet red fruit with good acidity; decent finish; i loved the Leoville barton 2000 we had next to this but the crowd favored this by quite a large margin
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2/4/2024 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark garnet in color with cranberry and cocoa notes on the nose. Medium bodied with a ripe jammy undertone. Somewhat monotone and unstructured.
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2/3/2024 - NSuri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Cabernet! Wish I had bought more! Was definitely ready to drink but not past its prime.
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2/3/2024 - Angle Gold Likes this wine: 92 Points
Heavy vanilla notes have worn off, still a little jam but plenty of life left in the bottle. May be more enjoyable without food.
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2/1/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Served blind by the host at our monthly tasting group, this was far and away the last place wine of the night. It smelled pretty good, but on the palate was a distracting, cloying sweetness, and a caramel sugar flavor that was better suited to toddlers' ice cream toppings than fine wine. Oh how far the once mighty Caymus has fallen. Disgusting plus!
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1/28/2024 - Tlkemp57@yahoo.com wrote: 93 Points
Needs some time to open up. Very smooth and soft, delicate fruit, almost dainty but holds up to a big steak. Well worth saving. Four more to go....
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1/23/2024 - CDub from the OC Likes this wine: 95 Points
Like many CalCab drinkers, I have quite a few Caymus’s in the cellar. And like some of my friends, I had stopped drinking it - overly sweet and blah.
So today is a Tuesday, my favorite night to Wine Not, and I decided to pull this. OMG what a difference! Blackberry, tart red cherry and mushroom on the nose. The cloying sweetness? Gone. And is that a touch of anise in there? Mellow black and red fruit on the pallet, much more balanced than before. And the tannins! Smooth, and long long long with gentle touch of …vanilla? I mean the tannins are still rolling while I type this.
Maybe 12 years in the bottle was what this wine needed. (PS, I’m a tough grader).
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1/8/2024 - alanmspieg Likes this wine: 80 Points
My last bottle. Decanted it on 1/8/24 for two hours. Went to try before dinner and it had lost all of its fruit, no tannin or structure left. Too bad, because it was a great wine in its prime.
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1/1/2024 - mowtod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful cab, drinking well now with tenderloin steak
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12/31/2023 - wine-os wrote:
Excellent!
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12/27/2023 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Finished the last one third of the bottle tonight, nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit has resolved itself and become typical Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, a tad less rich than last night, and a long, long, lovely finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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12/26/2023 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit are now gone, rich, ripe, fruity, great expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, mouth filling fruit, and a long, long, lovely finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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12/25/2023 - hailcesare Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had on Christmas 2023 with in-laws. Great nose, full and silky. Not the best of the Caymus vintages I’ve had but certainly still very solid.
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12/9/2023 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 90 Points
Black cherry and dark fruit notes on nose and palette. Fruit forward but certainly mellowing out. It has a cherry cola finish. Not for everyone.
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12/1/2023 - amcarl28@gmail.com Likes this wine: 97 Points
The star of the night. Smooth and flavorful.
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11/20/2023 - rjfix Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great fruit, nice Napa style, fruit forward, mild oak
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11/20/2023 - Mari and Kaveh wrote:
A2
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11/18/2023 - RBaird wrote:
To St John For Thanksgiving Nov 2023
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11/17/2023 - wa2ofd Likes this wine:
Black fruit, inky. Still very nice, but not a light drinker.
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11/15/2023 - lfbaum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicely oaked and balanced. Drinking well now.
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11/11/2023 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red color. Fragrant spicy oak and jammy fruit bouquet. On the palate, massive fruit extract and warm. Almost liqueur-like. Modest tannins lurking underneath, but the fruit totally dominates. Long finish.
I know, the Caymus style Cabernet is somewhat controversial, but to me, it’s one that should be considered in the mainstream of the region as the microclimate can easily produces it. However, I understand you may not like it.This is an excellent representation of that style.
Drink now or over the next 3-4 years.
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10/28/2023 - cab blends Likes this wine: 95 Points
NOT BLIND
A beautiful accompaniment to the World Cup Rugby final between the All Blacks and Springboks!. SA because the undisputed champions of global rugby with a 4th win! Stunning - now back to wine.
This is still doing very well. The overt blackberry and red fruit nose is gone and the body is also still fruity but no longer over the top. (I like both versions though) It is still full bodied and if you are into powerhouse fruity cabs (like me at times) I might guess this has 2 or 3 more years max left at this level. Still a great wine with cheese and crackers (biscuits in the US)
Lengthy finish
HL 4 FD 2 t6
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10/23/2023 - R. Hung wrote: 94 Points
Dark garnet to purplish color
On the nose: Black currants, iron, spices, black berries, pepper mint, very aromatic.
On the palate: Full body, bold and concentrated. Fruit pie, plum, lots of black fruits and dark cherries, little red fruits, mint, slight licorice hint. Good acidity and good balance. Structured but well integrated and round tannis. Still quite youthful.
Peak for its fruits profile but can be aged. Need at least 5 more years to develope its secondary notes
Medium finish, seems a little too short for its complexity on the palate.
Need at least 2 hr to decant, drank over 8 hrs in decanter, holding up very well.
Very good California cabs. 94 points
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9/24/2023 - jsiegel Likes this wine: 93 Points
One hour decant Drank wonderfully
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9/9/2023 - ppandian Likes this wine: 91 Points
A double magnum, signed by Chuck Wagner.
Inky dark, earthy notes, muted black and blue berries. Medium weight and well integrated tannins.
At Bobby’s with Nick and family.
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9/5/2023 - Wamrod wrote: 92 Points
Hold on to every bottle you’ve got. Tasted this tonight against the 2019 and there was no comparison. The 2012 beat the 2019 to within an inch of its life, the 2012 being visually denser all the way to the edges, while the 2019 thinned noticeably. The 2012 has great vibrancy and fresh acidity to go with the fruit, whereas the 2019 was noticeably flat and sweet in comparison. Hopefully the 2019 is just an off vintage, not a trend.
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8/27/2023 - EdwardsCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. mature dark fruits. licorice and some earthy notes. Paired surprisingly well with asian chicken peanut sauce.
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8/12/2023 - noni15 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Same as previous note.....sad....
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8/11/2023 - IlonaN wrote: 75 Points
I'll have to jump in here and report on two tastings of this wine. First was when the wine was 5 years old. As with preceding notes, our group of tasters was widely divided on opinions of the wine. The person who brought said she was embarrassed to have brought it to a tasting.
Second try of the wine was a bottle I brought to Jocko's in Nipomo, June 2021. I intentionally brought it to see if it had improved from the sweet, syrupy, concoction we had tasted previously. Nope, it was virtually unchanged and again elicited comments from "Wow, this is delicious" to "OMG, who brought this awful stuff?" I plan to hold my remaining bottle until 2032 when it will possibly be worth $1,000 and I can sell it and buy some good Bordeaux.
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8/11/2023 - Musigny151 Does not like this wine: 72 Points
I remember the Caymus’ of old, wines of depth and complexity. This was neither. It was served blind, and I thought it was a sub $15 commercial bottling, notable for its sweetness (it tasted as if someone had added a spoonful of sugar to each glass). The host was embarrassed enough to run down to the cellar and get a bottle Bordeaux.
I would not have bothered to write a note, but for the Caymus name, and the astonishing price tag. This is to date the worst (healthy) wine I have tasted this year.
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8/5/2023 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 94 Points
great bottle. This group is always consistent. A pleasure to drink
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6/4/2023 - bubbachumps wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with my prior note
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4/12/2023 - martywil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plum and blueberry with licorice. Would have liked some mineral balance and more secondary complexity after 11 years, but this was otherwise very solid.
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4/8/2023 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
My last bottle (of 8) of what seems like the most controversial wine ever. My final take is send me some if you don’t want it. I like it. Great core flavor and tannins don’t hammer your tongue. Why are there so many haters?
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4/7/2023 - Patrick1977 wrote: 93 Points
Had this wine last night with a steak. Excellent wine very smooth and rounded. Loved it. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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3/15/2023 - Kpw325 Likes this wine:
Still solid. I miss when the caymus cab was this good. The more recent stuff doesn’t compare in my opinion
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3/3/2023 - jesheridan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still solid good structure & tannins - a treat!
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2/22/2023 - DunwoodyBB Likes this wine: 95 Points
2-19-23 W Lee R & Russell at Dunwoody. Outstanding (Russell pushed cork into bottle
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2/21/2023 - webbaker Likes this wine:
Starting to show some signs of burning out. Drink up!
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2/13/2023 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser.
Ric
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2/12/2023 - WinePT wrote: 89 Points
My first bottle ever of Caymus. Concentrated flavors of vanilla, oak, blue and dark fruits with a touch of oak. Mild tannins on the finish. Lacked structure for me. Had with ribeye steaks. Wife enjoyed more than I did.
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2/11/2023 - noni15 Does not like this wine: 89 Points
I never thought I was gonna write a comment like this one because my previous bottles were awesome but this one…. crap…syrupy and lack of structure and tannins…I won’t explain more just read previous reviews ( not mine though)….I truly believe that something happened to certain barrels here there is no way that you can have such a variability within the same wine…what happened ?
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2/11/2023 - wineBarry wrote:
Lovely
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2/7/2023 - GerardoGV Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delightful. Upon opening, strong oak, vanilla, dark red fruits. Decanted for 2 hours and even after lunch (3 hours) it was still opening up. Impressive notes, even some dairy hints.
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2/2/2023 - pdxwinefan wrote:
Dark, sweet, blueberry pie. Strong blueberry fruit on both the nose and the palate. It’s fairly high alcohol but not terribly noticeable given the power of the fruit and sugars.
This wine undeniably tastes good. It’s easy to drink and quite a crowd pleaser. And while it’s really sweet (have I mentioned that?), it did have some emerging tobacco and chocolate notes after a while.
But it’s not my style. I found myself craving more structure, something to grab hold of to help balance the fruit and sweetness. But my girlfriend loved it for all the reasons I didn’t, and you know what? Isn’t that why we enjoy wine in the first place?
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1/21/2023 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Didn't decant or filter and found no sediment. Looked and smelled young and fresh and improved in the glass with air.
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1/19/2023 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a great place. Silky smooth. Rich and spicy. Got a little sweet and syrupy day 2.
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1/14/2023 - Docemann5 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark violet,
Heavy fruit. Full flavor. Slightly muddled but quite enjoyable.
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1/13/2023 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last of the 2012s, and it was drinking very well. Medium+ length finish, and a fruit driven Napa cab. Not a huge amount of structure, so I'm not sure how it will age going forward.
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1/6/2023 - Night Train Likes this wine: 88 Points
Much better than a bottle six months ago and several prior to that. It has shed some of its "baby fat" and is beginning to resemble a decent table wine, as opposed to some confection from Starbucks. The overwhelming vanilla is now merely obtrusive. A reasonable amount of fruit shines through, although it's still a little too sweet. It's actually developed some secondary notes and flavors, and it's resonably well balanced. Given another six to twelve months, it might even develop into a wine that's worth its price.
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1/3/2023 - Barry Raterink Likes this wine: 93 Points
Glad I held onto this one. Drank very well right out of the bottle and held up for 6 hours. Fruit forward but a nice long finish. Saved a glass for two days and it was still very good. This was the best of the 3 of these I bought as wish I had a few more.
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1/2/2023 - suarezd wrote: 89 Points
Slightly overripe. Medium body, oak, chocolate, blue fruit. Very good.
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12/28/2022 - BigAngryWino Likes this wine: 96 Points
Better than ever. Still getting better
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12/21/2022 - Buhever wrote:
to bill per not neighbor christmas 2022
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12/17/2022 - eandruske@gmail.com Likes this wine: 100 Points
A perfect wine. Smooth on the finish. Some hints of tobacco. Phenomenal
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12/9/2022 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 8/12/17 bottle except oakier finish.
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12/4/2022 - packinmn Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a special wine… to me. I know some people have enjoyed it more and less than others. But, I am unapologetically in love with it. Hope y’all loved it as much as I did. Last bottle enjoyed with a wagyu tomahawk ribeye that I cooked to my preference with precision.
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11/25/2022 - Gary1961 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Lori and Jen loved this wine. One of the best if not the best wine they have ever drank. The vanilla flavor added to the black cherry flavor put it on top.
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11/25/2022 - Jmrobotics Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice wine, what you would expect from Caymus. Drink now.
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11/23/2022 - Gary1961 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Lori and Jen loved this wine. The vanilla made it unique. Very smooth. Nice blend of berries and the vanilla. Jen tastes the mocha flavor as well. Need to find more of this.
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11/4/2022 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 Points
It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
This is a very controversial wine in the wine world. Some love it, yet some really hate it. I can understand both sides.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.
Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, tobacco, light vinaigrette, earth, chocolates, peppercorn, coffee and mocha.
Nice finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
This is a great Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.
Tasty and delicious with a strong nose. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
I had this vintage 7 years ago, and liked it just as much. This time
I had it blind, so it is what it is.
Wine Spectator 91 points. Robert Parker 96 points.
This 10 year old is easy drinking and good for parties.
Very enjoyable by itself or with food. A good sipping wine.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$150.
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10/29/2022 - CoWineO Likes this wine: 95 Points
I dont often rate wines but I have to say this is a phenomenal wine. Bought a case when it was released. Only one bottle left. No need to decant Fruit forward, floral bouquet, black licorice, fairly long finish. Age has done it well but probably near it's peak. Amazing with a great Ribeye! My wife says..."It's delightful!"
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10/23/2022 - Bodyfxr wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for over three hours. Inky purple black hue. Initial wafts of freshly baked blueberry pie on the nose upon pouring but not much after that. Very unidimensional on the palate. Full bodied, big and full but lacking character. Not much on the finish. Probably past its prime, not withstanding potential bottle variation. Drink up.
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10/7/2022 - Gary1961 wrote:
Wine Spectator 91 pts.
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9/3/2022 - Palisades57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Walked over to a friends house and he open this up. As others have noted, great on pop and pour. Overall this was a wonderful wine. I don’t get to California Cab very much so I am sure that I missing a lot but this particular bottle was firing on all cylinders. Well integrated… Lots of vanilla, oak and chocolate but not in a bad way. Nice acidity. Overall a good drink. If served again I would definitely have another sip.
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8/28/2022 - DesMarteau wrote: 93 Points
Haters need to hate Wagner’s stuff….plum integration deep lush velvet …fruit forward yes ….but good and well made. Great for pop and pour and consistency ….
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8/21/2022 - Verb wrote: 89 Points
still jammy after all these years! I'd like to see the standard deviation on these tasting notes
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8/7/2022 - wineshaman wrote: 93 Points
Pnp, last tasted 6/21, this controversial, somewhat unique Cabernet continues to impressed, very rich, explosive amounts of jammy dark and blue fruit, plenty of vanilla oak, very smooth, silky finish, void of tannins and acidity. Personal note: 14th bottle tasted since 10/2014, 5 bottles left to drink sooner than later while fruit is still dominating!
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8/1/2022 - neurovino wrote: flawed
Very disappointed in this bottle that was oxidized. It was stored in cooler the entire time I owned it. There was some evidence seepage on the cork making be wondered if it might have been cooked prior to arrival, but that was only discovered once the cork cover was removed. It was shipped in early May 2014, so not sure it was hot enough to cook, but who knows.
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7/12/2022 - canan wrote: 94 Points
I continue to be impressed with this wine. It is certainly in a special style but for me, it retains a reasonable balance with a solid acidity. It is however still made in a sweet Cabernet style that is not for everyone but there is tension and depth in the wine that makes it interesting and fun.
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7/5/2022 - William J. Le Petomane Likes this wine:
I bought a case of this in 2014 and every year it gets better. Super rich with lots of flavor. A real treat that is going to continue to get better.
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7/4/2022 - Mikecu6 wrote: 98 Points
Wow! Deeply flavored & “coat the glass” kind of heavy red. Opened up 90 minutes prior to drinking - so smooth, fantastic legs, elegant nose. Tannins are very relaxed, but could have another 10 years of life. This was a wine of the year and lived up to the reputation
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7/2/2022 - JP75Wine wrote: 87 Points
Okay, I guess. Nothing to get too excited about. Good color, moderate nose. Blackberry, typical oak notes and a bit of sweetness.
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6/26/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Delicious - deep dark ripe and sweet. A crowd pleaser - not too complex but did deepen and get darker and finer over the course of the evening.
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6/21/2022 - sam_rosato@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit too fruity for my taste, but a very nice wine
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6/20/2022 - Night Train wrote: 85 Points
Same as a bottle about a year ago: doesn't totally suck, but it's certainly not worth writing home about. Nose and palate dominated by vanilla, with a hint of cedar. Not a whole lot of fruit and no structure whatsoever. Marginally acceptable as an apertif, but overwhelmed by just about any kind of food. A strong candidate to unseat Cakebread Chardonnay as the king (queen?) of Cougar Juice.
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6/12/2022 - malkam wrote: 92 Points
Opened it with BBQ. Still a nice nose. Smooth, pleasant to drink. Lots of dried fruit notes.
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6/5/2022 - nkirsch Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened an hour before drinking. deep color, good nose. Smooth with nice tannins. Very enjoyable wine
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5/25/2022 - hfindlay Does not like this wine:
Not sure how this was stored, as it was a gift, but pardon me while I look this free horse in the mouth: over the hill, with tons of sediment and distinctly pruney notes among the loads of ripe jammy fruit flavors. Not balanced. More like a dessert zin than a decent cab you’d serve with dinner, though I confess I paired it with leftover steak and didn’t hate it.
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4/4/2022 - Buhever wrote: 92 Points
I'm a Caymus fan but this is one of their more pedestrian efforts. Overly rich with fruit and the tannins are a bit out of balance making it a bit of a fruit bomb. Still an enjoyable drink but not their best.
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3/27/2022 - Vintage wine wrote:
I strained it and let it open up a bit and it was delicious with wine and cheese ! It was delicious !
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3/26/2022 - Rps228 Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+ Drank with flank steak. Really pleasing, not too challenging and probably at the apex of its drinking window. Lots of red fruit, soft leather, tobacco, melon and feint honey suckle. Not the cloying jam bomb some don’t enjoy. This wine isn’t challenging or so special, but always a good hang and methinks would be universally enjoyed in group. Not going to hit the heights of some others, but good stuff nonetheless. Took 90 minutes to get at its best and lasted well over the next 4 hours.
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3/22/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
Brought by a friend who was super excited to share it. You either love this wine, or feel like you outgrew this in your early 20’s. It’s kinda like eating fatty, rich food until the doc gives you a speech on your blood work. I have gone clean. I am so far from this, that I can taste quality in garbanzo beans now! Unfortunately, this is how picky or focused I have become. But I have much understanding and appreciation for the love this might bring to others. I was there…One day, you will join me in Marlboro country.. until then, nothing wrong with sweet chewing tobacco. I enjoyed this wine, because of my friends company and his so very kind gesture of love for our friendship.
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3/20/2022 - kayaker007 wrote:
Had to open up, after an hour is got better.
Had for Steve’s 69th at flemmings
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3/13/2022 - andreainoly wrote:
Mike loved it!
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3/12/2022 - Cbl4 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent. Deep ruby color, well balanced.
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3/6/2022 - awilko wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 75 minutes before serving. Blackberries, peach jam, and apple on the nose Cherries, honey, slight spice, and leather on the palate.
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3/5/2022 - webbaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Given some cellar time, the over the top fruit bomb character starts to fade away and this wine starts to show better balance.
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2/27/2022 - agsdlswine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Napa Cab perfection! Nicely aged Cab still w/life but why wait. Great w/a nice Filet.
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2/5/2022 - jdwm73 wrote: 94 Points
Rich, ruby color with wonderful notes of blackberry and oak.
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1/3/2022 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
crowd pleasing, dense purple/red california cab. very fruit forward; actually had a lot of olive tapenade to me in this. long finish.
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12/30/2021 - Gcashman wrote: 87 Points
Super jammy, Rich lacking in acidity. Ok in small doses. Doesn’t really live up to the hype.
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12/25/2021 - leichenfield Likes this wine: 94 Points
Marvelous bottle! Initial sips rich, sweet cola-like. At 3 to 4 hours luscious, with raspberry, full bodied, dark undertones.
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12/24/2021 - hlatham33@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
An excellent wine enjoyed by all with a prime rib Xmas eve dinner.
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12/19/2021 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal note but really excellent !
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12/18/2021 - merryberry wrote: 87 Points
Grape soda, molasses, and aged barrel scrapings on the nose. Full bodied, the plumiest plums you can plum imagine, a bushelful of blueberries, late showing tannins, dark chocolate, and a surprisingly quick finish. This fruit bomb was fun to drink and talk about. Many people who had it liked/loved it, others thought it was "strange". For one glass, I liked it, but I can't respect it.
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12/5/2021 - Riddling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic, balanced, delicious.
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11/21/2021 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle. Drank this with dessert, a rich chocolate torte. This can complement that and, therefore, it’s general sweetness and extraction don’t stand out as much. This is a good wine, but I think Caymus’ Special Selection wines are better than the normal vintage.
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10/23/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Chuck Wagner was one of my favorite talks at the Wine Experience. I don't necessarily buy into his form of wine, but I appreciate that while the market and popular opinion has moved against him he's sticking with what he likes (much the way I appreciated Randy Dunn did the same as Napa got bigger). This was served on the colder side and if you are going to drink it now I'd recommend that. It is big and very unapologetic about that. Made with the berries that are almost a bit raisiny at the time of harvest. Perhaps it calms down more with some age? Right now it's a wine that invites just a small sip or two.
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10/23/2021 - shutto1992@gmail.com Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Sweet fruit bomb with no texture and no aftertaste. Dies quickly after fruit bomb passes.
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10/23/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
NYWE dark color. Rich plummy aromas with a minty evergreen scent. Lush fruity character with nice purity. Interesting Christmas spices. Generous fruit with some unusual citrus flavors. Soft and friendly style. Not a wine to really ponder as very upfront and showy. Better than expected. A cocktail wine of quality.
1972 first vintage 250 cases, dry farmed & still do dry farm. His dad was 60 snd chuck was 19. 1975 Randy Dunn became the winemaker and stayed for 9 years. david abreu began here too. tried to emulate Bordeaux in 1980s. 1990s began to go for more fruity riper style in 2001 picked later using wrinkeled grapes. slightly over ripe. more upfront fruit and drinks sooner.
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10/23/2021 - bellabo wrote: 88 Points
Finished a half a case and sold the remainder. Over extracted fruit bomb without supporting tannins.
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10/22/2021 - Verb wrote: 90 Points
agree with many previous notes that this remains a Napa fruit bomb without sufficient acid or tannin to make an elegant balanced wine - the fruit is predominantly red cherries in character without much complexity at this stage of development - this is a wine that separates those who love over-extracted ripe cabernet fruit from those who love more balanced cabernets
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10/16/2021 - ppearson9 wrote: 93 Points
this is $250 now??? wish i knew that when i opened it. think i paid like $70. that being said it’s much much better than it was 3 years ago. recommend now but not for that silly number.
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10/5/2021 - deekmon wrote: 95 Points
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
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9/30/2021 - gamlingman Likes this wine: 95 Points
I thought this was really special as this was opened last evening for a birthday dinner. 1st off this could easily spend 5 plus more years in the bottle it was thick, syrupy almost chocolate like in presentation. Flavors were rich like bursting chocolate covered cherries while its finish was smooth and transitional. Quite an impressive bottle.
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9/18/2021 - Norhut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark robe.
Leather, wood and yes red berry nose.
The attack was sweet. The acid was medium. The tannins were tame. A well balanced wine. It was a pleasurable experience drinking it. Had filet mignon with green bean salad.
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9/11/2021 - Mike1369 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I’m loving the progress of the aging process on this wine. See my previous notes. Getting more earthy as it ages. Still plenty of dark fruit to go with limestone, leathery, tobacco hints. I hope I can keep my hands off it for a few more years.
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8/30/2021 - noni15 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely bottle, plenty of live ahead, it showed more layers after a couple of hours over dinner. Tannins soften with short finish. Not really sure what it is but sugars are somewhat there I mean not well integrated with the fruit.....still enjoyable wine. It reminds me Cabs from Paso Robles.....
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8/25/2021 - Nevin Does not like this wine: 60 Points
This wine is undrinkable. It’s not even wine. It’s a manufactured grape juice cocktail. To each his own has never been more true.
I guess that the takeaway from so many people liking this dreck is that at some level, perhaps infinitesimal, they will spend less money on wines that I enjoy - thereby making what I like less expensive.
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8/21/2021 - Ketch1288 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love this Caymus! Deep purple, smooth, drinking great. Hints of cocoa and chocolate and fruit forward. Really good stuff
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8/10/2021 - Dine&Vine wrote: 89 Points
Blackberry pie topped with chocolate flavors with little tannins and a bit too flabby.
Can’t remember the last time I had Caymus, but very glad I only have one more bottle in the cellar. I know my palate has changed over time, as I don’t appreciate the overtly sweet and extracted wines anymore and Caymus certainly falls into this category.
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7/7/2021 - Salute Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful - full fruit bomb with mellow taninns that are almost non existent - very smooth - drink up quick
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7/3/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser.
Ric
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6/20/2021 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1hour, agree with both the positive and negative-reviews,
Amazing how the people who love this controversial cab liked it for the same reason that the negative reviewers hated it.
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6/19/2021 - LaMora98 wrote:
Superb Cab. Elegant and perfect addition to celebrate Cristina’s graduation from Notre Dame Prep & Michael’s graduation from Macomb Firefighter academy at The Fed in Clarkston.
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6/12/2021 - AleNieves Does not like this wine:
Cherry cough syrup taste at the end. Disappointing.
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6/5/2021 - B&PBaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
I was not prepared for how fabulous this bottle was. Caymus seems to be generally too sweet for me. This was not. Beautiful right from the start. Pleasant nose, calm subdued middle and nice long finish. Wonderful bottle.
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5/28/2021 - shellylowen Likes this wine: 98 Points
Easy drinking
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5/25/2021 - Simonyser Likes this wine: 93 Points
Très surpris de l’évolution de ce vin. Il y a deux ans il était lourd, sucré sans intérêt. Aujourd’hui il est fruité et bien balancé avec une structure tannique et une finale assez longue. J’aurais jamais cru ça mais c’était ma dernière malheureusement!
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5/21/2021 - keskenazi Likes this wine:
wow, nice
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5/16/2021 - cgrohman wrote: 91 Points
over aged this and got a raisiny quality
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5/15/2021 - Night Train wrote: 85 Points
I tasted this shortly after release (and after I'd bought a few), and I was appalled. A vanilla latte with cherry cough syrup stirred in and absolutely no structure. Blech! I opened this one with more-than-a-little trepidation. The good news: it didn 't totally suck. Pleasant nose and, on the palate, the fruit was actually more prominent than the still-abundant vanilla. Good mouthfeel and a good finish. However, if it ever had any tannins, they are long since gone. Serviceable as an apertif or with very light apps, but not at all suitable with even moderately rich foods.
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5/14/2021 - floating_cellar wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine. Beautiful black fruit nose with plenty of overripe fruits, especially mulberry, on the palate. A bit out of balance with little acidity or tannins to back up the massive Napa fruit bomb. Drink now or over the next 2-3 yrs.
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5/8/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 Napa wines (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, vanilla and juicy fruit has resolved itself and become typical Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, and a long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste, photo uploaded.
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4/24/2021 - Kopperl wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth Strong cherry flavor
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4/11/2021 - gdfthr2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well worth the wait. Great complexity and smooth finish.
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4/11/2021 - Mike1369 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Definitely getting better. This wine is maturing and is on its way to becoming great. I can’t say that about the other vintages of this wine lately. Dark fruit but not over powering some spice, rose petal, fennel, limestone, tobacco, and some earthy loamy hints. Again with grilled meats. I’ll try and wait another year before drinking another to see how it continues to age.
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4/3/2021 - rocknroller wrote:
Dark purple color. Decanted for 90 minutes. Creme de cassis, vanilla, milk chocolate nose. Heavily extracted palate, creme de cassis, ultraripe, big, spicy, vanilla, oak, oak, oak. Not sure where this is going to go, but it is very much over the top for me right now. Score reserved, but sub 90.
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3/30/2021 - BigAngryWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
haven’t had this wine for a couple years. Last time I had it I was kind of disappointed because I thought maybe the wine was starting to fade decided not to drink my remaining stash as I only have one case left. But I’ll tell you what, this bottle is singing. The fruit is forward but not overpowering. It is not flabby and has nice structure with a strong black berry/cherry tone. The tannins are there but are not gripping and not chewy. The finish is long 2 to 3 minutes sometimes more. The alcohol content is not too heavy and it’s very smooth and luscious wine. This is drinking better than some of the other Caymus vintages I’ve had and better than a lot of the higher end wines in my cellar. I’m glad I have a case left I just hope my wife doesn’t find it.
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3/28/2021 - BBinSC wrote: 93 Points
Last time I had this bottle was 2017 and I hated how sweet and flabby it was. This bottle is quite different. Nose had intense blackberry and oak, palate had well integrated oak, black fruit, and chewy tannins. Silky, chocolate texture. Had a fleeting hint of the sweet flabby fruit that blew off quickly. Definitely feels like it's just getting started. Wondering if Caymus isn't using something like a Passimiento method to deepen these flavors?
QPR 8.5 (of 10)
Aging 2030 at least
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3/13/2021 - ChateauGerald wrote:
Absolutely outstanding. Decanted for about an hour.
A rampage of aromas of eucalyptus, meat blood, medicinal, liciorice and vanilla. Wine was fresh and smooth with a beautiful vanilla finish. Perhaps one of the top bottles of wine of all time. Wine may not improve much more but definitely has many good years ahead of it. Highly recommend.
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2/21/2021 - nymetz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully - very soft fruit and very dark ruby color. No sediment in this bottle, which I decanted for around 2 hours. It was drinking like it still had another 4-5 years of good shelf life.
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2/20/2021 - Robertthewine Does not like this wine: 82 Points
This was the beginning of the end for Caymus. Sugary red juice.
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2/6/2021 - rwerner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Med body with wild cherry, cloves, spice with a delicious soft tannin finish
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1/20/2021 - Renevin wrote: 88 Points
Nez très réglisse, figue. En bouche, c est corsé, beaucoup de tanins et apparaît très lourdeau. Plutôt particulier pour un cabernet sauvignon.
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1/20/2021 - Vintage wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
I like it a lot nice long fruit finish my favorite!
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1/18/2021 - e-r.portzline Does not like this wine: 78 Points
I was wrong in my last review. It did get better... but not to a great degree. Less Welch's Grape Juice, but still lots of red table grape flavor. Flat, too much fruit, tannins gone, no depth, short finish. Your teeth get stained but nothing in return.
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1/15/2021 - jdelalamo Likes this wine: 93 Points
excellent we loved it
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1/13/2021 - Snag One Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful nose consisting of blueberries, blackberries, coffee, toast and licorice. Well balanced tannins and acidity. Very nice layers of dark ripe cherries, blackberries, mocha, mint and dried figs. This vintage is slightly sweeter than others, but not offensively sweeter. It's a unique vintage, as it should be. I don't know why people are so repulsed by a little change from traditional Caymus vintages, but I like it. I can't wait for the 50th year vintage. Cheers!!!
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1/9/2021 - Livermore Dan Likes this wine: 98 Points
What can I say? This wine was elegantly complex and aged extremely well. I wish that I had more.
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12/28/2020 - mpricher wrote: 94 Points
Well- I wasn’t sure about this one.. the first one years ago was overripe sweet and over the top for me. Now?? Very well integrated with gobs of cherry berry fruit pie filling, cocoa, toasted vanilla and hints of herb. This has become a terrific bottle of wine. Still a Cocktail wine to me, I’d have a harder time pairing with food but outrageous in its own right and I have to give it props.
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12/26/2020 - Keckes wrote:
To Kyle and Chenelle, Christmas/2020
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12/26/2020 - EricLi wrote: 94 Points
Fully mature. Drink up.
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12/20/2020 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 90 Points
Opened with friends who love any vintage of this wine. It is what it is...too sweet for me.
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12/19/2020 - Ketch1288 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Unreal wine. This was last bottle in cellar, and most recently had a bottle about 6 months ago. So well balanced, super dark, smooth tannins, distinctive hints of cocoa, chocolate, and raspberry. As good as it gets and would recommend anyone who can get their hands on this vintage to do so! It literally blew us away.
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11/29/2020 - Salute Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful! This wine has improved over time - i.e. that overly-jammy sweet fruit has mellowed, and morphed into a black tea/ripe raspberry undercurrent. The wine is full and voluptuous - still distinctively a "Caymus" but beginning to become more multidimensional.
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11/29/2020 - bkay Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking really well - sweat spot on drinking window
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11/26/2020 - mcromain1021 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thanksgiving Day 2020--This was fantastic from the get go. Had a small glass before decant and then it sat for 45-60 min before consuming. I did not experience the overly-jammy sweetness that others have mentioned in their notes. Perhaps time has helped that jamminess fade away? This seems to have mellowed nicely and tannins are well integrated. Super dark in color, mushroom, blackberry notes. Very pleasing. Drink or hold over next 1-4 years.
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11/7/2020 - noni15 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I tried this wine 6 years ago and I scored 93 pts., I advised to hold it for a few more years to really enjoy this wine, I could not be more right....I am scoring this wine a solid 95 pts., tannins smoothed and integrated wonderfully, currant, mocha, and violets all over. I truly do not get the controversy about this wine, some reviewers scored this wine 80 ish pts., I do not get it....what I am tending to think is that this wine had multiple batches that were stored /fermented differently and therefore some bottles are so different from my bottles, honestly Caymus is one of the most respected wineries in Napa...hard to believe that they did not discard the bad batches....anyways, this is the beauty of this website we all pitch in our reviews and experiences ...
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11/1/2020 - GFWeaver Likes this wine: 92 Points
Continuing to improve. Dark fruit, but more balanced and less jammy than a couple years ago. Excellent mouth feel and long, long finish. Should be really nice in a couple of years.
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11/1/2020 - PJT Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very tasty wine right now. Dark, creamy fruit, currant, blackberry with a hint of mocha and well integrated oak. No discernible tannins so I recommend drinking over the next year or two for maximum enjoyment.
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11/1/2020 - Vinobc wrote: 93 Points
Viscous inky stuff, this came out of the bottle with a nose brimming of black fruit. Tastes consistent with the aroma. My wife said it was like the mixed berry pie from Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, RI. Hung in there with rack of lamb. This kind of fruitbomb is not my go to, but it is very full bodied and tasty.
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10/30/2020 - Dave Mac wrote: 91 Points
Dandellions of current, with railheads of fig and wafting zephyrs of vanilla with just a 'how do you do" of lavender. This little lion came out with a 'meow" but grew into its roar!
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10/24/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, black currant, and black cherry, since tasting 2 years age this has mellowed and smoothed out, oak/wood/vanilla has disappeared, less floral nose more Cabernet Sauvignon nose, big body, rich, mouth filling fruit, starting to show ageing potential and deliver the Caymus taste, long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste. 2 photos uploaded.
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10/16/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Interestingly, this wine was oakier and less integrated than the 8/12/17 bottle. better the second day.
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9/29/2020 - Moosenose68 wrote: 93 Points
Eye: deep ruby
Nose: Med (+) intensity, developed. Ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum, cassis, vanilla.
Palate: Dry, medium acidity. Low tannins, high alcohol, full bodied. Palate as per nose with addition of chocolate. Medium (+) finish
Quality: outstanding
Drink now.
A decadent wine.
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9/27/2020 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Seems to be evolving for the better. Well made, but still too much ripe fruit with little complexity. Rich, round finish.
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9/27/2020 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had this out for dinner with a bone in berkshire pork chop, broccoli rabe & cherry peppers. Popped and poured it was a medium ruby red with still a nice amount of viscosity left to it whilst swirling in the glass. its an approachable drinker, with a very boisterous nose to it. our table could smell the wine from the glass unclenched. picked up blueberries and a little lemon peel to it. some fruit but more tart. i do wonder however how these notes may have differed with my past ones given we had a good 1 hr wait for our table for six and i know the wine lost its cellar temperature during that time. eight years in and i'd say its on the back half of its useful life though by no means was its legs tired. this one is so curious because the jammy fruit bomb that so many dislike is gone but i'd say somehow given the wine makeup it wont be able to lay on its side as gracefully as other well made wines would. just my 2 cents fwiw.
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9/26/2020 - Kbentley007 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from 3L picked up at retail two weeks ago. When opened, the cork was in great condition, with more of a thick syrup coating on cork that made a mess. I was nervous about how the wine was stored as it was vertical on the shelf. The store claimed they just got them in. Overall the wine had no issues and was a crowd pleaser for a birthday dinner.
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9/25/2020 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Drank over a couple of nights. Nice wine. Typical big Cali red. Not my favourite style, but still well made.
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9/25/2020 - lfbaum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vanilla and mocha. Long finish. This is a decadent wine that lasts forever. Very nice.
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9/18/2020 - BRogo wrote: 90 Points
Dark overripe blackberry, overripe black plums (or pluots even for the added sweetness), sweet potpourri (roses), vanilla, sweetened dark chocolate. Overall sweet nose. Very lush, almost no tannins, with just a minimal amount of acidity on the top of the tongue, then the underside. There’s spice on the palate (black pepper, not cracked), with dark fruit, less ripe, and most definitely dark chocolate, touch of oak. This worked really well with slow roasted short ribs and that pushed the score higher.
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9/16/2020 - wren460 wrote: 91 Points
This wine improved so so much the last 3 or 4 years ! If you need a description for a Caymus cab I can say that is a delicious bombastic hedonistic wine that taste like cotton candy and blueberry pie. The wine is dark and playful and it can become overly sweet as Caymus is very well know for. We had it with Mexican food and a lot of picante and strong flavors and salsas and the wine was singing. This is a wine that does not dissapoint and you know every time what you are getting...and maybe that plays both ways because it is so predictable and to some extent common. It is your typical blond from California :)
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9/11/2020 - JAC_74 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mocha with vanilla, very seductive
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9/5/2020 - JustBreathe680 wrote: 92 Points
This wine was drank with family on the 1st night we brought our newborn son home. I was holding this bottle for a special occasion because this specific bottle has a history of being a celebratory bottle with my family. The 1st time I had the 2012 40th Anniv was on my 1st vacation with my soon to be wife in 7/2014, when the wine was originally released. I immediately bought several bottles at this time to store in my Eurocave. The next bottle I drank was for my 40th birthday in 8/2015 and my 3rd bottle I drank was at our wedding on 5/29/2016. All were very enjoyable, a crowd pleaser, and very stereotypical Caymus.
I detailed my experiences with the 40th Anniv bottle because I want to make it clear that I'm not a Caymus hater, as I know Caymus has just as many haters as it does fans and its a very polarizing wine. This particular bottle was not nearly as enjoyable as my prior experiences. I decanted the wine for approximately 60 minutes prior to serving. The 92 rating is for the initial impression upon drinking, which was totally expected. It had a deep purple color and was heavily concentrated. It had very silky smooth tannins. Initially, it displayed flavors of dark cherry, chocolate and oak/vanilla. It was not a very deep or profound wine However, I had an opportunity to have a 2nd glass after approx 4 hours of air and the flavor had turned into a strong medicinal note, like a cherry Robitussin flavor and was almost undrinkable for my palate, which was totally unexpected. If I were to score this bottle on my final glass, it would plummet to an 88 rating.
It is very possible that my palate has changed over the years. The main reason why I chose this bottle on this night was more for the emotional connection to it and for that it served its purpose. I didn't want to open a wine to deeply analyze, as the night did not call for this type of bottle. However, I am glad that it is the last one I had in my cellar. I am not sure there are any great benefits to aging this wine for over a decade but may be I just caught it on a bad night. I would have a tough time justifying paying the current average Wine Searcher price for this bottle. There are many great bottles that show better that are in the $80 range, let alone at the $190 range.
I hope others that are fans of Caymus have a better experience with the wine than I did on this night.
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9/5/2020 - Polindz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit forward with moderate minerality. Nice. A Caymus for sure.
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8/24/2020 - Seni wrote: 93 Points
Still jammy and fruit forward. Delicious wine!
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8/20/2020 - cubswinws wrote: 88 Points
Still a heavy dose of vanilla.
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8/12/2020 - Dave Mac Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dollops of blueberry with just a whiff of plum, this champion had the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery and a finish like a tuba on crack cocaine, crazy and strong. Drink soon or you'll be sorry you missed this solid citizen.
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8/8/2020 - YackAttack213 Likes this wine:
95 Nose Ripe red fruits, strawberries, flowers, light wood, some kind of herb vaguely like mint, maybe menthol. Taste ripe cherry, vanilla, well integrated oak, smooth but still a pleasant level of acidity. Oak, some chocolate and cocoa, and cigar on the finish. Should be at peak per vintage charts. I'd agree but probably could go a few more years. It is a fruit bomb.
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7/31/2020 - Robwild wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple color. Well balanced with soft tannins. A total fruit bomb. Lucious berries, cherries and plums. Supple and jammy. While I prefer more structure and complexity, this wine is always a delight.
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7/31/2020 - wconnolly wrote: 88 Points
Caymus historically is very consistent. Approachable early. Fruit forward. Lots of oaky vanilla on the palate. Not necessarily my favorite. I like the predictability, just not crazy about the profile. This was no exception. Because this was an anniversary vintage, this was slightly better than other vintages I have tasted. Still fairly oaky however.
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7/29/2020 - EdwardsCellar wrote: 90 Points
decanted for an hour and probably needs 4 or more time in the cellar to slow down the jam bomb. dark purple ink color and dark berry flavors of plum, blackberry, dates and maybe a hint of dark chocolate. paired nicely with beef tenderloin.
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7/27/2020 - Big Money PFK Likes this wine: 90 Points
Spicy. Perfect accompaniment for lamb skewers.
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7/15/2020 - Dr Burt wrote:
Boone & Lance
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7/12/2020 - jyang411 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours - dark ruby color; long legs in glass; plum, full bodied and velvety tannins and some acidity on the finish.
This wine had no issues with warmer temps and remained elegant as the evening went on. This wine is perfectly ready to drink, still with a bit of life but not sure it will improve much more.
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7/11/2020 - delpojo wrote:
Excelente wine we enjoyed it
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7/4/2020 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Most controversial wine ever, and my scores have been all over the place for the half dozen or so bottles I've had. This was my last and it went out with a bang. Just great. Fair to call it a fruit bomb, but had the structure to support, and oak was not over the top. This was just really good drinking and likely to get better with a few more years yet. Wish I had more. Any haters out there feel free to dump them on me.
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6/22/2020 - alabunka wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine that is drinking very well now. Served on Father's Day, it was medium Bodied, with soft tannins and no fruit bombs in site and a 14.6 alc%. It had an understated fruitiness that is different from other Caymus Cabernets and vintages; It has mellowed since we last had a bottle five years ago. Everyone who had a sip enjoyed it thoroughly. So, it was paired with Wagu steak which was thinly sliced and prepared to perfection. The Wagu steak melted like butter and had exceptional taste, flavor and texture. In my opinion, I would have paired the Wagu with a good Burgundy or a very good Pinot Noir from California. But the Caymus did come through and dinner, with all its accoutrements, was DIVINE!!!!
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6/21/2020 - Swajln Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent & balanced!
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6/4/2020 - Alleleman Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bought a case on release, this is my 4th bottle. In 2015 it was good, in 2017 it was excellent, now it is a bottle for the ages. Sweet mixed berry pie overlayed with syrup of cassis. Upon being open for a couple of hours it develops fine herbal tastes or oregano, thyme, and violet. The taste lingers on the tongue for 50+ seconds. Although the tannins are now supple, this wine will drink well for another quarter century or more.
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6/1/2020 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis).
The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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5/31/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 89 Points
More than enough has been written so I will try not to repeat (JOSCH48 on point), it is what it is and was enjoyable enough with a nice steakhouse-style meal. Give 3+ hours air time to peak. Will hold up several more years but not likely to evolve into more than it is now.
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5/31/2020 - Dave Mac Likes this wine: 94 Points
Puffs of plum and piccolos of raspberry and fig, this anniversary trophy delights the nose like a Bolshoi ballerina. Finish is like a Rocky Mountain rivulet, delighting with a wink of blueberry and banana. Ready to drink for sure, my friends.
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5/23/2020 - Josch48 Likes this wine: 88 Points
There is a massive presence of sediment clinging to the neck, shoulder and beyond, down the bottle. Squid ink color with intense blackberry fruit aroma without bouquet.
Thick, viscous, cloying, jammy and unidimensional fruit profile without complexity other than the vanilla imparted by American oak on the finish.
If we tasted this blind it would be identified as an Amarone style wine, of indeterminate grape varietal, perhaps a blend of Zinfandel and California Syrah, sweet, devoid of tannin, and with acidity felt in the teeth.
There is no complexity in what is tantamount to a science experiment of building a well made wine, but THIS IS NOT A CABERNET SAUVIGNON. This is the last Camus “Cab” we will buy. Those of you who may have tasted the early 1990s Caymus Cabs (under $20.00 going to 20-24 dollars till around 1994, yea I know, ancient history) will know that the wines used to taste like cabs. Why?
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5/21/2020 - joraesque wrote: 88 Points
A cloying fruit bomb during the first 90 minutes.
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5/16/2020 - gabird wrote: 93 Points
Super dark fruit and depth. Lengthy finish with hints of vanilla and earthy background.
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5/11/2020 - caroleandjay wrote: 90 Points
Blind tasting May 8.
Deep purple with minimal meniscus and high viscosity.
Fruit forward with cherry, blackberry, mint, slate, coffee and cocoa on the nose.
A bit less interesting on the palate with strong cherry flavors dominating, accompanied by a lighter rose flavor. Long finish but less complexity than expected as compared to others.
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5/8/2020 - Uwilluz wrote:
This wine tasted much better after being open for 2 hours.
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4/25/2020 - wino from way back Likes this wine: 91 Points
My impression is that this is mellowed version of a fruit bomb. Good mouth feel. Expected better nose, but it was also a bit mellowed/muted. Enjoyed with cheese platter.
I say drink now if you still have any cellared.
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4/23/2020 - shellylowen Likes this wine: 89 Points
Creamy, vanilla & blackberries, medium finish, sweet tannins
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4/17/2020 - maxima wrote: flawed
Réduite/Déviante
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4/10/2020 - Pluecht Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This is a jammy mess. It’s not getting better with age.
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4/4/2020 - krbmlj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes. Drank well not as jammy from original wine tasting. Could use another few years
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3/29/2020 - Marc S Likes this wine: 88 Points
A good bottle of Caymus, but not my favorite.
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3/28/2020 - nvandyk wrote: 95 Points
This went through a "dumb phase" for me a few years ago, or maybe it was just a couple of off bottles, but it is drinking beautifully now. It is very much from the school of new oak and there is a richness and a warm, vanilla quality to it from that treatment so if that's not your cup of tea, you should avoid with all haste. But it tastes great to me! I would not anticipate 20 more years of aging, though. My guess is drink in the next 10 to be safe.
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3/27/2020 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Dark and opaque, with a black purple centre and robe, dark cherry rim. Intense nose, sweet dark cherry and black currant fruit, very pure, not a lot of complexity, but very nice. Palate is full bodied, sweet and juicy, loads of dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit, again not a whole bunch of complexity on the palate, but very sweet and pure fruit. Delicious and nicely balanced, but lacking complexity for a higher score. Drinking well, tannins are nicely resolved.
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3/22/2020 - Mike1369 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful with my charcoal grilled strip,steak. Layers of fruit with a little leather and earth. I suspect that this a very ageworthy wine and in a few years it will show less fruit and more earth. I’ll get back,to you in a year or 2. This has a chance to be great in 3-5 years
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3/19/2020 - bryon m wrote: 91 Points
Shelter in Place Date night! Dark color, full body, clear. cran-raspberry upfront then vanilla/oak I middle to end with a Long finish. With its age it is very nice but the flavors are not as robust.
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3/19/2020 - Baller Wines and Bourbon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Killer.... Best Vintage I’ve had from Caymus. Retails about 175.00
Black Current, Mint, Plum, Jam, hard Tannins and nice legs. 1.5 Hours open. Tobacco.
Dark in color 14.6
Personally I wouldn’t wait anymore. I have 7 bottles lady and will end them this year.
Well done Chuck!
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3/7/2020 - Ketch1288 wrote: 92 Points
drinking very well — strong hints of cocoa/chocolate.
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3/7/2020 - robseconti@aol.com wrote: 87 Points
Opened at 4 pm and for the next 6 hours it was the flabby fruitbomb others have mentioned. I put it aside and we enjoyed a ‘95 Calon Segur (opened a couple of hours before the Caymus) with rack of lamb. I was ready to completely give up on the Caymus, but before dumping it at 11:30 pm I found it to be the wine I had hoped it to be, a seductive, focused Cabernet. The nose was still kind of flabby, but the wine had finally evolved, showing notes of cassis, and red fruits with hints of eucalyptus and vanilla. Long finish. Moral to the story: this wine needs a lot more time in the cellar.
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2/24/2020 - jdelalamo Likes this wine: 91 Points
very nice really enjoyed
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2/17/2020 - davidspieker wrote: 87 Points
Rich and smooth but still flabby with too much prune flavors. Enjoyed more with food.
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2/8/2020 - Kjyoung80 wrote: 86 Points
Too fruity
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2/7/2020 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and decanted at a NYC Steakhouse. Wow, its been 5 6 months since my last bottle of this and what an improvement. Maybe the decant was the key? It sat in the decanter for about an hour before we poured it. I had this alongside a 2013 Caymus Special Select, and honestly, I preferred this bottle. Long finish, medium plus body. Nice nose, and the oak seems well balanced with the fruit.
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2/2/2020 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 92 Points
Gotta say, I did not like wine at all when I first had it in 2014, I found it to be all raisins, currants, and fruit juice and not my thing at all. After all these years, I feel like this wine got some weight to it and became a nice red meat drinker. I will say, this was definitely something to have with a rich dish as it was sweeter on its own than I would like, but still enjoyed.
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1/21/2020 - Chipa wrote: 85 Points
Not much too it. Disappointing compared to Caymus wines I've had in the past. Would not buy an anniversary edition again.
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1/12/2020 - Backdoctor wrote: 93 Points
Amazing what a great pop and pour this is
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1/1/2020 - Homebrew77 Likes this wine:
Nice aftertaste of plums after sipping.
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1/1/2020 - tourproto wrote: 90 Points
Drank for new years eve 2019. Typical Caymus quality.
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12/31/2019 - jishmael wrote: 88 Points
Completely underwhelming. Thought to open for New Year’s and already went to the cellar to start decanting a back-up.
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12/30/2019 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
From 1L special bottling.
Young albeit smooth, ripe , rich, vanilla and soft cocoa. Very much the young modern new world wine it promises to be and especially at this young age too much of everything . Solid 89-90
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12/28/2019 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour, Previous taster said (is this wine?) no disrespect scaredone I actually agree along with the following, thick, rich, cocentrated, extracted, extremely dark, over the top, fruit forward, vanilla, syrup, blueberry pie, cherry cola, jammy, sweet all of these prior adjectives are used by both lovers and haters to discribe the wines of this controversial producer regardless of the varietal and I cannot disagree with any of them. So subjective, wine that is!
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12/28/2019 - scaredone wrote: 89 Points
Is this wine?
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12/27/2019 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking quite differently now with tawny notes of herbs and soft leather. The fruit was rather absent which was a nice surprise. Drinking remarkable different than prior bottles opened in years earlier.
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12/25/2019 - EdwardsCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
decanted for 3 hours and still too much fruit. maybe this needs more time in the bottle. paired well with smoked prime rib, especially with the smoked fatty flavors.
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12/25/2019 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable even immediately upon opening. Inky black color, well integrated tannins, very nice balance all around. Fully ready to drink now (late 2019). Should hold up for several more years.
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12/13/2019 - AttorneyZim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great berry taste, velvety.
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12/12/2019 - PJB06221996 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep full flavor with a very good, long aftertaste. Could age more as a bit Tanic but overall very pleasant.
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12/1/2019 - Nyrican wrote: 92 Points
It’s peaked not the typical calif fruit bomb Cabernet. It’s has silky tannins nice casis and berry flavor a little heat on the bouquet but it well balanced a and very enjoyable. It’s enjoyable with or without food. Had the first bottle a few years ago and What a diferencie a few years have made.
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11/28/2019 - MDRwinos wrote: 86 Points
Now I understand the love/hate relationship with this bottle. The word we used to describe it is astringent as in antiseptic. Had a strong fruit nose on opening. Decanted for 2:00. Seemed to lose much of the over the top power (a good thing) but did not evolve into integrated juice. Some enjoyed it so added a few points. I was not a fan.
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11/26/2019 - rickspicks wrote: 90 Points
I have complained about this wine every time I've had a bottle - except this bottle. Unlike the others, this was not a big, syrupy, fruit-bomb. It was still more fruit-forward and with less sturucture than I prefer, but it was more balanced and complemented our steaks very nicely. 90+
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11/23/2019 - Ranjan wrote: 95 Points
Inky color, moderate fruit, berry, very smooth silky tannis. Awesome
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11/9/2019 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at Mountbatten Grill. 2 hour decant. Deep dark inky purple. Pronounced aromatics. Big and bold, almost over the top in its presence. Soft tannins. Concentrated sweet ripe fruit but not jammy and not a fruit bomb. Lots of sediment, but very much alive and showing no signs of fading. A good reflection of a great Napa vintage.
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11/9/2019 - Kskels wrote: 89 Points
Seems at the end of its window. Earthy and peppery but showing signs of age.
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11/7/2019 - gtm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just an enjoyable wine, no need to overthink this one
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11/1/2019 - EdwardsCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
decanted for 24 hours. plenty of fruit and tannin which paired well with bone-in ribeye (smoked and reverse seared).
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10/26/2019 - Eriklars wrote:
Tortellini making gathering
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10/23/2019 - Chipa wrote: 88 Points
slightly sweet, not as balanced or full bodied as expected. Maybe needs some more time.
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10/6/2019 - onekufan wrote:
At family dinner
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10/5/2019 - DickMull Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a full-throated California Cab, although not overly extracted. Strong scents of dark fruit, chocolate, and warm spice jump out of the glass, and are followed by a rich, unctuous, texture. Black and blue fruits predominate, but do not seem overly jammy. The slightly astringent finish leads me to believe there is plenty of life left for this wine, as the tannins still provide structural integrity.
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9/29/2019 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 95 Points
A nose of dark fruit, chocolate and spice, dark garnet in color. A full bodied Cab, with blackberry, blueberry, cassis, dark chocolate and spices on long finish, drinks like smooth velvet, drink now. www.winelx.com
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9/21/2019 - Winechat63 wrote:
So caymus. Very jammy, good but had to hold some for next day. Drink the next bottle soon.
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8/19/2019 - Alongfield Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not much to add. You either like the over the top fruit or don’t. Given the consistency of flavor from year to year, is suspect they use spinning cone technology; but either way I like it.
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8/2/2019 - Wolfde wrote: 90 Points
I really liked this wine.. but... you have to know what you're getting. This is an exceptionally fruity, oaky, slightly sweet wine. The nose is like smelling a bowl of puréed cherries. In hindsight, I wish I'd had it with a monstrous grilled rib-eye steak, baked potato, roasted carrots, and a big slice of cherry pie for dessert (with ice cream, of course). As fun as this wine is, it has the subtlety of a thrown brick. Tons and tons of fruit, modest tannins, and some sweetness. The downside is the lack of any real balancing acidity.
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7/27/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour. No idea why people are paying crazy prices for this on the aftermarket but it's a fine $75 bottle of Napa Cabernet. Rich, velvety grape puree on the palate coats every part of the tongue and mouth. Nothing subtle about this, or even their high-end Special Selection, but the taste is delicious.
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7/18/2019 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 90 Points
I shared this with my wine group at a NYC pizza place. It was a big hit, and may have been the wine of the night. I liked it, and it didn't show the cotton candy notes that I have seen on other vintages of Caymus' Cabernets.
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7/17/2019 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 93 Points
I fall in the category of finding the wine delightful. Decanted for about 2 hours before drinking. Very smooth rounded tannins, great fruit balance, nice lingering taste although a little short. Agree with drinking dates.
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7/10/2019 - korniev wrote: 90 Points
I pretty much agree with hundreds of comments on this wine here at Cellartracker. People do have a love/hate relationship with this wine. IT has A LOT of oak in it. Some would say this is not a wine but red cherry ink and they would be right. Hyper concentrated, jammy, very oaky and very sweet (though dry) and fruity. Far not everyone like this type of wine but surely Parker does. Since Parker came around almost all of the producers (not only in Napa) are trying to make wine of this style to get his perfect score. U might call it a guilty pleasure but I do like to have such wines every once in a while. Should have had it with a nice rib eye)) Reminded me of Priorat btw.... Give it a try.
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7/7/2019 - Angle Gold Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was very well received at a blind tasting. Some thought it may be Petite Sirah, others had nailed it as a Caymus Cabernet. Very dark. The heavy vanilla nose when this wine first came out has largely dissipated. Still good tannin. The wine still is a fruit bomb but enjoyable.
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7/6/2019 - Wine Douche Likes this wine: 88 Points
Took a while to come around. A bit too fruity and flabby when first opened and then things got interesting.
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7/5/2019 - Rossdhu House wrote: 91 Points
Strong vanilla, jammy, black cherry with some acidity on the finish. This is the Caymus style, fruity and very sweet. Very good for the style that it is.
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7/4/2019 - Salute Likes this wine: 89 Points
Upon opening, typical jammy Caymus Cab. However, as the night wore on, the flavor profile turned very rich, overly dried fruit. The cork seemed to be possibly compromised, with streaks of red (one reaching to the top.) I wouldn't say the bottle was corked...but I think something is going on here. I have one more bottle - I think I will remove the foil to inspect the cork, as the glass is a pale green that will allow inspection.
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6/28/2019 - BHwine wrote: 85 Points
Had 3 bottles and just drank the last one and honestly this never came around for me.
I kept hoping this would mature into something other than another over exrated manipulted fruit bomb. Caymus isn’t what it use to be.
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6/22/2019 - TrinaN wrote:
X
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6/10/2019 - Bodyfxr wrote: 93 Points
Pnp. Much more restrained since my last bottle. Not as much of a fruit bomb. But still very fruit forward with hidden secondary characteristics of vanilla, toasty oak yet predominantly the big lush dark fruits overshadow it all. I'm not down with the haters on here as I find this wine has it's place for those that love big fruit bombs. I love my old world wines, but every now and again an over extracted new world beast is a fun change up, especially when entertaining folks that have very primary palates. Drink up...ligthen up...and enjoy.
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6/7/2019 - Slaz Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Maple syrup has less sugar than this wine. What a disgrace to good Napa grapes. (Tasted over several hours of decanting; became marginally better after 1 hour of breathing.) I've been tasting this wine (from this vintage) since 2015 and sadly enough it didn't get much better with age, if at all. I'm glad this was my last bottle.
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6/1/2019 - rrchavez Likes this wine: 97 Points
What an awesome wine. Fruity and spicy, probably words you don’t think of with a cab, but very fruit forward.
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5/23/2019 - jcampano wrote: 87 Points
Smooth as silk but still has too much vanilla. Everybody at the dinner loved it except for me. I will give my remaining bottles away to my friends who like syrupy wine.
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5/20/2019 - fastcar888 wrote: 85 Points
Drink, hold, or give as a present to someone who does not understand wine and be impressed with the label. This wine tastes like a heavy syrup, without any obvious positive benefits, and is not indicative of Caymus. Usually, Caymus is very good to excellent. A pathetic effort. Sorry, but that is the truth.
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5/18/2019 - FabesMTL Likes this wine: 92 Points
If you’re like me and you’ve been drinking old world wines, opening one of these will come as a bit of a shock to your system and senses. But once you settle down with it and appreciate it for the over the top fruit bomb that it is...this is really great stuff.
Dark purple in color. On the nose there is every dark fruit you can imagine, dark cherries, prunes/plums, blackberry, dark licorice and cassis, etc. Those scents follow on the taste, where it becomes a bit syrupy like with some vanilla extract and oak. However it’s very opulent and 100% smooth, so balanced and fun to drink. I’m writing this before I eat my steak and I’m sure it will pair incredibly. No complexity just straight up fruit power. Drink now or hold to let the fruit mellow out. Good job Caymus.
Ok after supper I’m upping my score to a 94. The nose and taste have evolved. Incredible stuff.
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5/11/2019 - ashikoh Does not like this wine: 84 Points
dark purple; blackberry jam, black licorice, lots of new oak; full bodied, very jammy/syrupy, cloyingly sweet fruit; do not think it will benefit from anymore time in the bottle
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5/2/2019 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, full bodied and concentrated. This Cab is classic Napa with some structure and secondary notes of mocha, cassis and milk chocolate. Not for everyone but really do enjoy this style from time to time.
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4/19/2019 - Quarked wrote:
Opened this at a party with both serious wine drinkers and others who rarely drink good wine. Lots of reactions, from those who loved it to those who felt that the sugar was rotting out their teeth. I found the nose nearly imperceptible. And while the first taste was good, I found each sip less and less interesting, more and more sweet and cola-like. The family relation to Meiomi was impossible to miss. This just wasn't in my wheelhouse.
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4/7/2019 - garvens Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark, luscious. Smooth tannins, great fruit. Was worth waiting for.
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4/6/2019 - Steiber wrote: 89 Points
Have been saving this wine for the right time and when the time came, nothing. Very disappointed in this wine. To start, the cork had started to seep through even though the wine had been kept properly. The overall taste was from what I'd expect from a $30 bottle, not that of a Caymus. If you have it, drink it. Dont hold it any longer, it's not going to get any better which isn't much as it is now.
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4/4/2019 - Verb wrote: 90 Points
dark black-purple - no signs of oxidation - hug nose of over-ripe jammy fruit (blackberries, black cherries, plumbs) with surprisingly little oak/vanilla - same jammy fruit in the mouth with full body but relatively short finish - as per previous notes, I'm not sure about this wine re future development, but given the high degree of fruit extract, I'd be willing to give it another 5 years before re-trying
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4/3/2019 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Back on the good side after a couple less stellar experiences. Still huge, but less cough syrup-like. Good flavor and balance, but still lacks any complexity or secondary flavors. My only gripe.
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3/31/2019 - ASW Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright red and opaque color. Vibrant nose. Raspberries. Decanted. Very full. Long finish. Cherries, thick, luxurious mouthfeel. Like drinking velvet chocolate cherries.
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3/30/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth and silky with big vanilla finish. Great wine for a party of non-wine drinkers.
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3/30/2019 - Deatzin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wow. Just wow. Smooth, tame fruit and delicious. I’d say chocolate and cherry.
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3/24/2019 - nkirsch Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice fruit, smooth, easy drinking wine
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3/23/2019 - wine-enthusiast Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine takes 2 hours to really develop. The cork was wet on top and took some time to work out. Medium - full bodied the cedar notes and sandalwood came out at 2 hours. The wine has a sweet cloying note that dissipates. I know its contriversial but this wine has attractive cassis notes. The complexity is fair, not enough to warrant a higher score. I don't think its worth the $ 60. I can find wines at less more enjoyable. I bought it originally for the 96 points Parker gave it- my bad.
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3/23/2019 - DCSteve wrote: 88 Points
Indifferent. For me this wine was not as polarizing as some of the reviews would indicate. It’s also just ‘eh’. Doesn’t really live up to what I expect from Camus which is generally oaky and vanilla. Just not very distinctive.
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3/16/2019 - JHuseby1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, solid Napa cab, but perhaps a bit underwhelming vs. expectations and reputation. Fruit-driven, with some odd eucalyptus notes, but otherwise, not terribly distinctive. I will probably choose others at this price point.
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3/16/2019 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 88 Points
Typical Caymus. Big, bold fruit filled. Nothing distinctive as this is a blend of fruit from around the valley. Inky purple in color. Lots of jammy plum and black raspberry. This has evolved nicely since my last tasting in 2014. The oaky, vanilla flavors have moderated.
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3/7/2019 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 92 Points
We were wary opening up the bottle because of the extremely mixed reviews. Certainly, it has the distinctive taste of Caymus, but it just drinks so well. The bottle did not need to air out--a good choice to open and immediately pour at a restaurant. It tastes wonderful before the meal arrives, and cuts through and enhances its flavor with strong food such as steaks. Seven years out, it is aging just fine.
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3/2/2019 - Pondpwr Likes this wine: 94 Points
We enjoyed this a great deal.
A deep, luxurious purple.
Soft fruit on the nose that prompts anticipation of the flavors to come.
The pallet was soft with a blossoming excitement of changing fruit. Boysenberry, cassis, mild vanilla..,
There seemed to be no end to the changes and flavors possible as the bottle disappeared
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3/2/2019 - grape man wrote: 93 Points
Tell the naysayers to learn how to SSS. This has reached a wonderful place to drink.
Full bodied smooth and delicious .
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2/27/2019 - cablover123 wrote: 89 Points
There is not a lot to write about this wine that has not already been written. It is definitely polarizing. Not like the type of napa cab that I typically seek out from the northern end of the valley. Am I happy that I tried it? Yes Am I happy that I only purchased one bottle for the QPR? Yes
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2/15/2019 - 9 and 3/4 wrote: 94 Points
perfect wine for pre-game college basketball, pnp
crowd pleaser
great color, fruity and candy on the nose
great in a paper cup with wafts of flavor on the pate and down the throat
no need to pair with escargot, brie, or tenederloin
smiles all around
cheers
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2/14/2019 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine, worked well for us for home Valentine's dinner.
While I agree it has a touch of sweetness, it had notes of graphite and licorice, the fruit was slightly restrained, was quite elegant and smooth without being thin, great finish and nose. Classic Napa Cab attributes, 100% varietally correct. Fairly complex with a lot of depth, good integration and balance.
We let it breathe for about 5-6 hours, which will get this where it needs to go in this youthful stage. Pop'n'pour will get you a mediocre outcome. Definitely a great experience with this wine....we came away being glad we opened this today...again...needs air!
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2/14/2019 - jyensan wrote: 86 Points
Drank with Kelly for Valentines Day. Overly sweet fruit bomb. Almost syrup-like sweet juice. Not many redeeming qualities. I still have some which we will drink eventually I’m sure, but I quit buying it after 2013.
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2/9/2019 - JERB Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was one of four 2012 cabernets for the evening. The others were: Neal Family Napa Valley; Round Pond Napa; A. Rafanelli Sonoma Dry Creek Valley. I know I am bucking the trend, but this Caymus simply did not please my palate. It was too sweet, too oaked, too very nearly port. I'm glad I got to try it, but I don't need any more - it just isn't my flavor preference.
Because you might be wondering... The Rafanelli was the standout for me. It was beautifully balanced, represented the varietal very authentically, had a gorgeous long finish. The Neal was a close second. I felt like the Round pond was not even in the same class. Nonetheless, it was a great night with great friends!
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2/6/2019 - yipen wrote:
Ready to drink, tannin have been mellow but still quite fruity, pair with spicy Sichuan dish. not a bad choice
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1/27/2019 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
Please see my 2018 notes.
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1/24/2019 - Kentw Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. More balanced and smooth compared to a few years back. Recent value has jumped, but for original price a very good buy.
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1/20/2019 - Kistnewa wrote:
Beautiful bottle
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1/18/2019 - redsonly wrote: 74 Points
Horrible. Overly sweet. A ton of sediment. Poured rest of bottle out.
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1/13/2019 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Very concentrated, vanilla, nose of cedar, peperoni, black fruit, graphite... Sweet ripe cherries, good balance!
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1/5/2019 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full bodied, good finish lot of life left in it
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12/31/2018 - Martin Ferland Likes this wine: 90 Points
Trop jeune. Un peu sucré. Moins bon que le Joseph Phelps bu juste avant. Mon autre litre va rester couché longtemps...
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12/31/2018 - Rktekt3 wrote: 88 Points
at best an 88.
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12/24/2018 - sam_rosato@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is big and ready to drink. Tannins have softened and still has nice fruit
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12/24/2018 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
Could this be getting better in the last 3 years? IMHO it is richer, smoother and fruitier than I remember but not a lot of different notes. Dark and brooding like a Syrah.
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12/19/2018 - Randito Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of my better bottles, very close to special selection quality. Pleasantly surprised and fortuitous to open at Flemings with a rare filet mignon steak!
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12/17/2018 - cwiebe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crowd pleaser, very concentrated flavor. Surprisingly adaptable to a number of dishes with dinner.
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12/9/2018 - monk1019 wrote: 92 Points
Started with cheese and crackers and a Justin Iscoceles and finished with this decadent wine for a beef tenderloin dinner. Mature, balanced with sufficient oak and muted eucalyptus to carry the steak to a graceful conclusion. Hated to consume the final drop!!! Thank you Caymus and happy anniversary.
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12/2/2018 - WineCPA wrote: 91 Points
Still very big upfront fruit. Lots of oak. Vanilla, black cherry and yes, some hints of cola in this. Still a solid wine if you like the big upfront fruit style. I don't think this needs more time. It's starting to I integrate and lose the tannins.
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11/30/2018 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Aromas of vanilla, blackberry, currant, Cotten candy and plum. Flavors of vanilla, maraschino cherry, blackberry, plum and currant. Ends with a maraschino cherry and vanilla finish of 30+ seconds. Pushes ripeness to the ultimate edge and may be too much for some.
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11/25/2018 - FoxStreet55356 wrote:
- Garnet color.
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11/21/2018 - Ranjan wrote: 93 Points
Smooth, velvety.
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11/14/2018 - davidspieker wrote: 87 Points
Rich and smooth, but a little flabby and lacks character. One dimensional.
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11/12/2018 - Kucci Does not like this wine: 61 Points
Over extracted trash...
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11/9/2018 - alaskanick wrote: 90 Points
I was very disappointed with this bottle. Opened for my dad on Father’s Day. Drank like an over priced $20 Cabernet
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11/3/2018 - lmerriner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big and fruity. Lots of plum, almost prune. Paired well with Beef Tenderloin and a rich risotto.
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10/30/2018 - KAP Likes this wine: 89 Points
Of a juicy style. Not that sophisticated for $50+
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10/27/2018 - Banooch Likes this wine: 92 Points
6 years aged. Lot of wood. Rich and fruit forward still.
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10/26/2018 - Maphill01 wrote:
Fruit bomb. Crowd pleaser. Better for the $$$
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10/19/2018 - jcampano Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Caymus has missed the mark with their 40th anniversary wine. Of the 3 bottles I’ve consumed, this was definitely the worst. Tasted like vanilla syrup. No other way to describe it. Awful.
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10/14/2018 - packinmn wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking well. This has had more staying power than I’d have thought a few years ago. Depth of flavors and saturation of tastebuds in full effect
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10/6/2018 - 309VEB wrote: 85 Points
When opened the bottle displayed the "Vanilla Coke" flavors that others have described. I vacuumed the bottle and forgot about it for over a week. Tried again and the sweetness had disappeared and there was some OK wine in the bottle. I have one bottle left which i will leave in the cellar for several years to see what happens. Given the huge disparity in reviews there could be some significant bottle variation. I guess at the end of the day you like or dislike Caymus' style.
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10/2/2018 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - This wine is aging very well.
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9/16/2018 - WineRay05 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent
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9/6/2018 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little sugary but still nice.
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8/27/2018 - Martnmac wrote: 93 Points
Always amazing
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8/16/2018 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bought this for our 40th - enjoyed it, but not really our target for a CA cab. Fruit forward for sure, but I think maybe it is a little too much oak for my tastes. Definitely will enjoy Caymus from time to time, but won't consume much of my cellar. Better options at this price point IMO.
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8/9/2018 - Pluecht wrote: 88 Points
Less than exciting. Over extracted.
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8/5/2018 - Brandy2426 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Ick. Manufactured/artificial tasting vanilla oak in this wine is gross. Tastes like an $8 bottle of Apothic Red or similar.
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7/30/2018 - monk1019 wrote: 91 Points
4 hours breathing time and viola, a fine inky wine fit for an 8 oz filet mignon. Soft, supple tannins melted away with each bite of steak. Shared with 2 others who all had stars in their eyes! One more bottle to go!!
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7/29/2018 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served with Wagyu ribeye steak, corn on the cob, roast potatoes.
Look: dark crimson, consistent to the rim, showing some density/intensity.
Smell: Dark fruit, plum, enticing with hints of things to come.
Taste: fruit, mild acid and soft tannins, a bit of pepper. Far more integrated than our first bottle - good richness and finish. A fair bit of extraction.
This wine has come a ways since we drank the first bottle in 2015.
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7/29/2018 - LEEJV123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full, rich, extroverted, long
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7/28/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave it a couple of hours of air.
A bit concerned as the comments & wine is known for being too big.
Very dark purple. Pleasant nose. Full bodied but relatively smooth and integrated purple and dark blue and red fruit. Big, but not overdone. Good finish.
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7/22/2018 - cab blends Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic and the inimitable nose and taste of Caymus. Fruity cinnamon and vanilla nose
N8 f8 t6 b6 f7
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7/20/2018 - The Wine Geek Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pure Hedonism. There are Caymus Lovers and Caymus Haters. Pour yourself a glass and enjoy the chewy syrupy texture of this wine. First tried Caymus about 12 years ago, since then I always have some in cellar. Caymus Lover.
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7/15/2018 - millerarner wrote: 90 Points
Third bottle we’ve had (others were 3 & 4 years ago). This one had lots of chocolate intermingled with the expected fruit eruption. I’m one of those who neither loves nor hates this polarizing wine. There’s kind of an irony in that this feels overly manipulated, yet lacks structure. That said, it is loaded with flavor components and has an explosive nose, which is why I seem to be in the middle.
One helpful hint for those who have a hard time drinking this . . . Serve it with a bit of a chill (even as low as 50 degrees f). It tames the alcohol & improves the mouth feel without shutting down the aromas. Had this once at a true room temp of around 75, and it was a mess. As soon as we brought it down, it was shockingly better.
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7/9/2018 - CMSPN wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Lots of fruit and jam. Balanced alcohol and great nose.
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7/8/2018 - lockestep Likes this wine: 90 Points
So let’s concede up front that this is a style that causes a lot of controversy. I’m not going to get into the balance vs fruit bomb debate here, rather review the wine for what it is-a (very) fruit forward, full bodied cab with decent length to the finish. I don’t get any of the grape soda or Vanilla Coke flavors cited previously. It presents with typical California cab flavors, minus any Rutherford dust.
My quarrel with this bottle is the straightforward presentation. Not a lot of complexity and while it does not bore you to death it does not excite, either.
A few sips left open to air for 24 hours showed more of a fruit fade than an improvement. Seems like fans of the style should drink young.
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7/4/2018 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chocolate. Banana. Ripe. Pomegranate. Raspberry liqueur. Asian numbing spice. Concentrate. Char. Fruit roll-up.
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7/2/2018 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. I took a sniff and a taste when I decanted and the decant allowed some of the alcohol on the nose and palate to blow away. In general, Caymus makes polarizing wines, and this one is no exception. The vast majority of people either love or hate this wine, not many are in the middle. Those who love the wine appreciate the integration of jammy fruit and oak, both of which seem to dominate Caymus cabernets (whether this wine or Special Selection). Those who dislike this wine, do so for the same reason, often pointing to its lack of complexity and chewy fruit, as well as the oak component. I am part of the former camp who believes Caymus wines rock!
While I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I certainly have a different palate than many when it comes to certain wines, I don't appreciate people who advise others not to buy a wine based on the reviewer's palate. Nor would I advise anyone to buy this wine based on my palate. With that in mind, I would like to note the following based on my palate and experience: First, I disagree with some who claim Caymus wines lack complexity. While I admit, I can see where some people would appreciate a wine with layers of complex flavors, I would also submit that sometimes there are complex flavors that are akin to cooking, i.e., a number of ingredients put together in the right proportion, and cooked for the right time, and then sitting for the right amount of time that allows a uniquely complex flavor that cannot be duplicated any other way. I submit, in part, that Caymus fits at least partially in this category, in the sense that no other wines are built the same way or have the same flavor profile as Caymus. As to whether you will enjoy that taste, that is up to each individual palate. I can say it has been my experience that more people love it than hate it, and that it is typically a very friendly consumer wine, even for non-connoisseurs.
As for this particular wine, I find it a couple notches below the Special Selection and a notch above the normal Caymus Cabernet bottling. I am not sure if that is attributable to the vintage, or if Caymus used some of their better barrels that would have normally gone into Special Selection in their 40th Anniversary bottling. The nose is perfumed, with hints of violets, lavender and chocolate, as well as blackberry and cassis. On the palate, their are jammy fruits of blackberry, current and sweet plum, as well as dark chocolate and sweet oak. I would like to say it has a long finish, but I always find myself taking another sip before I let the finish end (for me, the wine is that good!). It is a full bodied wine with velvety tannins (not as velvety as Special Selection, but not too far off). As I said before, you should try this wine yourself to see if it is in your wheelhouse. For those who love big fruit-forward wines with chocolate and sweet oak, they will love this wine (and Special Selection even more). This wine goes well with meat or on its own! Cheers!
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7/1/2018 - 06nautique Likes this wine: 92 Points
5th year meeting wine, perfect
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7/1/2018 - Rasmussenbrent wrote: 78 Points
Not good. Do not buy. Cannot believe how grape it was. For 70 bucks I would rather drink montage Trois it was that bad
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7/1/2018 - earlyApex wrote: 80 Points
It's been a couple of years since the last bottle, and I don't remember being overly impressed with that one. Tonight I decided to decant for a couple of hours before serving, so I missed the grape jelly and went right to vanilla. Very disappointed; it was like drinking vanilla soda that happened to have some Cabernet mixed into it. A couple of guests really liked it, but guess that shows everyone is different. My experience was as memorable as drinking a two day old coke that went flat.
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7/1/2018 - bsouligny Likes this wine: 86 Points
Bcoup moin pire que les gens le deçrive et que je me rapelle avoir gouter ,le coté gateau a vanille a bcoup baissé meilleur integration du bois, un vin tres riche ,bcoup de fruits cuits,bel longeurtannins charmants.je m en acheterais pas un autre mais avec des burger sur le bbq c était ben correct
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6/30/2018 - wineoracle wrote: 90 Points
I was not a fan when I first tried this a couple of years ago. After opening I let it breath in the bottle for about 6 hours before tasting. Much of the "jamminess" I found last time seems to have subsided. Lots of dark fruit, plum, dark bing cherry medium to full body. Much better than the last bottle I had, very enjoyable.
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6/26/2018 - randyjc wrote: 86 Points
At first it was all grape jelly and then it improved to be all vanilla. Seriously - that was an improvement. While better than 3 or so years ago when I first tried it, that's not saying much. It is still overpoweringly fruity and loaded with vanilla. A little hot though that calmed a bit. The underlying flavors were ok - blackberry and ripe cherry though I didn't need the cherry coke flavor. It's still a mess.
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6/24/2018 - redz wrote: 92 Points
solid, not striking. Might still be too young
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6/21/2018 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
Still in the column of those that like this wine. Eminently drinkable, and while it's definitely a fruit bomb it's fun to drink. Still a long way to go, so no rush.
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6/17/2018 - Slaz Does not like this wine: 88 Points
The fruit is overwhelmingly ripe and admittedly overextracted. Lots of sweetness, almost like a port. Somehow my prior tasting in May 2017 was materially better.
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6/16/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep and dark purplish red. Lush nose with vanilla, cinnamon, blueberries and a touch of graphite. Medium bodied with medium tannins (6/10). Similar palate with black fruits, spices, vanilla and a touch of bark. Medium to medium plus finish. Drink till 2028.
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6/16/2018 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Napa Trio of Cabs (at Home): The classic fruit bomb Napa floor cab for me (or at least it fancier brother Special Selection is). For me this was the first standard Caymus that emulated the Special Selection although with a little less body and intensity. I am sure I will read the winemakers story one day.
Cinnamon on the nose and lovely late tannins on the palate with darker red fruits. Decadent over extraction with vanilla tones. The finish is slightly shorter than expected and moves it to 94-. Maybe the age is beginning to show? That might be a concern and given I have another case to go I should watch carefully.
I love this as a before meal with cheese and then again after dinner (it is a little too fruity to go with steak for me). For those who don't like fruity stay away.
N6 B6 T7 Fr8 F7
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6/9/2018 - davidspieker wrote: 75 Points
Flabby, muddy, goopy mess.
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6/7/2018 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Chauffe, bois et vanille...next!
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6/6/2018 - Bodyfxr wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Drinking beautifully at the moment. Very jammy and fruit forward. Had in a flight with an '08 Bugay Empress cab and 2012 Chalk Hill cab. Although this was a Welch's grape juice fruit bomb when compared to the other wines in the flight, it still has its own intrinsic charm. When the mood strikes I find this to be a fun drink. I really expected this to be the WOTN considering the crowd I was entertaining but the Chalk Hill had it beat.
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5/18/2018 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yes it’s decadent, not subtle, but why « bouder son plaisir ». Ripe fruits, intense flavors yet smooth in the mouth. Like others said: mollasses taste( in the long finish)
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5/12/2018 - Eleven wrote: 85 Points
My wife is a huge Caymus fan so I bought a case of this. Did not enjoy the overly sweet fruit extravaganza a few years back. Was hoping it would be a bit more approachable in time. It’s okay. Certainly not worth the cost, but my wife is enjoying it, so what the hell. Still too fruity. Overly ripe cherries and a syrupy sweet menthol flavors. A bomb on the tongue, but a touch more balanced now than a few years ago.
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4/28/2018 - Wrkolbeck wrote: 89 Points
Has tamed a bit but still a big in your face fruitbomb
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4/14/2018 - Flipper36 wrote: 85 Points
I got scared after reading the reviews so decided to drink it. Was not disappointed, and now need to finish my glass.
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4/9/2018 - Bshoop wrote:
Absolute crap
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4/3/2018 - Ryan.Vento Likes this wine: 92 Points
My wife & I were shopping at Central Market last night and couldn’t help but notice they were serving Caymus BTG at the bar. Needless to say, this got me in the mood for some good ol’ Wagner family juice. I figured I would open a ‘12 up since I have a half-case stashed away, just to see what we’re looking at. Rating will no doubt improve with decanting but as a P&P we have the usual sweet Fig, molasses, baking spice, Rutherford dust/dirt, blackberry cobbler, and rich plums.
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4/2/2018 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit candy like Nerds. Big with very ripe, dark fruit. Pancake syrup. Cough syrup. More like juice than wine.
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4/1/2018 - Mr T wrote:
Big wine and plenty dark and ripe
Crowd pleaser
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3/27/2018 - hushilden wrote: 89 Points
Lots of blueberry. Somehow more juice than wine. Simply lacking a bite. Nice but no complexity. Ok, but a disappointment at that price level.
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3/25/2018 - Yassine23 Likes this wine:
Very rich on the nose and palate. Blackberry and blueberry, smooth and velvety. Moth coating. Very nice, shame about the price
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3/23/2018 - BillsWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Taste like I’m drinking a black cherry cordial. Soft and velvety texture on the palate. Lengthy finish.
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3/18/2018 - Relniius wrote: 88 Points
Drink now. Aging is not helping.
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3/10/2018 - Ranjan wrote: 95 Points
Awesome, lots of fruit, well balanced.
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3/9/2018 - Ranjan wrote: 93 Points
Lots of fruit, very smooth.
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3/9/2018 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Strawberry jam and full of fruit.
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3/3/2018 - Pitch_n Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice PNP American, jammy, almost cloyishly sweet California wine.. Not a lot of depth.
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2/22/2018 - myofin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherries and chocolate juice, soft and exuberant. Smooth and velvety on the palate.
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2/18/2018 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 92 Points
Jam and figs on the palette. The oak is in the background for sure but the years have helped smooth out the fruit forwardness.
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2/10/2018 - Jdtorris wrote: 80 Points
Way too sweet and fruity. Disappointed in Caymus on this one.
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2/10/2018 - Adventr.us wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm. I see all the CT controversy. I have only a few Caymus in my cellar, and all those are gift bottles. Not because I've avoided Caymus - just haven't searched them out either. So I'm probably not qualified to weigh in on the controversy. Just approaching this as any other bottle, I'm enjoying the ripe plum, cherries and who knows what else on the attack, but there's little to no nuance following, and I'm left with some heat on the back end. A great gift, that's very much appreciated - but this is not something I'm going to track down for a few more bottles.
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1/30/2018 - RayT wrote: 90 Points
This is by far the most written about wine on CT and opinions vary greatly. I fall a bit in the middle. A 2008 Caymus was my first cult wine and over $50 bottle so I have a soft spot for Caymus. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2008, 2009. and 2010 Caymus. Even the 2011 was one of the better bottles of a poor vintage. The 2012 Caymus is a different animal all together. There were 122.000 cases made! That is a mind boggling number. For any business to double production of its main product begs the question of how to maintain quality. I believe the truthful answer is it can't be done. Caymus has always had access to great Rutherford fruit and is the hall mark of its wine yet when you make that much wine something has to give. Caymus has always bordered on the sweet side and 2012 fruit was riper than normal. I believe Caymus purposely erred on the sweet side to appeal to the masses and newer wine drinkers to sell those 122,000 cases. I enjoy great fruit but as I have drank more wine and especially more expensive bottles I want nuance in my wine that this does not provide. With that said I served my last 2 bottles of this wine to my family for Christmas and as newer wine drinkers they enjoyed it quite a bit.
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1/27/2018 - ealboliras Likes this wine: 99 Points
One of the great Caymus productions. Ripe fruit yet dry, like a Cuban cigar without the nicotine, long finish.
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12/31/2017 - nrjessup wrote: 91 Points
Sweet and jammy.
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12/31/2017 - docvanr Likes this wine: 93 Points
I've oft thought of Caymus as the wine for those bold of wallet and slight of taste. The 40th Anniversary cabernet challenges that line of thinking. Recent assertations that the wine is simple, syrupy, and past prime are off. I agree that immediately upon opening the wine is a mess, but after a 30 minute decant the berry and oak give way to subtle tannins, structure, and depth. After an hour a velvet smoothness and persistent finish evoke. Drinking well right now, but not in danger of passing peak.
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12/25/2017 - off2travel wrote:
Tasty. But more.
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12/24/2017 - superboo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Way too fruity for my taste. Cherries, blueberries up front with very little to back it up. Not very memorable. Don't get the feeling this will develop any more.
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12/18/2017 - Canoehead Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Coludn't agree more with the majority of comments on this version of Caymus Cab. This drinks likes and over-extracted low-acid Zinfandel. Served it with simple roast chook and veggies. It delighted the sweet Zin fan at the table and that's who I suggest you open it for...
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12/17/2017 - Angle Gold Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nearing peak if not a little past. While I thought it was ok, the bottle was completed at a blind tasting.
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12/16/2017 - Stevethebeav Does not like this wine: 83 Points
syrup
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12/11/2017 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blueberry. Candy.
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12/4/2017 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
So sad to see this great vintage go. This bottle has a special place in my heart as I drank my other 2 bottles on special occasions with my family. That being said, you know wine always taste better when you are amongst family.
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12/1/2017 - tsde123 wrote: 83 Points
This bottle will always have a special place in my memory so I am biased. I agree with most of the comments: fruit bomb, over extracted, one dimensional. I think this bottle has improved with age but my palet is different and I think I have lost my taste for the Wagner’s recipe and price point.
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11/25/2017 - Sherrywinesnob Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great Wine. Color is dark purple, nose is fruity and full. Taste is excellent.
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11/22/2017 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big juice bomb but it’s Caymus so what do you expect. Some sweet oak but not a lot of toast. I get minor minerality at all. But it’s layers and layers of luscious fruit.
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11/20/2017 - Neecies Does not like this wine:
So I took this bottle to a blind tasting with the theme: family-owned-for-more-than-40-years California cabernets. Goopy and sweet and I knew that but hoped some more into New World wine than I would enjoy it, but no they didn't and in the end I was embarrassed to have brought it. (In my defense, I'd ordered better options a month earlier, but because of the fires the seller was unable to ship.)
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11/19/2017 - Grenik wrote: 87 Points
One of the poorer Caymus vintages and it is fading quickly. There is not enough fruit to support the amount of oak that this wine has seen. Instead of the classic Caymus bright, taut wine we are left with rather generic cherry, vanilla, and oak. Drank next to the 2008 vintage and the 2008 is a livelier wine. Drink now.
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11/19/2017 - dstraub wrote: 80 Points
Terribly made wine.
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11/19/2017 - Cyroof Likes this wine: 90 Points
Jammy
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11/10/2017 - youvebeenhearnedLLC Likes this wine: 86 Points
One note. Vanilla. Pretty brutal QPR.
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11/6/2017 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mellowing out a little but still plenty jammy with a deep purple color. Enjoyed again as an approachable, not overly oaky cabernet
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11/4/2017 - Baseballnc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ready to drink now. Not too interesting and not sure it will develop too much more over the coming years.
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10/28/2017 - gmkwine wrote:
Nj
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10/26/2017 - WineAggregate wrote: 88 Points
After reading previous reviews, I didn't know if I'd find a 75-pointer or a 95-pointer. A rather monstrous wine, super-concentrated and seemingly super-ripe, big and sweet, like a thin red port. A cigar would overwhelm it, but this could be paired with a Cigarillo! I couldn't find the characteristics of a great Cab here, and I tried a few times. Interesting, but ultimately tiring. Taken to a tasting event to gauge others impressions. Most actually liked it, or at least said they did... 88 is my cop-out score.
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10/21/2017 - Vailman wrote: 88 Points
703 tasting notes to date is surely a testament to the popularity of this producer but the product in the bottle is becoming a disappointment nevertheless. This wine has not developed one iota since my last rating (90) six months ago. Still a sweet, blueberry pie fruit bomb with no complexity. I'm going to save my remaining bottles for several years in hopes that the fruit will fade and reveal why I paid north of $65 for these. Got caught up in the 40th anniversary hoopla.
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10/20/2017 - BBinSC wrote: 75 Points
Easily the worst Caymus I’ve ever had. It takes all the vices of previous vintages and amps them up. The wine lacks balance, it’s sweet, cloying, lacking sufficient structure to balance out the persistent flavors of a highly manipulated wine. Awful - Caymus is laughing at us all the way to bank.
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9/30/2017 - WineGuyDelMar Does not like this wine: 75 Points
I am literally speechless. I have been drinking Caymus and Napa Cabs since the 1974 Vintage. I met Chuck Sr at the winery many years ago. Caymus was one of the bright stars of the late 70's and 80's. How far they have fallen.
I'd honestly love to have a conversation with Chuck Jr to see what he was trying to do and what exactly went completely wrong. This wine is a hot mess. It honestly tastes like a sweet $15-$18 Syrah or Petite Syrah and I'm not sure if I would have identified it as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine is black/purple and is so sweet I literally had one glass and I was done. I can't even drink this. My remaining 3 bottles are going to some wine shop that I will trade for something else. We drank a 2013 Kobalt last night which was amazing that I gave 94 points to. This wine is not even in the same Universe. I would have never imaged a winery of this status could even release a wine like this. It's an utter embarrassment and if Parker gave this 96 he has sold out completely because this is garbage.
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9/26/2017 - Tonyboons33 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I can understand why a lot of people would not like this wine. That said, I enjoyed it very much. I like some vanilla notes in my Napa Cabs, this was a little heavy on it. I think some of the fruit bomb has faded with time and it will probably continue to. Drank with my family who does not collect wine and they really enjoyed it, paired with really nice dry aged steaks on the grill and it works.
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9/26/2017 - jrhonda160 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla
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9/20/2017 - Ecbatana Does not like this wine: 69 Points
This wine is apocalyptic. Imagine the product of the husband and wife team of Willy Wonka and Bjork, this is it. Utter swill with zero redeeming qualities. Thoroughly enjoy Caymus Zinfandel, but this is a toxic collision of fermented grape Hi-C, corn syrup, charcoal briquettes and aviation kerosene, just a syrupy mess and an affront to all senses. Is this what Caymus means by their 'signature style'? Good grief. Purposely keeping a bottle hidden for the future just for amusement and to see if it miraculously becomes drinkable by humans. Clearly generating polarizing reviews here on CT. 69 pts is flattering.
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9/18/2017 - Mad Wine wrote: 85 Points
Syrupy blend of Welch's Concord grape jelly, black pepper, and grain alcohol. New world wine best served to those with immature palates and/or for whom the label will impress.
Updating my review after a new bottle was opened 3/13/18: wine has improved with some time. Velvety cocoa, coffee and strawberries emerging... still too syrupy for my palate, but definitely evolving into something more interesting.
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9/17/2017 - Stevere Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark sweet berry juice that is drinking great right now. Blueberries, cassis, and a note of white chocolate slip past your tongue like velvet.
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9/13/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Purple fruit - dark cherry, currants, blackberry, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration. As usual, quite rich and sweet especially for a cab - although I would imagine there is a decent percentage of syrah or petit syrah. Nice flavors of dark berries, vanilla, and a little spice. Fairly long finish but also quite sweet. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Not much improvement with time but appears to be at a nice drinking point. Interesting that Parker rated this vintage 96 points. I guess he appreciates this sweet, rich, extracted style more than I do. Still a solid wine but I believe more in line with the 91 rating from WS.
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9/11/2017 - Dtterry1 wrote: 93 Points
Flavorful, jammy fruit, needs time
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9/6/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed the last two nights, nose of black cherry, black berry, touch of tar, and plum, same on the palate, fruit driven nose and taste has greatly declined, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is starting to strut its stuff, still 2 years to peak drinking window, should easily age 20 years, paired with Caramel, Sea Salt Chocolate from Ghirardelli, flavorful, medium/long finish or the score would have been higher.
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9/4/2017 - sdrum wrote: 93 Points
Oh how I wish I had bought more of this. Such intense flavor and volatile nose. Deep purple color. The only criticism i would make is that it's a trifle "hot" with alcohol.
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8/20/2017 - BrownCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
The Vanilla flavoring imparted from the aging process of this wine has softened a great deal since the once dominant position that I thought it had in the bottle in the first few years - and the result of laying it down for awhile seems to be a much more subtle flavor profile of baking spices and vanilla, while the body is still round. I found that lots of dark fruit greeted me at entry, with the power and velvet exit that we have come to expect and love in a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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8/19/2017 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pure ripe fruits: cherry, raspberry, plum. Sweet toasted oak. Of course, a wine with a "show off" style but nonetheless of great, great quality.
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8/13/2017 - Dalton_Noble Likes this wine: 92 Points
First night I thought it sorta sucked. Fruity, hot, discombobulated. Second night was very smooth and sweet with well structured tannins. Third night was maybe even a tad better as the tannins smoothed out further. Overall I'd like it with a good long decant and am going to sit on the rest for a few years to see what that does. Maybe the sweet fruit will settle down a bit.
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8/12/2017 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple/red color. Aromas of black berries, dark chocolate and wood spices. Thick, tongue-coating fruit in the mouth with very good depth and a long sweet finish. Unlike many tasters I found both the oak and the tannins to be fully resolved and well-integrated. This delicious wine may well deserve a higher score with another few years of bottle age.
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8/10/2017 - cos65 wrote:
Served Blind.
Deep purple black.
Ripe blackberry, vanilla scents
Ripe dark fruit vanilla, moderate but integrated enough alcohol
I failed to identify this wine as the 2012 Caymus. I thought it was a 2013 Napa Cab/blend.
I think this is good news. This wine finally seems to be settling down a little (But, just a little). Yes this is still very very ripe and oaky, but calmed down enough to consider with dinner. For its first 4 years it was simply too over the top to be considered a wine. Always a crowd favorite. Is this really $147 a bottle now?
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8/8/2017 - Eno_70 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vanilla , still very young and will benefit from some cellaring. Some pepper notes and berries. Very strong and forth coming. Decanted 1 hour and should have waited probably another 2... Still very nice , yet alcohol was on the front.
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7/29/2017 - JasonCart wrote:
Chocolate
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7/26/2017 - thomlinsprings wrote: 93 Points
Coffee bean
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7/24/2017 - WineGuyFL Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Continues to be one of the very worst values in my wine inventory.
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7/23/2017 - dutradan@msn.com wrote: 87 Points
I purchased two bottles of this wine ( almost out of personal protest) because of the 40th anniversary. I used to buy this back in the early 90s when it was a very nice and respectable Napa Cab that put a flag in the ground and pursued a style. in my opinion it has pursued a direction that caters to a newbie consumer and not a veteran of the Napa cab evolution. Almost two years ago this wine did not get a rating or comment out of me, with deference to the history of the family and my respect for anyone making a cab in napa today. I must say that today the wine has lost a lot of that syrupy grape over extracted sweet vanilla oak thing and was now drinkable , even enjoyable with my dinner guests as one of 3 wines served with heavy pupus. it worked and i will now acknowledge that this wine is better this year than last. thankfully I don't have another bottle so I will not be able to report on the evolution of this wine.
Drink it now if you have it. it could get better as the fruit fades but then what......
very confusing .......
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7/23/2017 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 91 Points
As others have said, this actually seems to be getting better. It's not quite the syrupy, sugary, blueberry jam that it was a year or two ago. Lots of heat on the nose still. Aromatics have become slightly more complex...I get more secondary notes of cedar and smoked meat as opposed to a fruit bomb. I know it's mass produced, but the texture on this is still very nice. Silky. More full bodied now, and while not overly complex on the finish, it's nice when paired with the right dish. Will be curious to see how my remaining bottles evolve over the next few years.
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7/2/2017 - Rktekt3 wrote: 88 Points
better than the last bottle
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6/26/2017 - jcasey555 wrote: 88 Points
Almost too sweet.
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6/12/2017 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still very big body. Went well with dessert. Enjoyed more than first bottle
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6/10/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Big, syrupy, and over extracted. The notes below pretty well sum it up. In my opinion it's nice to have big Napa wine that requires no decant.
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6/5/2017 - Margaux Bro Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Frankenwine. You can tell that the grapes are of good quality - so i'll give them that. However, it is an over-extracted oak bomb. I would consider serving to guests who are peripheral wine drinkers because they would probably enjoy it.
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5/27/2017 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour, thick, rich, cocentrated, extracted, extremely dark, over the top, fruit forward, vanilla, syrup, blueberry pie, cherry cola, jammy, sweet all of these prior adjectives are used by both lovers and haters to discribe the wines of this controversial producer regardless of the varietal and I cannot disagree with any of them.
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5/26/2017 - Slaz wrote: 91 Points
Relative to my prior tasting in 2015, this has improved considerably. The style is admittedly ripe but last two years have put more flesh and added more balance to the syrupy mess this wine was in 2015.
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5/26/2017 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 88 Points
initially I thought about pouring down the drain, just not my preference in wine, too sweet, contrived. However, I finished a large glass on the 3rd day after opening and by then I have to say I enjoyed the wine, it was in better balance and some of the sweetness seemed to have mellowed. 84 first two days, 90 on the third. I'll rate it 88 and assume consumers give it a good decant.
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5/20/2017 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red, black fruit, vanilla, spice, eucalyptus, hints of currant, finishes with some balanced tannins. A-
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5/19/2017 - bgreenak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mature and ready to drink now. Wonderful fruit flavors--a prototypical Napa Cab. One of the best bargains I ever found.
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5/18/2017 - rap wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color. It's somewhat balanced with a medium body.
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5/15/2017 - Cyroof Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep plum and hints of tobacco.
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5/5/2017 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 92 Points
The last time I tried this wine was in October of 2014. I recognize the wine as being about the same as it was then. Notes of cola and blueberry pie with spice and acidity in the background. I took this wine on a trip to the beach and forgot and left it in the car in the sun for a day. I decided to go ahead and open it to see if any damage was done. But, I don't think it was based on my notes of 3 years ago.
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5/2/2017 - The Wine Sherpa Likes this wine: 92 Points
That hint of caramel that tells me it is Caymus cab
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4/24/2017 - Bigtuna Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Over extracted raisin juice, 85
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4/24/2017 - GaryHOhio Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over 3 days via Coravin.
Nice Caymus Cab. Rich and velvety on the palate. Lots of fruit with just enough heat. Well integrated and balanced but may improve slightly with age. Great value California Cab
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4/15/2017 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really well balanced. Great fruit is coming out. Glad I waited on this bottle
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4/15/2017 - Dardanarius wrote: 87 Points
Inky purple color. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, cassis, and lemon zest; the influence of oak is very apparent here. Even though this wine reached 14.6% in alcohol and has defined legs in the glass, the weight seems medium to light. The dark fruit flavors are juicy and very sweet, while the mid palate is a bit hollow. There's fruit here, but it's over extracted and appears forced like from a sangria. One would probably not characterize this wine as structured and the finish is not particularly long. This does not constitute the greatest effort from one of the iconic Napa vineyards.
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4/1/2017 - Mikesvines wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and enjoyed over an hour
Fruit and earth filled my nose. At first sip, the experience starts with an amazing gentle fruit wave, followed by layers of flavors that fill and cascade taste buds, feels heavy and soft and smooth as is finishes down. Will mellow a bit more, but I love the balance right now.
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4/1/2017 - Vailman Likes this wine: 90 Points
This style of wine clearly chooses fruit over nuance. There's not a lot of complexity or finesse, no minerality, no subtle hints of forest floor, graphite, mocha or leather. Just up front sweet cherry/blueberry pie. That said, it was enjoyable for what it was and I look forward to seeing how it develops over the next 5 or so years.
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3/27/2017 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
(Home Wine Dinner). Drank with chocolate mousse dessert after a couple of middle aged Bordeaux with the main meal. More integrated than my last tasting-- the fruitiness actually did well under these circumstances. Still had that prominent vanilla and oak base, but was not overbearing.
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3/24/2017 - asplatt19 wrote: 91 Points
A fruit bomb with strong hints of vanilla. However, it has enough balance to be really enjoyable. It could probably benefit from another year, but its very drinkable now.
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3/20/2017 - zack.wygant wrote: 84 Points
Better than the last time, maybe due to the 3 hour decant. Still a fruit bomb with no backbone but the syrupy sweet vanilla taste has subsided more this time...who knows with this one. I have a few more I'll hold for kicks...
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3/19/2017 - e-r.portzline Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Overly-extracted, fruit bomb. Skinny, fast legs, entirely too much fruit, syrupy. Looks like blueberry pancake syrup; tastes like slightly-thinned Welch's grape jelly. Finish rough and weak; tannins gone. Considerable sediment in the bottle. We have had cheap Merlot we liked better. I want to get rid of my last bottle, but I'd be embarrassed to give it away or sell it, and I don't like the idea of throwing $60 down the drain. Maybe I already have....
Drink this now? There's no way it will get any better.
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3/19/2017 - JB12 wrote: 89 Points
- Slow forming legs. It's unbalanced with a full body. Bright texture with a medium finish - Rich in blackberry and vanilla. It tasted brighter than I remembered and was a bit rough on the edges. It did smooth out a bit after an hour or so.
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3/11/2017 - Dr. Bee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite the transformation from a year ago. Ageing well. Losing the vanilla, finally! Try some 88% dark with it! Kaboom!
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3/10/2017 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit bomb. This smells like jam and chocolate, and with pasta tastes like dark chocolate. Knott's boysenberry syrup. Vanilla. Oak. Black and white pepper. A touch of tannins. Cinnamon. Black licorice. Raspberry. Blueberry. Blackberry.
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2/25/2017 - Surfowl Likes this wine: 94 Points
BANG! Chocolate, dark cherry, velvet, luscious. This is a crazy deep and dark wine which is lovely and decadent. It's not for everyone but I think it's exceptional. If you like the "dirty socks" vibe you will hate this. I have now opened this on four occasions and 90% of the people I opened it for have said it is "the best wine they have ever had"
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2/17/2017 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
Add me to the side that's loving this wine. Changed a lot since my first bottle in 2014 (this was my 4th), but now second consecutive mid-90 after early "cough syrup" review. This was great stuff; big, fruity but with the underlying structure to support and long. Drank over three nights (liter bottle by myself) and it didn't fade or get pruney at all. I'm sold.
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2/15/2017 - mikita77 wrote: flawed
Corked. Damn.
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2/14/2017 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 91 Points
My 8th bottle from this vintage. It has improved over time but I believe this is about as good as it is going to get. But still a disappointment from this winery in a great vintage. The volume of wine they make may be impacting their ability to mass produce in the same "caymus style" for which they used to be so consistent. Luckily, I still find their Special Select to be consistent and well done.
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2/10/2017 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has really mellowed over the past few years, and in doing so has revealed much is lacking. Overpowering sweetness and viscosity has dissipated and what is left is tastes just a bit off.
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1/30/2017 - Zups Cellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
We love drinking this wine every time. Have not had a bad bottle yet.
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1/27/2017 - nrjessup wrote: 94 Points
No doubt it's fruit forward but the complexity and depth shows through now as if did a year ago. To me this has new world written all over it. I enjoy a Bordeaux as much as the next but the comparison isn't appropriate. As far as Cali Cabs go, hard to argue this one's rating down.
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1/20/2017 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes. Aromas of blackberry, currant, vanilla, mocha and cherry. This is big and jammy with flavors of blackberry, cherry pie, current, boysenberry and touch of plum. Ends with a 35-40 second finish that echoes the blast of fruit. Can see why some people don't like this because it is new world to the max but there is no denying the wine has structure, even if it is all fruit.
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1/19/2017 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bitter. Pepper.
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1/18/2017 - dogwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Jammy but better than when it was first released. I think the overbearing vanilla will eventually disappear as it balances out. Still, I like this wine.
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1/13/2017 - Staufer Likes this wine:
Still a bit early ...
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1/10/2017 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent California classic cab. Dark fruits, long and smooth ride to extended finish.
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1/8/2017 - Mr. Mustard wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Cab night w/ wine club.
Awesome bottle.
Very dark purple, almost black.
Nose of cassis and dried plum skins, not a very boozy nose at all.
Before aeration, plum, black fruit, some cherry pit.
After being open for a few hrs, became very jammy and sweet, almost port-like, and the already mild tannins were in the background.
Big pleaser for the majority, but some folks really didn't like it due to the sweetness.
Easy to drink this one without food accompaniment, due to the very mild tannins.
A very easy drink
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1/2/2017 - zack.wygant wrote: 86 Points
Mega purple dominate, no complexity, syrup and fruit. Sure it's a crowd pleaser, but so many other wines I'd rather drink. Was hoping time would help this wine, but I don't think it will. Big name but isn't worth it
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1/2/2017 - dstraub wrote: 80 Points
Mega purple loaded = syrup
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1/1/2017 - Mikecu6 wrote: 95 Points
Christmas dinner & paired extremely well with standing rib roast. Drew rave reviews.
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12/29/2016 - Geaux Tigers Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Ugh, this is awful. I think it got worse. Taste like someone trying to make wine from cough syrup, grape vinegar, and molasses...with a hint of ass sweat. Have two bottles left and not sure if I am embarrassed that I want to sell them. Even the fruit bomb lover in our group hated this one. Yet, the bottle was gone in 45 min...with no help from me. Go figure.
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12/28/2016 - wculpepper wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours. Very deep ruby color. Flowery nose of cassis, vanilla and pencil lead. Concentrated, port-like, dark fruit and cherry on the palate. While both acids and tannins are to be found, they are only background notes to the remarkably robust fruit. A lengthy finish that remains consistent with the initial blast of fruit. I enjoy many different styles of wine, including this one. But if I were expecting and wanting a typical Cali Cab, I would be disappointed. On the other hand, as a good after-dinner wine to serve with chocolate, this could be a delight.
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12/26/2016 - LCHammer Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Fruit and vanilla bomb as described by others. Not sure what, if any food it would pair well with. Would be 90+ if it were half the price but the QPR is way out of line. Just my opinion because I know many out there love it (and they sell a ton of it). I had a 07 Honig the previous night and it blew the Caymus away.
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12/4/2016 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. At first I found the fruit & oak too over the top for my liking, even though I enjoy rich Cabernets. This was similar to other tasting notes criticizing this wine as a "soda pop" version of Cabernet. But after 30min the flavors settled down noticeably, and I actually enjoyed the bottle. It was a hit with my guests.
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11/28/2016 - thetong wrote: 88 Points
Hugely extracted, heavily oaked. Pretty one dimensional. Has a pretty full mouthfeel and a medium+ finish, but not something I'd go back for. 2012 seemed to be a vintage where this bottle changed. The 2010 was more elegant, to my palate, and a much better wine.
I think it's pretty well made and the fruit is extremely focused. I love Napa fruit bombs but I think this is an 87-88 point wine living off of its pedigree (instead of what is in the bottle), which is a shame because every time a vendor takes me to dinner someone wants to order this. Poor QPR.
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11/25/2016 - aidyl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour with a perfect cork. Nose of ripe black fruit and vanilla. Bright red and black fruit on the attack, with a fantastic unctuous mouthfeel. No green notes whatsoever (which is a plus). Moderately long finish with a hint of licorice. Went very well with our grilled steaks. Drinking very well right now.
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11/25/2016 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big juice bomb. Not a good wine but fun to drink kind of like watching a Will Farrell movie. It's not going to be a great movie, but you might laugh a bunch. Same with this wine. Just quaff it.
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11/24/2016 - RayT wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Thanksgiving. This is typically a good party wine. I have been drinking a bottle of this about every six months and they seemed to be getting better each bottle with the syrupy sweetness residing. This bottle was not as good as the one before this. Drinking this next to a 2012 Justin Isosceles did not help as it accented the fact that this has no complexity or depth. Was hoping this would continue to develop but pretty sure it will not. This is a one trick pony and if you don't like fruit bombs this is not for you. Like most I am a fan of the 2010 Caymus.
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11/24/2016 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
had a few sips at lori and vinny's thanksgiving day party. not overly sweet or syrupy. on the other hand, rather one dimensional. apears to be developing rapidly. unfortunately, was drinking out of a plastic shallow bowl wine glass, so probably was not able to experience more nuances in the nose and palate. will wait a few years and continue to watch notes from others before drinking my bottle.
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11/24/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with all of my prior tasting notes on this wine. It almost could be a dessert wine as there is a sweetness on the finish of blackberry cobbler and a scoup of vanilla ice cream on top. This wine would make a great syrup at IHOP to go on pancakes. All that said, I always enjoy drinking it. You just need to appreciate it for what it is and you will like it. If you are expecting an intellectual wine drinking experience, you will be disappointed. Pop and pour. Drink now... probably won't improve with age.
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11/24/2016 - Jarndyce wrote:
Drank at Amy's - Thanksgiving 2016
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11/15/2016 - Royalotter wrote: 92 Points
Vanilla, cherry, chocolate nose, almost no alcohol on the nose, strong raspberry, followed by cherry and chocolate finish
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11/10/2016 - Bodyfxr wrote: 93 Points
Very primary with copious amounts of fruit balanced with hints of vanilla and leather. I guess this is what you call a quintessential Napa fruit bomb. The wife really liked it. She chose it over a 2010 Opus One. I wasn't as impressed but liked it enough.
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11/4/2016 - smileBD Likes this wine: 90 Points
I've had this bottle a couple of times and it was even better this last time. I think the additional aging really brought out even more richness and smoothness. Drank with friends at dinner and all 4 of us loved it.
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11/4/2016 - Fred_Bo Likes this wine: 93 Points
You get a little some-some extra than what you expect!
It has an explosive nose of chocolate, liquorice, vanilla, cask!
The palate has all the above and then some green bellpepper and Cassis. The heat showed itself after 3 hours and somehow disintegrated the whole shoobang. But it is lovely when a bit chilled.
Delicious Napa classic
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10/16/2016 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, raisin and raspberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish.
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10/14/2016 - pickhardt wrote: 87 Points
Kind of sweet. Very fruity. Not something I would buy again. Fortunately, I have had other vintages that I enjoyed, so I'm likely to try other vintages in the future.
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10/11/2016 - TheGymRats wrote: flawed
Corked
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10/9/2016 - Barry Raterink Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree - much better now than a year ago. Much more depth and certainly more complex. 4 left in the cellar.
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10/9/2016 - Savannahman wrote: 93 Points
This wine is getting better with age. Can't wait to pop another about 3 or 4 years down to road. This wine has brilliant bold color and depth in complexity and flavor. Every bottle I open is a little better than the last. The hard part is to make it last and only drink a bottle of two every year.
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10/3/2016 - Castle Peak wrote: 91 Points
Fun drink. Lots of sweet red fruit. Would be fine over ice.
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10/2/2016 - peolsf wrote: 86 Points
Very opaque, dark ruby color, almost black. Nose full of cherry soda, black fruit. Syrupy palate, very intense fruit and sugars. Not my taste.
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9/28/2016 - W2WineGuy wrote: 87 Points
syrupy and fruity the first night, sat overnight, and better and softer on day 2. Better nose, deep and dark color, opaque, more integrated, more spice, much better. Still has a bit of a sweet finish, but better.
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9/20/2016 - NCWino1 wrote: 87 Points
Well, still fruity and syrupy, but definitely tamed from the last tasting 18 months ago. I really don't think this is going to get any better with time. Just not a good vintage for Caymus. Much better players at this price point. Drink up if you have 'em.
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9/11/2016 - Brownvino wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for three hours. Very dar in color. Very very fruity with mild syrup taste. I thought it would subside over time. It did, but did not go away.
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9/10/2016 - mwneil Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasted at WL from a magnum, not heavy, tannic, good fruit, needs to develop but much better than my last taste of this wine, will try again if I get a chance
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9/9/2016 - wineandski wrote: 85 Points
A real disappointment--not the structured bordeaux-like wine I was expecting, but an overwhelming fruit bomb
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9/6/2016 - WineGuyFL Does not like this wine: 88 Points
The second of six bottles. The first, drunk about a year ago, was awful. It was mainly syrup. This bottle was still not good wine, but while the taste of syrup is still there, it is not prevalent as it was a year ago.
I stick to my theory that something happened to a significant part of this vintage's production/storage/shipment. My bottles are no good. I have had this wine on 3 other occasions from bottles that were sourced differently. On all three occasions the wine I tasted was a 93-95 rating experience. That tends to prove that my reaction to the bottles I have is not due to my taste preferences.
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9/5/2016 - AAJR wrote: 88 Points
18 months since last try - still over powered with fruit flavors. Taste of blueberry pie(which I love) - just not in my wine. Bold & fruit forward - enjoyable but still a little too over the top for me.
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9/4/2016 - ricl Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious, I wish I would have saved it. Berry, smooth, great nose. Wine & Cheese perfection!
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9/4/2016 - SHutzal Likes this wine: 93 Points
Yes it's over extracted and a fruit bomb. But I love it. Drank over 3 hours and it was superb.
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8/27/2016 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Very big, concentrated, rich beyond imagination, grapey, dark, low acidity and tannins.
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8/17/2016 - seanman Does not like this wine:
Well I had my second bottle of this last week. The more I drink it, the less I want to buy more, and the more I think Caymus is letting wine drinkers down with these unbalanced blends. This bottle wasnt particularly good. The fruit had an overripe taste, and honestly this thing really is tasting more and more like a desert wine...and less a wine to have during dinner. This seems to be the "fashionable" bottle to order at dinner. Gonna have to change that moving forward.
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8/15/2016 - bobadopolis Does not like this wine: 80 Points
There is a sweetness to this wine that I don't care for at all. Not sure what the residual sugar is, but seems high. Otherwise wine is dark and brooding, with deep almost rotten plum notes, and a thick, dense mouthfeel. Can't get over the recurring impression that this is more reminiscent of a concentrated kids drink (like dehydrated Welch's grape soda) than a fine wine. To me this was borderline undrinkable. Gave it an 80 because others at the table were not as offended by it as I was. Maybe there was something off with this bottle, but didn't really seem flawed, just not good.
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8/12/2016 - Jmdidday wrote: 98 Points
Chocolate and blueberries
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8/10/2016 - Vita Vinum wrote: 89 Points
My first try with this wine found the bottle to be a bit tight with the alcohol kind of over powering. I believe this needed some age and definitely needed time to breathe. Big, bold cab for sure. I have more that I will save and try down the road.
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7/31/2016 - tacoflyer Likes this wine: 93 Points
A Bordeaux it's not, but a very good example of a fine California Cab. Drank half the bottle tonight so we'll see what tomorrow brings. For now still very fruity with primarily dark fruit, but well integrated. Chocolatey finish with balanced tannins. Would have liked a bit more acidity. Don't think this has a super long cellar life but a couple of more years will probably put it at its peak.
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7/31/2016 - iamandyc wrote: 91 Points
Has mellowed since my last bottle. Still chock full of spicy, extracted dark fruit. Almost zin-like. A big hit with the birthday crowd. Everything amped up in an unabashed style. You'll either love it or hate it -- but I'm in the middle -- can appreciate it for what it is but tiring to drink over the long haul.
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7/30/2016 - DiveDVM wrote: 90 Points
Slightly fruit forward
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7/17/2016 - petitblanc wrote:
Loads of sweet blue and purple berries, some toasted oak torrefaction notes, touch hollow mid-palate, low acidity, hot alcohol. This was about as expected, drinkable enough for a style I don't love. Not scored. 14.6% abv
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7/17/2016 - lmerriner Likes this wine: 93 Points
After reading reviews I had low expectations for this wine. Not sure why the criticism because this wine drank exceptionally well. Big fruity notes and velvety smooth finish. Lush, rich and complex. Excited to see how this ages.
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7/10/2016 - mvarner Likes this wine: 98 Points
Favorite wine ever! Goes with everything or nothing. Love, love, love!
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7/5/2016 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 94 Points
My wife, mother-in-law (whom I like) knocked off 2 bottles for the 4th of July. This wine is controversial and gets a bad rap for residual sugar. In fact, it was a perfect foil to the sweetness of my wife's awesome baked beans and sweet warm potato salad and my BBQ ribs and chicken.
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7/4/2016 - pdicorpo wrote: 92 Points
Very deep red color. Notes of anise and black cherry on the nose. Very fruit forward. powerful wine. Nice for an evening by the fire. We really enjoyed it.
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7/4/2016 - msilver wrote: 91 Points
This is more fruity than a average Caymus. Good wine. Drinking well now.
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7/2/2016 - BURGHen Boy wrote: 89 Points
An entertaining wine, not a serious one. From a 1 L on a P&P. Touch of wood out of the box then the blueberry syrup flavors start. A honey, jammy follow up, made me think of waffles and ice cream and some of the big McLaren Vale wines.
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7/1/2016 - RayT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pnp. Much better than the last time I drank this. Not the fruit bomb it was. This still has very powerful fruit but much more in balance. Have a feeling this will continue to get better with age. My third bottle and each has been progressively better. Drank about 6 months apart.
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7/1/2016 - reddart Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious!
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6/23/2016 - Twopawsup Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), cherry, medium toast and oak. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry, strawberry jam, and plum. The body is full. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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6/22/2016 - cavedivr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Jammy, sweet, candied cherries. Silky tannins. Could go another year or two, but drinking well now. Some heat on the nose, but not on the palate.
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6/21/2016 - Vino Monkeys Likes this wine: 90 Points
Inky purple with staining tears. Medium intense still developing aromas (though a bit of cooked jamminess there) of cassis, boysenberry, blueberry, and a hint of minerality. Vanilla and othe oak notes. Lots of sweet, ripe fruit supported by medium plus acidity and tannins, though just supported. This wine is drinking fine now and may not have the backbone for a lot more cellaring.
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6/18/2016 - Jamvin Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Too sweet, overoaked with a vanilla flavor. Tastes manufactured.
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6/18/2016 - Adam T 12 wrote: 90 Points
Big time crowd pleaser. I liked it better than the Caymus special selection 2011 and 2013. If I had more I would let them rest.
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6/12/2016 - dstraub wrote: 85 Points
Too much mega purple making it too sweet. I rated it an 80, other non-wine drinkers (who love sweet wines) loved it, so I gave it a 85.
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6/4/2016 - atwkite Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 12 is getting better with a little more bottle age, loosing just a touch of the slightly over the top vanilla, and the forward fruit is integrating. Of note, the 07 is really starting to shine as well.
My all time favorites to date remain the 02 SS and the 08, but the 07 and 12 are pulling into a close second tie with the 08.
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6/4/2016 - go blue wine wrote: 93 Points
Blackberries up front, followed by a smooth assortment of tannins with a soft silky chocolate finish
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5/27/2016 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
This is what Parker was talking about! Really deep, cassis-first flavor, and any over-oaked, cough-syrup overtones were gone. This drank fantastic over three nights under pump. Not sure why the variation for me (last bottle was all cough-syrup) if it's aging well or just bottle variation.
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5/25/2016 - danielolson06 Likes this wine: 97 Points
I know the Wagner family of wines has a signature vanilla flavor, I just can't help but love this wine. This bottle is very much a stereotypical fruit bomb and demonstrates the very essence of a Napa cab. Big, in your face with immediate flavor, and not apologetic about it. I see this as a collectors wine, RP rated 96 points. Quite frankly am surprised about the negative commentary I read here, but that's one of the great things about wine... Everyone's taste is different!
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5/22/2016 - Announcer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted first, enjoyed with dark chocolate cake and raspberries.
The wine looks ruby colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture with a medium finish. Tannins are very soft for a wine of this age. Have 3 more to enjoy in the coming years.
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5/21/2016 - Timikeb81 wrote: 91 Points
Confused on my expectations for this Cab. Cellaring has made it better than a 16 months ago. Still very fruit forward. Initial bite with almost lifeless notes dominated the tasting pour. After 10 pitcher to pitcher swaps the bite disappeared with fruit dissipating a bit to the background yielding to more expected cab notes. Will give my stock another year. Should last longer than 2020 though?
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5/17/2016 - melal41 Does not like this wine:
I do not wish to rate this beverage as a red dry wine. As many mentioned it is very sweet. I would ad the first day it tasted unnaturally chemical and not grapy.
I forgot about it for 2 days then tried it again.
I admit the wine added some complexity and became drinkable like cab.
still ...
I fell in love with Cali Cabs in 90s and one of the first wines I loved was 1994 Caymus with other Caymus abs from 90s and 2000s.
This is going a different way to satisfy different palates.
Very sad.
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5/16/2016 - NO2PTRL wrote: 99 Points
What can I say, this is amazing.....
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5/8/2016 - stschutz Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of all, if there was a durability factor given to wines, this one would score a perfect 100 and be given a Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken award. Stored in a closet for a year under less than ideal temperatures then transferred to a cold refrigerator for 6 months until which time I noticed its cork had lost its integrity showing signs of seepage. There was a dried cold oozing of spillage coming from below the foil. Upon inspection, the sides of the cork appeared fine, leading me to believe the spillage was coming from the very center of the cork unseen to the top, something I have never experienced before. Now out of the fridge, I cleaned up the grime on the neck, noting that the spillage from the bottle "only" amounted to leaving the wine level inside at slightly higher than the base neck. I then stored it on its side in the living room for another 5 days at room temperature allowing the red syrupy coloring at the top of the cork to dry with no further spillage seen. On day six, we opened it......Powerful nose, sweet hints of oak and spice. Black cherries, smooth and chocolaty on the palate with a long finish. Slight hints of maple and oak mid palate. Firm tannins with a long life ahead. Sealed tightly in a Pellegrino bottle and drank excellently over the next two days. note: cut the cork at mid section, revealing a thin pins head sizeof dried wine leading from one end of cork to the other in the very center of the cork, kind of like a thin gold vein. Other than that, cork was completely clean. 92
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5/7/2016 - Tomato99 wrote: 87 Points
Too tricked out for my taste.
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5/7/2016 - Lazlo Toth wrote: 92 Points
This fruit bomb will never be loved or appreciated by people that do not like fruit bombs. That much is clear and this has more fruit (and vanilla) than any higher end Cabernet that I have had. However, that being said, with time in good cellar conditions, this wine has improved markedly. The vanilla coated kirsch in the front palate has calmed down, the mid-palate has started to develop some chocolate earthiness and finally, some of the silky smooth fine tannins are starting to emerge from behind the fruit. Lots of toasted sweet oak wraps around a wine that at first was simple, but is now starting to show more subtle complexity. When I first opened this, it was the most disappointing Caymus I've had and probably scored in the 87-88 range. It has morphed into a crowd-pleaser as long as you don't expect a Bordeaux style Cab. It will probably get better over the next couple of years as the fruit integrates and the wine becomes more balanced.
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5/4/2016 - jaxpaj wrote: 89 Points
Too sweet
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4/30/2016 - Rick 4 Wine wrote: 89 Points
Big juice bomb. Parker's palate is going or Parker is a sell out.
Remember the "Mr 305" song "juice box juicy"??
This is that wine. Serve it for those parties. Don't get me wrong. Those parties are fun, but this wine is not an oenophile's wine. This is a Pitbull's wine to drink in a Miami hot tub.
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4/18/2016 - Harborhounds wrote: 91 Points
Classic Caymus cab - good fruit, chocolate notes - nice with a grilled filet.
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4/16/2016 - KenPlace wrote: 75 Points
Manufactured fruit bomb with no character.
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4/13/2016 - Vegasvinophilia wrote:
Thought it was good, but not amazing.
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4/11/2016 - cochoa Likes this wine: 85 Points
Wine was surprisingly flat compared to others I have had. Huge Caymus fan and I think it was just this bottle.
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4/8/2016 - jeffjohnsonjj@hotmail.com wrote: 92 Points
It is what it is. Closer to an Australian Shiraz than Bordeaux (by far). If you like Shiraz, you'll love it. If you like Bordeaux, probably not. As far as Napa cab - well, its not my cup of tea but it's a delicious fruit bomb.
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4/7/2016 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
While this wine is clearly polarizing, I absolutely loved it! Full bodied Cab, massively fruit forward, concentrated, round with rich dark blackberry fruit. Notes of dark chocolate and cassis..Classic Caymus Napa Cab with even more extraction. Wonderful finish that goes on and on with a chewy like mouthfeel. Really fun to drink and share with friends...just not every night.
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4/6/2016 - Ryan.Vento Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, as always, I enjoy the 2012's right out the chute because of how rich, suave, and bold they are. Yes, they have great aging potential but sometimes I don't want to wait. Lovely notes of fig, molasses, and blackberry cobbler.
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3/27/2016 - Wineman3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth blend of flavors. Round and full.
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3/26/2016 - mhenry wrote: 87 Points
Not as bad as some have written, but not very good either. Probably a good choice as a party sipper. Paired OK with bbq pulled pork.
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3/25/2016 - KenPlace Does not like this wine: 85 Points
I have waited patiently to open one of my bottles as I have seen all the controversy over this wine. All I have to say is that I am very disappointed. Fruit bomb with no character. At the end of the night, this bottle was half consumed! Bottles opened 2 hours later were finished.
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3/20/2016 - leadpencil wrote: 82 Points
Vanilla Popsicle
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3/19/2016 - Dr. Bee Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit finally fading. Might actually age well. 2020 Max. This was bottle #8. Always a crowd favorite.
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3/13/2016 - davidspieker wrote: 87 Points
Very dark inky color. Rich and weighty with raisin and dark chocolate flavors. Flabby and not for drinking with food.
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3/4/2016 - MarcelloW Does not like this wine:
If you like wood......vanilla and caramel....this might be for you....otherwise it's terrible...
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2/29/2016 - Gibbman wrote: 88 Points
Don't agree with all the hate for this wine but that being said, for the price I was expecting a little more. It is an easy drinking cabernet that some will like and some wont. It does have a "sweetness" to it but it didn't bother me that much. If I had only paid 25 bucks I would feel a little better about it.
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2/29/2016 - dstraub wrote: 80 Points
I'm sorry to contradict so many other opinions on here, but this wine is total crap. It is so doctored up that you really can't tell whether or not its a port or a cab. I would really love to see an ingredient statement from the winemaker, as there are so many chemical and color additives to this wine that it makes it undrinkable with food. Most of our group thought it tasted like crap, except for one member who only likes sweet dessert wines. Unfortunately I have 5 more.
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2/28/2016 - Mrsjetset Likes this wine:
Vanilla and leather. Smooth.
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2/25/2016 - mikita77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My rating may seem a bit high, perhaps due to my lack of experience with Californian cabernets. But I do love this wine. Yes, berry attack, but strongly underlined with pâtisserie notes from chocolaty to caramel and sweetened whipped double cream. Soft tannins, well made, alcohol is not overpowering at all. I would like to drink all my bottles now. But then again, I'm curious as to how this might develop. Any ideas, fellas?
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2/24/2016 - SumCellar wrote: 90 Points
Distinctively Caymus - fruit forward with a chocolatey note. Always quite different than a typical California cab.
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2/19/2016 - emf wrote:
Decanted, on initial tasting we both noticed cola. This had a certain sweetness of dark fruit with a very short finish. We have a few left, curious to see how this ages.
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2/18/2016 - The Wine Guy Likes this wine: 91 Points
these bottles are all consistent good quality but tend to be way to fruit forward, while not describing as a fruit bomb as it is more complex than that concerned that the big bottles 3L may not develop like I had hoped.
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2/16/2016 - EricLi wrote: 91 Points
Superficial, phony and sweet. Le Bernadine is great, but Big Mac can be attractive once a while and there is nothing wrong with it.
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2/8/2016 - carstenf wrote: 88 Points
Heavy stuff : YES . Heavy fruit : YES. Heavy barrique : YES
But if you are in the mood for that one night, and I do sometimes,
then it is perfect. Be sure you have company....you cannot drink it
all by your self.
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2/8/2016 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good thing I popped this now as the cork was faulty and allowed some seapage right on past the cork. Under capsule was sticky and wine stained.
Tasted on opening and it was still OK. Decanted 2 hours. Still a Purple-drank, Vanilla bomb. Super smooth and integrated tannins. Always a crowd pleaser though!
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2/3/2016 - ppearson9 wrote: 88 Points
Very mild, very disappointing.
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2/2/2016 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark sweet berries/cherry nose. Nicely structured/balanced. Long finish. Easy drinking. Nice drinking wine with or without food. Enjoyed by all.
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1/23/2016 - Frederyck wrote:
Not the perfect experience I had hoped for. The 2011 was a far better wine, but I suspect that the bottle might have been somewhat spoiled. It was far too mild and non-descript for this winery, but I couldn't find any other obvious faults with it. It was just a bland wine.
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1/23/2016 - mitiman2003 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, purple color, with slightly viscous & smooth texture in the glass (bottle had thrown some sediment, but poured carefully w/o issues); aroma of black currant, cinnamon, pipe tobacco, & blackberries; black currant, smoke, & plums on the palate, accompanied by an earthy mineral quality; solid grip, driven by well balanced alcohol and tannins; a "big" wine, representative of the Cabernet Sauvignon genre at its best.
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1/22/2016 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Big, intense, rich, jammy, plenty of sweet plummy, raspberry, currants, cassis, low structure, acidity and tannin. Not for everyone, can t say much more but drink soon!
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1/19/2016 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruity without getting into sweet. Mid+ body and good balance. It isn't the greatest Caymus but a very good one!
It's READY NOW, no need to cellar it much longer.
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1/16/2016 - tomoem Likes this wine: 91 Points
Shared this with Friends at Olive Lucy in Morristown NJ. This wine followed the first wine which was a La Rasina 09 Brunello. This was noticibly thicker almost syrup compared to the Brunello. Nose of cherry coke and vanilla. Plenty of wood at play here. After an hour the wine settled in and it drank fine............. Big ......but fine. This overwhelmed the Paella dish which is saying something about its overripe blackberry mulberry flavor. I read one review which used the term manufactured and I think I agree with that as a tasting note.
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1/9/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Boysenberry syrup from IHOP. To most that might sound gross for wine, but I've had this 40th Anniversary so many times now I know what to expect. Prior tasting notes I have referred to this as blackberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Call it what you want... It is unique and unlike most Napa cabs. Caymus must have wanted to make something that stood apart in 2012. As a Francophile who has had every first growth from 1982, I will go on record as saying... I like this wine. Just have to be in the right mood to drink it.
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1/8/2016 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young but smooth and rich. Lot of controversy about this wine but the wife and I love it.
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1/7/2016 - CultCabKing wrote: flawed
Still terrific
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12/31/2015 - robzz Likes this wine: 99 Points
An amazing 1 liter
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12/29/2015 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
See previous note.
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12/28/2015 - Rick 4 Wine wrote: 88 Points
Big juice bomb. Has over notes of blueberry syrup like you might find at Cracker Barrel. I'd score this lower, but that would be an artifact of my own aesthetic and without regard to the fact that it seems to always be a crowd pleaser.
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12/27/2015 - Pgraziano wrote: 88 Points
Way too much oak and vanilla for my taste
The rest of the group were more favorable
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12/26/2015 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dominant fruit. Tannins soft. No acidity to speak of. Would go well with dark chocolate
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12/25/2015 - RayT Likes this wine: 90 Points
l Was a hit at the party which is why I chose it. Much smoother and less syrupy than first bottle. This is much better without food. I am a big Caymus fan but this is my least favorite year. Great bottle for parties without serious wine drinkers. Score reflects that.
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12/25/2015 - Fresdroz wrote: flawed
Bottle was corked and had to pour it out.
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12/25/2015 - Winedog1 wrote: 94 Points
Chocolate nose. Allspice. Nutmeg. Cinnamon. Grape. Chocolate. Vanilla. Silky finish. A little hot. Perhaps some beef and salt. Raspberry. Maybe a 92 instead, but I really like this wine.
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12/25/2015 - Rossdhu House wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding. Quintessential Caymus.
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12/24/2015 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 92 Points
My seventh bottle from this vintage and still steadily improving. My first score was an 87 - and would have been lower except the wife liked it. Tasted like grape juice to me. But now this vintage it is starting to blossom into the more traditional "Caymus Style" cab I know and crave sometimes. But this is a sweet one - "chocolate in a glass" as the wife calls it. But that is what you hope for and expect from Caymus and why they have such a following.
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12/22/2015 - DemonC2H5OH Does not like this wine:
Discllaimer: first up, this was a wine brought to my house by a friend and I do not like this style of wine although I have been a fan of Caymus wines in the past - generally a long time ago and when they made very different wines - think the 1980's. While I appreciate that many people could enjoy this wine, I personally do not and feel that the overly ripe fruit will show a distinctly pruney character in 5-8 years, much like many of its ilk already do. I'd simply advise fans to pay close attention to how it ages and drink regularly lest they miss the best drinking window. Different strokes and all that, but no-one likes prune juice (unless you're constipated).
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12/19/2015 - gregbohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took a while to open up, but was good. I agree with some other reviewers that it's not really a food wine. I wouldn't purchase again, but was happy enough with the bottle we tried and enjoyed.
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12/19/2015 - Bob1130 wrote: 95 Points
best vintage in years. Nice flavor ready to drink now.
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12/15/2015 - Gangsta JP wrote: 85 Points
Overhyped , jammy , and tastes the same vintage in vintage out . Don't get the fuss with this house . There may have been a time but this wine is mediocre at best .
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12/13/2015 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
Super jammy and hedonistic. Easy to see why this wine is so polarizing with that being said, I did enjoy it. Not sure how it will age, but certainly needs to calm down some. Needs at least 5 years in my opinion.
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12/13/2015 - cmmatthews wrote: 88 Points
Very sweet, ripe, and dense. Not really a food wine at all.
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12/12/2015 - CerJoe wrote: 94 Points
Xmas party 2015 excellent
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12/12/2015 - CerJoe wrote: 93 Points
Really love this wine as did others at our party 2015
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12/11/2015 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big hit at Teri's 50th!
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12/8/2015 - pommieba@cox.net Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like burnt, cedar and black pepper. It tastes like forest floor and black pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/6/2015 - Bob Sacamano Does not like this wine: 89 Points
A little spice and oak on the nose. Tons of oak, black fruit jam, and vanilla on the overripe, round palette, and a little sweetness. Moderate acidity, silky tannin. Crowd pleaser, but I can't get behind this. Modern styling taken to an extreme. Needs more structure and balance.
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12/2/2015 - whybuyone Likes this wine: 84 Points
It's okay as a pop and pour if you want a dense, fruity cab and very purple teeth. Drink it within a few hours. I kept some to try the second day and it lose what little mojo it had. There are better cabs at the same price.
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11/28/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ruby-garnet, almost opaque. Pronounced aroma, hint of herbal, some sweet oak, cassis and black cherry. Medium-full body, very smooth and balanced, remarkably drinkable for a three year-old Napa cabernet. Tended to taste sweeter with time, but not as sweet at their Belle Glos or Meiomi, which are too sweet for me. This is quite drinkable and a crowd-pleaser.
Ric
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11/27/2015 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not that much unique - a very solid valley floor cab
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11/26/2015 - VoteferPedro wrote:
boysenberry jam or syrup. velvety texture. good for dessert.
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11/26/2015 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
Big, ripe fruit bomb. Good if you like this style.
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11/23/2015 - hawkeye47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnPnV - 30 minute decant. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, finishes with a deep concentration of fruit and a hint of tea leaves. Drinking well at the moment, needs some more time to come together. Will try one again next year and see.
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11/22/2015 - SMHalps wrote:
6th Annual NYC Zeta Psi Keens Steakhouse Holiday Dinner (Keens Steakhouse, 72 W. 36th Street, NYC): Popped and poured at a holiday dinner. No tasting notes, so no score given. Those that had it, loved it. I didn't actually get to try it.
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11/21/2015 - bklynfoodie Does not like this wine:
tasted like it had to much merlot vs Cab. We did not finish the bottle.
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11/17/2015 - 06nautique Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stupendous
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11/15/2015 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agreed with more recent posts that this has finally gotten to a good place.
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11/15/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 92 Points
Another great bottle from Caymus. Very ready to drink right now!!!
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11/14/2015 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cedar box, heavy vanilla on sweeter sider at this time. Suggest laying down 2-3 years.
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11/13/2015 - norcalcouple Does not like this wine: 83 Points
wow, caymus what happened? This wine was flat, no depth. Nothing but fruit and very sweet. Not our taste at all, and not what we were expecting from Caymus. Wondering if this is actually Caymus wine at all, I know the bottle says it, but still?
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11/13/2015 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 89 Points
I was hesitant to even try this given all the reviews. I can see both sides of the argument. Darker than expected, pouring very thick almost like a petite sirah. Nose had cough drops and oak, vanilla, typical of a young caymus. Palate didn't seem overly fruit and tannins had started to integrate. Wished I had decanted, though. Cherry coke, marichino cherries, cherry Luden's cough drop, cough syrup, vanilla, oak, cream soda on the palate. Agree with,some reviews, that this seems manufactured. Mrs. Ball Coach liked it, and she hates overly fruity wines....go figure. Will be interesting to see where this goes...next bottle will wait til....2017 at the Earliest.
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11/13/2015 - PMJak11 wrote: 86 Points
One word sums this up, and that's peculiar! Mild nose, with extremely strong flavors of plum and vanilla. This is extremely "port like", which isn't bad but no where near a Caymus Cab.
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11/7/2015 - Latch Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Too dark and tight compared to others. Perhaps a longer cellar will allow this to grow.
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11/7/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served to friends tonight and it was a crowd-pleaser, to be sure. Velvety, with thick blackberry and vanilla flavors. Not very complex, but enjoyable.
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11/7/2015 - pakabear wrote: 88 Points
Crazy how the quality fell off in such a great year, loads of dark fruit, sweet vanilla oak and tea, lacks mid palate, acidity, complexity and fell apart on day two which doesn't speak well to it improving with age...
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10/29/2015 - randyjc wrote: 84 Points
This is so bizarre. I have watched the battle rage in notes here and other sites. The wine is so atypical. More like Barbera than Cabernet and, to me, bears no relationship to Napa. Yet, some people love it, some call it grape juice or soda pop. I cannot help but think there is unprecedented bottle variation. How else could Parker score what was in my bottle 96. Not possible.
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10/29/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big juicy cabernet, not as good and satisfying as it was a year ago. I definitely don't think this is a long term wine. Better to enjoy sooner than later. Round, rich, jammy...once in a while :)
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10/29/2015 - Double D wrote: 92 Points
This exceeded my expectations, I was very mixed about buying a case as the initial reviews were all over the place. While it is not my style, a bit too over extracted and fruity over the top, it is somewhat balanced. It might be interesting to blend this with a thin Syrah.
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10/27/2015 - khunchris wrote: 89 Points
To my taste - seems this is overdone. Odd nose. Cant describe it. Seems like a lot of fruit juice. I bought a case. Drank a couple. Will wait a while to try next one, maybe it will settle out a bit. Some of the 2012's just seem to be average at best in the medium priced category.
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10/25/2015 - jcasey555 wrote: 89 Points
Strong chocolate notes
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10/24/2015 - JGP1985 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Not the Caymus profile I know and love, way to fruit forward like your average mass produced grocery store cabs. I have a few more bottles so I will see if they develop but my instincts tell me to consume these now and be done with them. Not sure how Parker gave this a 96.
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10/23/2015 - grayfont wrote:
Not hard to see why this is so controversial - a caricature of the house style, it has plenty of richness and big fruit flavors but there's a jammy, flabby feel to it which is over the top. I prefer other vintages of the regular bottling. Tasted alongside the 2012 Special Selection and the difference was striking, as to be expected.
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10/19/2015 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 85 Points
too sweet, two much vanilla, too many bottles in my cellar
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10/18/2015 - DTWOB wrote: 88 Points
Too sweet, too much vanilla
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10/18/2015 - shomer32 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice and smooth.
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10/17/2015 - wmccone54 Does not like this wine: 81 Points
It's been a year since I last tried this wine. Decanted and drank over two days. I was really hoping that there had been a significant improvement in this, but unfortunately, any improvement was really insignificant. In spite of the overwhelming aromas and flavors of vanilla extract, and over the top, overly ripe, sweet black fruits, there seems to be some evolving earthy component that was not present a year ago. It did show a slight improvement on day two when paired with some red meat; however, there really isn't much in the way of notable structure and acidity, as the wine comes across as a big fat fruit bomb. This is just not a style I enjoy, but I've had many past vintages of Caymus that have been much more restrained and balanced than this. Unfortunately, I'm not very optimistic that this will show significant improvement
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10/11/2015 - Smifffy Does not like this wine: 76 Points
Flabby. Afraid this is a caricature of a Napa cab & the result of lazy wine making. Inky black alcoholic fruit drink.
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10/10/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Nice showing tonight, appears to be some bottle variation, given the mass production of this wine not surprising. Paired tonight with Peking duck, very nice match, the sweetness of this cab paired nicely with the richness of the plum sauce and the gaminess of the duck. This cab had plenty of smooth dark fruits, vanilla notes add a much need complexity boost. Enjoyed by all!
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10/9/2015 - Dopas wrote: 88 Points
Etwas zu fruchtig. Wirkt noch jung. Gutes bouquet
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10/8/2015 - WineSlim wrote: 88 Points
At first thought it was going to be pretty good, but after a few sips, more like the kool-aid critics have talked about. Too sweet, no heft. Not unpleasant but very atypical for Caymus
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10/8/2015 - Swan1 wrote: 87 Points
Uncorked and decanted for an hour. Barnyard, almost corked smell and unpleasant aftertaste. Was going to flush it but decided to wait. Gave it another couple of hours and the unpleasantness was gone. It developed an enjoyable black fruit with woodsy undertones. Tasty but, I expected much more from a 40th anniversary release from Caymus.
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10/3/2015 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Totoraku Night (Totoraku): Very very young. So fruit forward right now. Should balance out in a few years. I probably won't touch my other bottles til 2018+.
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10/3/2015 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
Read my 10/03/2015 notes
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10/3/2015 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color - Please read my 10/03/2015 notes
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10/3/2015 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, blackberry and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Better than a few months ago.
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10/2/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had multiple times before with consistent notes. I rated tonight lower because I wasn't in the mood for blackberry cobbler. I wish I had opened a burgundy instead. Still a unique wine that could pass for IHOP syrup to put on a stack of pancakes. I could drink this for breakfast instead of a hearty dinner meal.
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10/1/2015 - Grenik wrote: 88 Points
I enjoy Camus in most vintages, but this was a bit of a letdown. Very simple cherry and vanilla profile and a lot of oak smoothness. Quite generic and boring by the end of the bottle. I am not excited about the prospects of the wine improving with additional time in the bottle, but I hope so.
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9/26/2015 - Eric K wrote:
Color is super dark purple. Poured into large cab glasses to breathe for an hour. Drank with prime rib eyes from costco. Dark fruit with a strong vanilla taste dscribed in some other reviews. A lot of heat, I suspect more than the 14.6% alcohol on the label. There are a lot of better cabs at this price point. Glad I only have two bottles left. Not sure more time in the cellar will change things.
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9/24/2015 - John at WAJ wrote: 88 Points
Lighter than I thought it would be, glad I didn't let it sit any longer.
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9/23/2015 - EricLi wrote: 91 Points
Artificial, but still enjoyable. Would not recommend sipping on its own though. Pair with flavorful dishes.
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9/21/2015 - ey1294 wrote: 93 Points
Dranks with Sigurdsons and Carrs VS 2011 Daou Cab and Rutherford Hills Cab. The clear winner, although the Daou needs more time in the cellar.
An excellent wine ready to drink now.
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9/20/2015 - ross.gore wrote: 90 Points
Intense fruit bomb with dark cherry and loads of vanilla. Very sweet, very smooth. Not my style but well made for what I assume they were going after.
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9/13/2015 - betocm wrote: 100 Points
Bem maduro, macio, levemente adocicado.
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9/12/2015 - dkhale4 wrote: 93 Points
Don't know if time in the bottle has improved this, but my second bottle was less sweet and syrupie than the first. Something seems to have settled a bit. Quite good and hit of the evening among a number of other really nice wines.
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9/11/2015 - Crunge wrote: 70 Points
Nose: Vanilla
Flavor: Vanilla
Finish: Vanilla
Thankfully, my last bottle of the 2012 Caymus Vanilla Extract.
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9/10/2015 - smphelps wrote: 85 Points
The oak masks much of the varietal identity of the wine so that the predominant flavors and aromas are all oak driven. Seems well made so I presume that was the intent. Not my preference.
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9/10/2015 - skurtz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pnp. Juicy fruit forward and fairly well balanced. Tasty, but make no mistake: this is a fruit bomb.
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9/8/2015 - AccaDacca Does not like this wine: 83 Points
a stinkin hot mess, like that kardashian who looks like chewbacca
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9/5/2015 - dangdad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby Red color, excellent body (legs), Black Cherry front, well balanced tannins and a mile long finish. A family favorite. Should have bought more!
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9/4/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 82 Points
Nose of cherry and brown sugar with incredible concentration and intensity on the palate. Full bodied and ripe, rich and highly extracted fruit. Again, about as big a fruit-bomb as I have ever had. Not a food wine. Simply overdone glop.
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8/31/2015 - Koconnor wrote:
Great fruit forward with very good finish.
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8/28/2015 - Slaz wrote: 91 Points
While I agree with some of the posters that the fruit is overly sweet at this point, I disagree that the wine does not have stuffing for aging. This is my third bottle (over the last 12 months or so), and while the style of the 2012 is certainly over the top, there is plenty of tannins and well-balanced acidity to cellar the wine. I seriously doubt the wine will not improve in a few years. I will also note that 2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is a major and remarkable, albeit much more expensive, improvement over this regular bottling.
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8/28/2015 - Ben.r@isst.org wrote:
Drink this with Tom and LC while we lost our virginity
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8/22/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 92 Points
CAYMUS CAN DO NO WRONG. SUCH A PLEASANT BOTTLE OF WINE. I NEED ANOTHER CASE.
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8/21/2015 - jaxpaj wrote: 91 Points
As long as you can get over the sweet tones then you will like the wine. A definite step backwards in comparison to other vintages. Such a shame to have an off year when everyone else had a great '12.
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8/19/2015 - WineGuyFL Does not like this wine: 82 Points
I bought 6 bottles of this late last year and have been watching the bifurcated reviews with interest. I had a glass of this wine at a dinner from a bottle brought by another guest to a party a few months back. That glass merited a rating of 93-95. The bottle I had tonight was syrup.....awful stuff. If the cause is my wine room, how do you explain that I opened a bottle of top cabernet a couple of nights ago, and it was terrific? That bottle has been in my wine room for years, not months. I have also had at least 3 other bottles of various reds over the past ten days from my wine room that have been up to expectations. Only one of those bottles have been in my wine room for less time that the bottle of Caymus I opened tonight. The source for my bottles is a reliable retailer from which I have purchased countless bottles without incident. I find it hard to blame their storage or shipping based on this past experience. I have had my share of wine that tired before the time forecast by the pro reviewers. I have had bad corks (in fact had one over the past couple of weeks with a French white Burgundy). I have kept a few bottles too long that were tiring when I drank them.......my fault. My experience tonight was none of the above.....what I drank was not really wine. I can conjure up a handful of explanations of how this all happened, but they all center on Caymus, storage of a large part of the production before shipment, and, possibly the transportation of a large part of the 2012 production. I do not believe the bad reviews come from people who mistreated the bottles, are bad reviewers, or just do not really like the style of cabernet associated with Caymus. I hope that Caymus is trying to understand what got off the rails here.
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8/16/2015 - Wine_lvr Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This feels like a softdrink with alcohol. Just tons of sweetness but no backbone, lacking structure. I usually love Caymus wines but I am surprised that they are bottling such a 'strange' wine to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
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8/15/2015 - bjschmitt wrote:
With beef tenderloin, corn-on-cob, and salad.
Opened this one out of curiosity after reading all conflicting notes.
Opened 30 minutes before pouring. Cork smelled of yeast!? Decanted: purple and opaque, with a touch of sediment on side of bottle. Quick first taste on decanting: Jane got yeast and I got an almost burnt, grapy, over-extracted hit. Let it sit.
Poured to glass through Vinturi. Some acid, but almost a bitterness to the palate. It softened a bit with some time in the glass - and the fat from the Tenderloin helped it along - brought out a bit of sweetness lurking in the background. Dry, but very little tannin.
This wine has not integrated yet, and it is not clear to me that the components to integrate. I'll let my second bottle sit for a while, and watch the comments.
Odd wine, and I do not think it's work the price.
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8/15/2015 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 91 Points
WOW. And I don't even like wine like this. But this sure could make a believer out of me. On the nose it was an amazing amalgam of cocoa, berries, tobacco, cassis, and honey. The nose was room filling. The palate was creamy, BIG, long, with note of earth, spice, anise along side the cocoa, blackberries, honey and tobacco. The finish was looooong, smoooooth and delish. Balance was amazing.
A tough wine to drink with food, rather its a meal completely unto itself. For the zillions of new world style cab drinkers out there this may be yet another milestone you have to say you've tried. I'm glad I did but not sure how many bottles I will add to my cellar.
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8/11/2015 - MatthewVino Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Finally got to drink a bottle and I now understand the see-saw of opinions about this wine. Personally, I hated the wine, but I can see why some people love it! "artificial" would be the best word I can use to describe this wine. Felt like I was drinking a glass of Welchs grape juice mixed with root beer. Going to age my other bottle to see if somehow magic happens and it becomes worthy of it's anniversary tag.
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8/8/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
7th bottle opened, worst showing yet! When I open a bottle of Caymus I know what to expect, I am looking for a big, jammy, sweet dark concentrated fruit, thick Cabernet, I am not looking for Lynch Bages, anymore than when I open a bottle of Lynch Bages And hoping for Caymus. When tasting these ultra new world wines you need to leave your old world expectations behind. That being said this particular bottle was plenty big, rich, jammy, just terribly one dimensional, unfortunately boring and simple, a notch below the previous bottles tasted. I still strongly believe these are meant for early consumtion!
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8/7/2015 - seanwindsor wrote: 93 Points
Not sure why others are hating this wine. Smooth as silk. Very tasty.
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8/2/2015 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2002 Napa Cabernets (Our house): Inky purple color with notes of black fruit, cassis, plum and coffee. Flavors of over-ripe plum, blackberry and currant liqueur. 88-89 pts.
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8/1/2015 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark inky purple, full bodied, big brooding ripe tongue coating plum, black and blue berry fruits predominate turning to a layer of mocha chocolate with a hint of cassis on a big finish.
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8/1/2015 - jmorgand wrote: 92 Points
Loved it tonight. Go figure.
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8/1/2015 - awineo Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is the third bottle of the 40th anniversary that I have tried. The first two were very "disjointed" and not what I call the consistent "Caymus Taste" that I get from every other bottle of Caymus. This one has evolved and I now pick up the "Caymus Taste" but it still has a ways to go. I think ultimately this will be a great bottle. Going to wait at least a year before the next one to give it time to evolve. It is definitely going in the right direction in my opinion.
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7/31/2015 - CWang wrote: 90 Points
Only breathing in the open bottle for 1-2 hours prior to serving; more oak and mixed spices than dark fruits in the nose; also quite some oak on the palate; the finish, a bit weaker than anticipated showing mostly dark chocolate and woody tannins; overall, 89-90 points; needed a few more years of aging.
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7/31/2015 - Rktekt3 wrote: 86 Points
Same ole same old.
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7/31/2015 - Edwardsn wrote: 97 Points
Personal Favorite!
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7/28/2015 - Koconnor wrote: 89 Points
Lots of fruit, fairly easy drinking. Not real special.
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7/23/2015 - NEBBIOLODOC Does not like this wine: 74 Points
I was anxious to open my first bottle and weigh in on the debate. First glass of wine I can remember that I was unable to finish. Usually able to find some quality in every wine to appreciate. Not the case here. Artificial cotton candy/marshmallow fluff/ child's' cough syrup combination. All of natures' imprint on the grape just wiped away. Truly disappointing. Will gift away my remaining bottle..
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7/22/2015 - Troon wrote: 88 Points
I know everyone has an opinion on this wine, so I will just keep mine simple. This is my least favorite Caymus of the last 10 vintages.
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7/20/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not a powerhouse but nice.
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7/20/2015 - chefdilletante wrote:
No tannins. No acid. Tooth-achingly sweet. Viscous mouthfeel. Overwhelming vanilla. Somewhere on the flavor spectrum between Welch's grape juice and A&W root beer. Likely highly rated by aficionados of these beverages.
It's hard to imagine serious aging potential with this lack of structure of any type.
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7/20/2015 - lvepicure Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Let it open for an hour while I cooked dinner. Black currant, blackberry, hint of dried tobacco on first sniff. Poured thick voluptuous purple. Tasted and it's overoaked, over ripe, syrupy and extracted. All fruit and sweet tannins, little else. Very disappointed! If this is what Caymus is about, leave me out. Judging by this, Belle Glos, and the 2013 I won't be returning. Ridiculously overpriced and overhyped!
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7/18/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Like many people have mentioned in previous notes we were pretty curious to try this given the very different viewpoints expressed. My dad was kind enough to open a bottle while we were visiting. I get it. Wine is intense and in your face and coming off of a very elegant Provence rose it felt almost a bit overpowering. But with some time and more air the fruit and spice came through. It's not an elegant wine, but it is kindof a 'yummy' one. Like some of those really big Aussie shiraz which we enjoy from time to time. I'm interested to see what a bit of time does so will let our bottles stay laying down.
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7/18/2015 - EricLi wrote: 90 Points
1 hour decant helps to balance out alcohol. Plum (overoaked) dominates the nose. It is a little simple on the palate with sweet and smooth tannins.
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7/15/2015 - mark.gularte@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep reddish/purple, oaky nose,taste shows vanilla, lots of fruit, rich and soft, nice full finish, good balance for a wine this young. Probably won't age a real long time, but its very nice now.
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7/14/2015 - alabunka wrote: 93 Points
An exceptional wine that does credit to the vaunted Caymus name; well deserved praise is at hand for this classic, fruity, full bodied California Cabernet Sauvignon. It is well balanced with a delicious Caymus taste that drinks so well now and for a long time to come.
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7/12/2015 - mdp.blue Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dried fruit, especially black cherry. Very nice value, the 2012.
I've had wines with half the character and twice the price!
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7/12/2015 - Kukeymon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had it on our 4th anniversary. Deep dark glass-staining red/purple color all the way to the rim. Some graphite and black fruits on the nose. On the palate, a tsunami of blackberry, cassis, wet tobacco, and cocoa dominates everything else. The hedonistic fruit core will keep going for another 15-20 years. But will it be better? Judging from its weak structure, I think, as fruit thins out, it'll be different but not better in any meaningful way. Enjoy this fruit bomb now through 2025.
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7/11/2015 - S_stas wrote: 89 Points
Not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, and I'm an old world fan.
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7/10/2015 - nollenfm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pleasant surprise. Second bottle from this vintage was much better! The first last year was not ready. I am very excited that this is maturing. It was "thin" last year and I was concerned it wouldn't reach true Caymus potential. Turning into it's yummy, full-bodied, big bold Napa Cab destiny.
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7/5/2015 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Improved since my last taste, but till not the typical Caymus I have known and loved over the years.
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7/5/2015 - millerarner wrote: 90 Points
2nd bottle, a year after the 1st. Same score. This wine is such a conundrum (no pun intended). There's no doubt this is a jumbled unharmonious mis-mash of parts that equal less than their sum. I don't believe it will ever cohere, and it is by far the most manipulated feeling wine we've had. It's like they just kept tweaking it to the point where all varietal character & balance was lost, so they tweaked it some more trying to fix it.
So why score it 90? It's still not bad. It will never be great, and it's annoying that they had the grapes & vintage to produce a better wine than they did, but it's an enjoyable crowd pleaser for casual wine drinkers. Just don't put too much thought into it.
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7/4/2015 - zuluvino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Here's another example of wines that are under-rated by members at large on this site and why I always add 2 or 3 points to the average rating. This is a great wine that is way too young right now. It is surprising soft and silky but the flavors are separated and racy. Color is a bright violet and the nose explodes out of the glass which should tell people a lot. I sacrificed one bottle out of a case to get a baseline of it's development as it ages. Nowhere near drinkable. It should get roughly 4 years time if you want to start drinking but I can understand if you can't wait. I drank this the same evening as an '06 Mollly Dooker Enchanted Path which was stunning (an easy 96) and showed why many wine lovers need to assess bottles at maturity instead of throwing out a score as it's tasting now that is not a true assessment of its potential.
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6/30/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Very easy to drink, rich ripe fruit, oak vanilla. Better served a bit chilled. Easy crowd appeal.
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6/29/2015 - Niagara wrote: 93 Points
You know, I think this is pretty good stuff. Tasted blind it holds up against many wines three times the price. Exceptional QPR IMO.
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6/28/2015 - apmarques Likes this wine: 86 Points
great wine. I the end a little bit sweet. But don´t miss it.
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6/24/2015 - webbaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted head to head with 2013 and the 2013 won. 2012 is an over the top fruit bomb. I think, after some time in the cellar, the fruit will thin out and this will be wonderful, for those with patience. I've had similar experiences with Caymus from my cellar, eg. 2007. I can easily understand the "syrupy" tasting notes from others. Definitely not a wine that will be liked by all. Patience.
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6/22/2015 - ey1294 wrote: 94 Points
- Medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Decanted three and a half hours. It needs it. Young wine with a ton of potential. Excellent fruit and excellent "bones".
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6/21/2015 - John Wine wrote: 94 Points
Impressive.
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6/20/2015 - macmiker007 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Strong notes of black currant and black cherry with hints of cassis and plum. Not overtly oaked - perhaps due to the American oak. Paired well with a porterhouse steak, sautéed mushroom and Caesar salad.
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6/20/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Still deep purple with a pretty thick crust already developing. This is an easy party wine, the crowd favorite. Not necessarily all that fascinating, but deliciousness isn't always a bad thing is it? This actually has settled down a bit over the past year.
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6/20/2015 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wow! A Wine Advocate 96??? Clearly Mr. Parker -- with all due respect -- and I have divergent tastes. This is a steakhouse wine. Big almost jammy fruit with heavy oak and only a hint of Caymus Soecial Selection terroir. My advice: enjoy this wine with food. decant it; after 30 minutes the oak blows off and the jam dies done a little -- there is actually phantom sweetness in the wine from the fruit before an hour. Enjoy with something that has some fat to it. I don't think age beyond five years really helps this wine, and will likely hurt it.
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6/17/2015 - Crunge wrote: 90 Points
Encouraged by other reports of this wine, I decided to open another bottle a year after my first one (which I scored an 83, which was probably generous for that swill.) My first bottle of this was awful: vanilla nose, vanilla flavor, nothing else. This bottle was decent. Over oaked, for sure, but at least I could taste the wine. It still doesn't compare to the Caymus I've been enjoying for over 20 years, but at least this one was drinkable. A lot of vanilla, but also some sweetness on top of fruit. Okay wine, but a terrible QPR.
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6/16/2015 - mark m Likes this wine: 92 Points
I can see why this wine is polarizing. We liked it but it was somewhat out of balance. Great fruit, great tannins, but the flavors weren't integrated. Long finish but it came in waves instead of a smooth long finish. Hard to describe. I wonder if it will get better with time?
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6/16/2015 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 90 Points
Second 1L bottle waaaay different than the first 6 months ago. This one was drinkable! Not as mich vanilla and overwhelming syrupiness.
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6/15/2015 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 91 Points
1L Bottle, tasty great chocolate with a nice finish. No one is ever disappointed with this one.
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6/12/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thick vanilla and cab smoothie, of sorts, but I wouldn't turn down a glass if offered. Looking forward to the 2013 and the 2012 SS!
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6/12/2015 - levinml wrote: 89 Points
This is my second bottle (one liter) and perception was quite different than my first. Overwhelming impression over two nights under pump was cough syrup, which never really subsided. Not sure how much was fruit and how much was oak, but really didn't do a whole lot for me. If I wait another year or two before next bottle maybe it will subside.
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6/11/2015 - 06nautique Likes this wine: 95 Points
By far my favorite Cab. Very distinct taste, love it.
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6/11/2015 - Hodby wrote: 86 Points
Dark red color. Sweet-sour oak-y nose, with soy sauce, hyper-ripe black cherry, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla. On arrival, medium low soft tannin and low acidity. Sweet fruit and sour wood in the mouth, just overdone for my taste; I fear I taste Bazooka bubblegum in here, with the ingredients from the nose repeated as well. The effects of using fully mechanized harvesting equipment on such ripe fruit, coupled with a very high percentage of new American oak barrels (and now, no French oak at all) delineates a complete break with Caymus' original stylistic heritage. Makes me sad.
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6/7/2015 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 88 Points
I have had a few of this cab with consistent results (yea) Still getting a lot of vanilla, decent cab, not up to typical Caymus standards. I'm hoping for improvement with age. FYI we had a 2009 special select , excellent 95 pts, no comparison
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6/6/2015 - Randito Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crowd favorite! Blackberry and cherry sweet fruit, cassis, vanilla, chocolate, meld together in a smooth velvety finish.
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6/6/2015 - Savannahman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good but very heavy. Not your typical cab. As time passes I like this wine more and more.
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6/6/2015 - BrianMc wrote: 89 Points
Average
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6/6/2015 - danielbleier wrote: 88 Points
I have seen the many notes on this and tend to agree this is overdone, although not to the point of a major miss. Chocolate and cherry, oaky vanilla in a smooth rich wine. Assuming the Wagners intended the outcome they got, this is a well executed, hugely rich wine. However, it lacks the dynamic secondary nuances to make it a great wine.
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6/5/2015 - Backdoctor wrote: 92 Points
Just a great pop and pour that got better as it opened up. Good fruit on the front end. I don't find it heavily oaked and it shows decent balance while being still young.
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6/4/2015 - Mark Brandon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Crowd Pleaser. Not really my style, but it sure makes everyone else happy.
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6/3/2015 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep color. Full, round Napa Cabernet flavors so indicative of its mid-Napa Valley origins, complete with a "Rutherford dust" finish. A wonderful mouthful, almost reminiscent of a reserve Brunello or a high-end Aussie Shiraz with its preponderance of sweet oak. Yes, for Bordeaux lovers it is perhaps too soft and too sweet. But it is not Bordeaux. It is Caymus. And it should be judged as such. Highly recommended for those who can afford it. (Cases produced: 122,158, according to http://www.kenswineguide.com/wine_review/Caymus-2012-40th-Anniversary-Cabernet-Sauvignon. There's something odd here since I've seen the winery's annual case production listed as from 58,000 to 65,000 cases. However, the Rutherford facility bottled 830,000 cases in 2012, according to http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/48765.)
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6/2/2015 - cw360 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smelled and teased strongly of vanilla.
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5/31/2015 - Shaun Mondavi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark purple color, thick body. Vanilla and rich black fruits predominate. I can see how this is a polarizing wine. Caymus is remarkably consistent in what they produce year to year but for the 40th they made what feels like a caricature of their wine. The fruit, sugar and lushness are way overdone. Like a good caricature, its ridiculous, but you recognize the subject behind it. It was fun to drink a few bottles this year but I won't seek it out in the future.
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5/31/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Another great wine from Caymus. Buy some. You will love it!!!
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5/28/2015 - Neecies wrote: 87 Points
Confected nose of vanilla bean and marshmallow (both of which I detest). On the palate, lush and rich dark fruits and root beer float with an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream. Balanced and silky with soft tannins. Horrifically sappy for this traditionalist, but sweet-toothed new world wine lovers at the table raved.
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5/24/2015 - objective rater Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent every time.
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5/23/2015 - Kentw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice cab. Dark fruits, full bodied, soft tannins, smooth, lush mouth feel and simple finish. Not complex but good complement to some steaks.
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5/21/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Youthful fruity nose of multiple berries. Hint of dark cherry and dark chocolate. Alcohol on the nose indicates youth.
Very dark red almost ruby. Could do with decanting.
Not a complex dimension in the finish.
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5/19/2015 - mygrogro wrote: 90 Points
very nice
no issues
solid cayman showing
oaky big Finnish
smooth through out
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5/19/2015 - Ahughes444 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ordered a glass of this at a hotel bar. Was a bit concerned i might get an over Oaked and vanilla cab but was pleased with it. Full bodiesd and silky smooth cab. Aromas of dark fruit, anise, vanilla, French toast. Silmilar flavor profile and good acidity to cut thru it. I enjoyed it but feel it's a one glass wine. Too rich on the palate for two.
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5/15/2015 - LJD Likes this wine: 88 Points
Finally tried this after reading hundreds of CT reviews (which has been fun and interesting). Gave it a 3 hour decant and found it to be okay and drinkable. Not really my thing, but I'm curious to see it change over time. Shared with work colleagues and they thought it was the best wine they had ever drunk. No surprise there.
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5/14/2015 - Poisey Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Thought this was better in the past. Too much oak with vanilla and lots of wood. It just overpowers this. A little astringent and hollow lacking structure. Fading all ready. Drink up.
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5/14/2015 - felixp Likes this wine: 91 Points
wow, what a polarising wine!!!
if anybody is ever looking for the definition of "wine snobbery", or they simply want to have a good laugh at the ridiculously pathetic comments of individuals who have egos far, far bigger than their brains, go take a look at the thread on this wine over on the "wines berserkers" forum. It most certainly will make you cringe, from the first post onwards!!!
anyway,to the wine. Yep, it has masses, and I mean masses, of everything. Black cherries, vanilla, coconut, blueberries, maybe even blueberry pancake. As an Aussie, I have seen this style of wine on countless occasions, although it is usually found in shiraz-based reds over here.
Pretty hard to drink if pop and pour, but let it settle in a decanter for six hours and you have a very bold, but never-the-less, decadent and quaffable red.
My guess is this wine will settle nicely with another 5 years in the bottle, and whilst it will never challenge the 2012's at the top of the Cali tree, it will still be interesting, enjoyable and excellent drinking.
Whilst not my style, I can see many wine-lovers really adoring this wine, with good reason. Those idiotic wine snobs who wrote that only "people with terrible palates" could love this wine are just that.
For me a 91+ point wine, but it is easy to see why many would rate this 96.
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5/13/2015 - kemorr wrote: 92 Points
Nice color and mouthfeel. The vanilla notes were really overpowering at first, after about 45 minutes to an hour it became more integrated into the wine but was still prominent and got better the rest of the night.
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5/12/2015 - SCMeyer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 2 review... What's not to like here, excellent dark full bodied fruit, seemless oak/vanilla notes even at this young stage, and a long palate filling finish. Everything in balance with a brightness lifting the dark fruit notes.
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5/8/2015 - mhenry wrote: 88 Points
I wanted this to be as good, but I was disappointed. The wine was way too sweet, no tannins and the value just isn't there. If this were blind tasted against it's peers I think it would be ranked near the bottom.
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5/8/2015 - Squilber Likes this wine: 93 Points
My second time trying this. The first I recall a very pleasant experience about 5 months ago. This time, it again did not disappoint. I popped and poured. Silky sweet tannins. Delicious varieties of berries, spice, cola and oak flavors dominate coupled with a nice long finish. This is full-bodied and age-worthy.
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5/7/2015 - kbcadeponei wrote: 94 Points
This is a tribute to the New World red wine style, as we come across with this gluttonous cake, pouring out sweet cherries, blueberries, lots of chocolate and licorice, as luxurious as it gets, deeply flavored, full and creamy, with a long and intense cocoa/butter/caramel aftertaste. All this overflow is backed up by solid structure and spices, keeping it tolerable. An ode to excess, maybe to vulgarity, but undeniably tasty! 94
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5/1/2015 - stewartl wrote: 84 Points
black cherry cola with vanilla, slight improvement after 48 hrs. Wasn't impressed. will try again in a year
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4/27/2015 - jmorgand Likes this wine: 85 Points
Too much vanilla and coconut for my taste.
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4/24/2015 - Gruffalius wrote: 88 Points
Some leakage but decent.
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4/21/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Terrific nose of black cherry cola fruit, cassis, and dust, more of the same on the palate, this bottle much richer tasting than the last bottle a month ago, big, intense, fruity taste on the mid palate with lots of dark fruit like cherry cola, easy to sip and enjoy while eating dinner, big body, and a long, flavorful fruity finish and aftertaste.
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4/19/2015 - Coachron13 wrote: 89 Points
Good not great. Could improve with a little more aging. Had in a restaurant so it didn't get to breathe a whole lot which may have hurt it a little.
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4/19/2015 - Texas Pete wrote: 89 Points
Quite the fruit bomb, but very popular with our guests.
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4/18/2015 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chocolate. Cinnamon. Vanilla. Fruit extract. Fruit syrup.
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4/14/2015 - GarrettJK wrote: 90 Points
Right out of the gate this wine is big and offers up velvety tannins. It did come across as borderline sweet and at times it was overpowering, staining both the palate and the glass. The heavy oak and the sweetness almost reminded me of "Vanilla Pepsi." It was infinitely better over the course of a 3 hour meal as it was exposed to oxygen and mellowed. Clearly a well made wine, but perhaps not my style no matter how long it ages.
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4/13/2015 - vintman Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Cheesecake topped with blackberrys and blackberry syrup with a side of vanilla ice cream. That's how I describe this on the nose and palate. I'm not used to these wines as I drink mostly old world. Yes, I know there are good California wines. Call me gauche and flame me now, but there is nothing like that Bordeaux funk and the essence of a nice Southern Rhone! The bottles of Caymus I have left will be good for visiting company that like "sweet reds"..
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4/12/2015 - dkhale4 wrote: 90 Points
Initial sweetness was not what I expected, and it either mellowed out over the evening or I got use to it. I'm not sure this is a wine for everyone, I'm not convinced myself yet, and I'll wait before trying another.
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4/12/2015 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, dark purple. Tobacco and blackberry juice on the nose. A tiny bit of tar, overripe blackberry, and black raspberry. Some coffee. Very modern style. Orthodox Easter at Stefano and Janine's house.
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4/12/2015 - jmorgand Likes this wine: 88 Points
Vanilla notes too strong for my taste. Maybe aging will help with this.
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4/12/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 92 Points
Just another gereat release for Caymus. Easy drinking and very pleasant to the taste. It's ready to drink rightr now.
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4/12/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Fruit, fruit and more fruit, rich, extracted, some sweetness, drinking well now, not for everyone.
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4/10/2015 - Buckeyewino Likes this wine: 89 Points
Agree with other notes on the fruitiness. Drank prior to a charity event with a group of people who all enjoyed.
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4/6/2015 - Bricks wrote: 91 Points
Had several bottles at a dinner -- paired with a range of food. Nice color, not particularly dark. Impressive mid palate with very soft texture. Finish was not as lengthy as some other big cabs I like, however great taste with lively fruit helped make up for it. A better vintage for this wine than what I recall in the 2010 or 2011.
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3/31/2015 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
Purchased from a Napa Valley restaurant's list at a lofty price, this wine proved itself to be enjoyable but certainly not a blockbuster. Its beautiful purity of fruit somehow pushes beyond the boundaries of its excessive oak. It is a heavily extracted, round, "fruit bomb" that is, by its nature, controversial among tasters. To my palate, it pushes the threshold of being over-the-top but somehow is hard to dislike. Drink now-2030.
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3/30/2015 - mrmedoes Does not like this wine: 86 Points
I thought the tasting notes I've read were extreme, but after opening a gifted bottle with a group of 6, I totally get it. As polarizing of a bottle as I've ever had/seen. To me, it tasted like a "Zin Port" - ridiculously raisin with a viscous mouthfeel, but if I wanted what this has, I'd just go all in and drink a really young, but nice, vintage port. The other big takeaway, besides the fact that it is dark as night, is that it lacked any distinguishable acid or tannins. It is palatable, and jeez does it please certain parts of the crowd, but if you're a "serious" wine drinker, I highly doubt you'll like this. Undoubtable that "old world" drinkers will point to this wine as everything wrong with new world wines, which is supremely unfair - this is as extreme an example as I've ever seen, and this new world guy is simply not a fan.
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3/29/2015 - psundberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
I was a little leery opening this after some of the less than stellar reviews, but glad we did. The 40th Anniversary Cab was pretty good. Still a little young but not overly tannic, a good plum flavor and a little licorice. This is the first time I've actually experienced the Rutherford Dust with a slight cocoa taste. I rate it a 91 but my wife says 93. Bottom line it's a good Rutherford Cab and worthy of the Caymus reputation.
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3/27/2015 - revanness wrote: 90 Points
Sugar and vanilla. I give it an 88 but the ladies liked it.
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3/26/2015 - pdxwinefan wrote:
Consistent notes as previous, with a different meal. This time brisket and ribs with spicy BBQ sauce. I absolutely suggest this kind of complement with this wine as it mellows out the sweetness.
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3/22/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 92 Points
I really like this wine. It is one of the best releases of regular Caymus in recent years.
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3/21/2015 - konadog wrote: 88 Points
Flamboyant typically the house style. Caramel, mocha, jammy. I was in overblown camp but others liked it
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3/20/2015 - Sethbo11 wrote: 88 Points
A hot sweet mess. Very sweet but pretty well made and I think it'll come around.
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3/20/2015 - pdxwinefan wrote: 89 Points
Following the banter on this wine is really fun. From "It's awful--tastes like Kool-Aid." to "Best Cab I've ever had--99 points!" This wine lives on the extremes.
So, my view. Decanted for an hour and consumed over another 90 minutes. Dark, dark purple. Powerful plummy aroma. On the first sip, the first thing you notice is the sugars--this wine is in fact awfully sweet. But it's also pretty smooth and accessible, with a nice balance and a long finish.
Served with a spicy, slightly sweet Thai beef dish. Without the food, the wine's sweetness is a bit overwhelming. But the pairing worked great, toning the wine's sweetness levels down while the sweetness balanced out the spiciness of the food. It's not an awesome wine, I don't see it improving over time, and it's probably too expensive for what it is. But still, it's enjoyable.
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3/17/2015 - KarenMcD Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep plum, mildly oaky. It's fairly balanced, and easy drinking with moderate tannins. For me, it was a little too sweet and not big enough for steak which is what we were having. Still, a good wine overall.
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3/17/2015 - NCWino1 Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Welch's grape juice, disjointed sweet mess. Why someone would go out and buy two more cases of this after tasting it, is beyond me. Bought four of these @ $55 due to consistent past years of solid 92 performances. Thought I might be getting a bargain. Maybe a strong vintage given the massive harvest. WRONG! This is really disappointing. I'll wait a year before I pop the next one, but I'm not holding out much hope.
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3/17/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 80 Points
Another overblown fruit-bomb that was again too sweet, too rich, too cloying and simply not very interesting or enjoyable. Apparently there are a lot of taster who like this style ... but I cannot imagine why. This was simply awful.
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3/15/2015 - 458jeff Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a change. I first tried this wine and thought it was a 90. At times I didn't really like it as it seemed too sweet, somewhat syrupy, and synthetic. Not thrilled. So after months of avoiding it I tried it again. Suddenly, it's not the same wine. It has more depth, complexity, balance and the over-powering sweetness is gone. I did not trust myself as the transformation seemed too great. Well, I had a second bottle a week later and felt the same way. I strongly recommend retasting this wine as I believe you will likely be astonished. I just ordered two additional cases. This wine is now a screaming bargain. Will it get even better?
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3/11/2015 - MSBohmer wrote: 85 Points
Similar to most, we found this to be overly sweet and pretty one dimensional. There were some tobacco notes, but tough to overcome the sweet ripe fruit. Very little length. My wife said it best : I didn't really dislike the wine, but I have no desire to drink it again.
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3/10/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Popped another one last night, with a veggie pizza, it amazes me that vintage after vintage of Caymus you consistantly here the same moans, too much fruit, too much oak, too jammy, too sweeeeet, too much vanilla, too over the top, too extracted, too much of everything. does not taste like cab, taste manufactured, etc. etc. For me this is one damn good red wine, why are these people drinking this wine anyway, go figure!!
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3/10/2015 - jimmythesaint wrote:
I still have a bottle of this but drank this bottle from a friend's stash. I'll try and keep this short, don't buy or don't drink. It drank like a cheap cab catered toward the masses. One dimensional fruit bomb with too much oak turning it into a creamy mess suitable for a baby's bib. My only hopeful suggestion is it's an odd phase and wait a few more years before revisiting.
I'd be leery of any 95 rating...seems like the most recent favor southern wine and spirit wines.
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3/8/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
I Grilled Sirloin Steak and sweet mini peppers to make a great pairing with this wine, nose of black cherry, and cassis, more of the same on the palate, slightly subdued but rich fruit on the mid palate, big body, tasty with lots of black cherry fruit like cherry cola, mouth filling, seems to have lost the jammy fruit quality mentioned by many so it may be dumming up, easy to sip and enjoy while eating the steak, flavorful fruity finish.
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3/8/2015 - chablist Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich and sweet
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3/4/2015 - premiercruclasse wrote: 80 Points
Terrible wine! Tastes more like wine-flavored milk chocolate than wine. And it is expensive too ($60)...
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3/4/2015 - Tycooncut wrote: 95 Points
Great wine
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3/3/2015 - Fire Bill wrote: 92 Points
I think this sh!t is really bleeping good. Dark purple fruit profile with chocolate undertones, great mouthfeel, long finish. Had with a Costco Prime Ribeye. Great pairing, give it about an hour or two of air.
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2/28/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I posted a note a few weeks ago on this wine and didn't fully capture the essence of this wine. It might have been that I had a small pour at the winery and didn't get to fully analyze it over time. This is truly a unique Caymus, unlike any I have ever had (and I've had decades of Caymus vintages). Tonight, my evaluation is that this is an unctuous and thick wine that is truly the most dark purple colored wine I have ever had. I mean, stain your teeth purple. There is such a sweetness to this wine both on the nose and finish. It is a dessert in a glass. Not a dessert wine, a dessert. In short, Blackberry Cobler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. That is the best description of this wine. Why am I rating it so high (Especially for a guy who prefers old world wine)? Cause it is delicious!
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2/27/2015 - johnbhamrick wrote: 92 Points
Another great wine from Caymus. Buy some. You will love it!!!
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2/25/2015 - hdgraham4 wrote: 75 Points
Way too sweet. Grape Juice-like
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2/24/2015 - BamBam478 wrote: 90 Points
Slightly light for a cab but great to drink and good brand appeal
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2/23/2015 - Poisey wrote: 88 Points
Very fruit forward and lacking complexity. Smooth and pleasurable. Lots of oak influence at this time and not really age worthy.
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2/22/2015 - Sammyboy24 wrote: 85 Points
Much too strong of cherry flavors
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2/22/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Three bottles, all very aromatic, wood chocolate, pipe tobacco, dark fruits. Not subtle.
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2/21/2015 - bs_socal wrote: 88 Points
Honestly, I know Caymus is fruit forward and sweet for a Cabernet. But this wine does not drink like I expected. It has the nose and body of a Meiomi Pinot Noir. I thought they may have put the wrong the wrong label on it. If I wanted a sweet Pinot I could have spent $20 instead of the $55. I will try again next year to see if the fruit mellows. Not sure why RPJr gave it such a high score.
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2/20/2015 - cartey Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Sweet, like others have noted. No complexity. Need time to decant. A fruit bomb that doesn't have much merit. I'd buy it at $20-$30.
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2/19/2015 - gravedee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. In your face, over the top, packed with lots of fruit, flavor, tannis, and heat. If you like this kind of wine (I do), this wine is basically the epitome of over the top Napa cabs. This is a 93 - 94 for me, but I'm going to give it a 93 because it lacks the refinement and nuance of better wines out there. But for me, this is one to try now and keep for maturing for 5 years.
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2/17/2015 - juffer Likes this wine: 93 Points
I served this in my wine course. Over the top nose of blackberry vanilla cobbler. Very primal right now with loads of fruit and acidity, but decadently enjoyable, and certainly a crowd pleaser. Not so much my kind of wine, but really well done for what it is, and I can see this becoming outstanding once it settles down.
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2/16/2015 - Mild Plaid Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of vanilla custard, dark chocolate, and dark berries. Palate of blueberry/blackberry pie filling, baking spices, milk chocolate or mocha; oak shows in the creamy, vanilla custard tail end. Finish is rich and lingering; tannins are either missing or blended in very well. Overall, perhaps a bit syrupy to be fantastic, but there is enough going on for it not to be disappointing.
This was tasted alongside three vintages of Corison cab (01, 03, and 11)--there's a large difference, with the Corison being much more herbal and tannic, but the comparison was eye-opening.
(Tasting note written the next day from disjointed paper notes from the night before)
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2/16/2015 - farinas wrote: 88 Points
Perfectly fine bottle. Just too spoofy and overoaked for my taste, but other than that it is drinkable
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2/14/2015 - Polindz wrote: 88 Points
First taste of the Caymus 40th Anniversary vintage. Good, but did not distinguish itself from other wines served that evening. School is still out on this one.
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2/14/2015 - mercer22 wrote: 91 Points
Solid and ready to go now. Reliable like Yellowstone's Old Faithful.
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2/14/2015 - Ken G Likes this wine: 93 Points
I still like this wine as do all my friends. Lots of nice fruit, ready to drink now.
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2/14/2015 - bamiller31 wrote: 92 Points
Soft but bold
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2/14/2015 - creining wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple, long legs. Very fruit forward, jammy. Not a traditional cab but I liked it.
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2/14/2015 - kaarby1 wrote: 93 Points
The wine has wonderful deep purple color, very heavy, thick wine, with several layers of yummy testing oak, berries, vanilla, and cherry, almost like a paring of light good wine and a good sherry from Spain, so bold, I loved it, it was too bold for my wife that is a Chardonnay lover.
I think the wine need to be consumed now, I have seen some where that it can stay to 2026, I am not sure this wine can get any better that what it is now.
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2/13/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Brought this bottle from a 53 degree environment, decanted 2 hrs. Not anywhere as much welch's as previous five bottles I have tasted, way more structured, still plenty of jammy flavors, yet somewhat restrained, in a way, a bit disappointing.
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2/13/2015 - bovinum wrote: 92 Points
The wine has a very beautiful deep purple color. Everything was tied together very well with layers of fruit and well integrated tannins. It is full of blueberry pie, exotic oak with vanilla and spice. There was some black cherry on the long and smooth finish. After 3 hours in the decanter I also started to taste pavlova and milk chocolate. This was sweeter than I expected.
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2/11/2015 - Vkrishan wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple, black cherry, no tannins, very smooth.... Good bottle!
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2/10/2015 - littlefoot wrote: 89 Points
Yeah I enjoyed this wine- "cocktail wine" to quote Mpricher... but kinda couldn't help thinking of its lack of connection to its pedigree. Like, I dunno, Nikki or whatever Hilton. Joe Dimaggio Jr.... Joffrey Baratheon. In no particular order.
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2/8/2015 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
While I wouldn't call this a "classic" cab, I would call it a crowd-pleaser, with good fruit. Was more of a cocktail wine than a true deep thinker type. We drank for fun during the Super-Bowl and enjoyed it for what it is.
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2/7/2015 - Stevey wrote: 89 Points
Blackberry flavors, somewhat hollow compared to other vintages of this wine. Easy drinking, good to pair with food, say, a nice rib. 40th anniversary wine, but this drinks more ordinary than anything special. Still a good wine.
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2/7/2015 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep dark purple center, purple rim, no signs of age.
Sweet, intense, black cherries, blueberries, tar, charred oak, dust.
Smooth and sweet, cassis and blueberries, alcohol, low tannin, good length of extracted fruit and oak.
Not sure about the controversy, this is a typical Caymus of recent years but on steroids. Too overblown and extracted for me to really enjoy, but I can see how many would. Not clear what has been done to make this wine what it is, the purple colour is truly teeth staining, and the extraction renders the wine close to port.
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2/7/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
You have to admire the Wagner family for always making such a consistent wine in such large quantity year after year. In addition, they have not raised their prices for at least a decade, which I appreciate. Tasted the 2012 40th Anniversary today at the winery. This is a one dimensional wine that is not to be over analyzed. Just pop and pour and enjoy. This is a pleasure wine with more red fruit than black. Cherry, vanilla, toasted oak, and a creamy finish that will please any crowd.
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2/6/2015 - WineMedic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruity, silky and balanced. Creamy and bold. Flavor all the way through. BlackBerry and plum with dark cherries. Lots of cherries but very enjoyable. Dry finish that drags the bold flavors through long and hard. Powerful. Recommended
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2/5/2015 - tantotinto wrote: 88 Points
I had to try this as it appears to be a very polarizing wine, at least judging by the preceding tasting notes. My wife and I have both enjoyed Caymus from earlier vintages. My wife likes this one also although not as much. I lean more to the sweet, lush, generic, tannic-free, glop camp. Would not buy again. They are stealing money at this price point. The score is my wife's.
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2/3/2015 - King JR wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Big fruit! So Smooth. Really great wine.
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2/1/2015 - Naplesgolfer wrote: 90 Points
consistent with my note of 12/21/14
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2/1/2015 - msuazo9 wrote: 89 Points
vanilla, velvet, cherry hints. good, smooth and young bottle.
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2/1/2015 - rdfech01 wrote: 89 Points
This is clearly an effort to awe and impress. But for me, too over the top of fruit bomb Cabernet style. Deeply extracted with a sweetness and ample tannins. Drink one to participate in the anniversary. But if you like more Bordelaise style taste one before buying a case.
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2/1/2015 - Jerel1957 wrote:
No need to add a TN, everyone knows this "wine" profile by now. If you love it (not me), try Columbia Crest H3. Same juice for 1/5th the cost. I think Chuck tapped their barrels and put on his label!
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2/1/2015 - AAJR wrote: 90 Points
Varying opinions on this wine - even my opinions have varied through each experience. IMO - mood & food matter. Drank last night with a mixed cheese platter, the wine continues to be bountiful with berry & grape flavors. But last night, the wine did not express itself as too "candy-like" when compared to the last time I tried. So, a better experience than my previous encounter.
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1/31/2015 - chitownmb wrote: 87 Points
Bottle was fresh with no depth or complexity. Tasted like bright Cherry candy and overly sweet. It may develop some nuances with age but it is difficult to drink now
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1/31/2015 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
Had a sip at Wine Library Superbowl party. Served from a signed magnum. Doesn't seem to be as robust as the 2007 but I like it. Wasn't overehelmed by sweetness. Needs a few years to fully reveal itself.
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1/31/2015 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is tough. With the chocolate torte it was a great match. On its own it seemed too thick and sweet. We noticed no tannins. I am hoping it will Improve in time Will wait two years
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1/31/2015 - rmh66 wrote: 92 Points
Pop and poured and followed for many hours. Note about three hours in. Blackberry jam, cassis, milk chocolate, smoke, vanilla, powdered sugar, earth, and a very pleasant top note of raspberry on the nose. Sweet blueberries and blackberries, mocha, earth, cassis, caramel, and some tart cherries on the palate. Lowish acidity (more comes out with air), fine tannins behind a huge wall of sweet fruit, long finish. Big plush, fruit bomb wine, so you have to be in the mood for it. It's pretty easy to drink. I wish it wasn't so sweet though.
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1/31/2015 - Rktekt3 wrote: 86 Points
What the hell! Robert Parker revisited this wine and gave it another 96. He has clearly lost his ability to taste anything. I cant believe i bought a case of this stuff. Id prefer a case of Bogle at $20 per.
What is amazing about this wine is that you can use it to dye anything a deep purple, probably from too much use of that purple drank they used to enhance it. Its better that cherry coolaid in this regard. You really do have to brush your teeth, gums and tongue vigorously to remove the stains.
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1/31/2015 - Thirsty1 wrote:
This was a very grapey styled wine. Big and full without much definition. Good, not bad at all.
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1/30/2015 - pbard wrote: 93 Points
Liked it. No presumptions or politics involved, it was enjoyable to drink. Perhaps needs a bit more tannin and also acidity, but the fruit palette is sumptuous and enveloping.
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1/30/2015 - Baronfreya Likes this wine: 85 Points
With a bunch of these in my cellar and the polarizing reviews I was really excited and nervous .. But tonight was the night to jump into the fray. Since so many people are citing bottle variation I will call this bottle one. Fruity jammy nose, hint of chocolate its screaming sweetness. Deep dark purple with long legs almost too purple most of the glass gone but the entire glass looks stained magenta. It's a fruit bomb with a hint of dark chocolate cedar, I get polomar blackberry or raspberry jam. No tannin on the back end ...well at least not strong enough to overcome everything else. Going to give the rest of the bottle some air time and see what happens. So it was not what I expected when buying these. People it's not a 70 and it's not a 92 plus. Right now considering the price it's mid 80. Will come to the rest of the bottle with some chocolate in a few hours. Next day did not get back to the bottle till following day looks like a night with some air was good for this bottle opened up a little more. Fruit mellowed a bit really rounded out very smooth and velvety but a little more going on. Not sure what to make of this wine I would say second day high 80 if you like the style low 90. Hopefully I got a consistent lot of bottles.
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1/30/2015 - Sunocoblue Likes this wine: 90 Points
look, I understand most of the comments left by a lot of people that have tried this wine. I am not happy with it either because I expect a lot from Charles every year, especially given the how good the growing season was. With that being said, I feel like this wine might surprise us in a 3-5 years or so... The fruit is definitely strong but I think if it fades some and the wine can round out, this could shock us all. Agreed though, not what I would expect from Caymus! Not a bad wine, just not worth the money.. I wonder if that's why they dropped the price this year???
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1/29/2015 - wineotim wrote:
This was my second and last bottle. I'll be brief. The wine has plenty of acidity, but no tannins. The most polarizing wine I've ever seen on CT. I'll say no more.
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1/28/2015 - ZACHWHITE wrote: 88 Points
So you have to understand this does not taste like the Caymus of previous vintages. This is a California fruit-bomb, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you are looking for complexity, and layers, look elsewhere. This has BRIGHT flavors of blackberry, cherry, balanced with a light influence of oak. This tends to be favorite among "I only drink Napa-Cab" customers.
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1/28/2015 - Kringer wrote: 90 Points
Perfect
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1/28/2015 - Maleko wrote:
Saw the bottle on the shelf at Safeway. Read through some of your comments and have decided it may not be worth the risk.
They are asking $74.99, is that too high?
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1/28/2015 - Hodby wrote: 87 Points
Dark red color. Rough, strong nose of barrel char and raw wood: vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, dill, with some cherry and mixed berry fruit hidden behind. On arrival, medium low tannin and low acidity. Oak dominates in the mouth too, but there is more dark and sweet fruit here than suggested by the nose. My least favorite release of Caymus cabernet in recent memory, the most imbalanced since the 1988 release. Very sad for the state of this estate's current product. Methinks that old Charlie would have not approved. Bottle #1 of one.
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1/26/2015 - canan wrote: 95 Points
I certainly see what the drama is all about :-)
It is very extracted and concentrated but still a very decent wine with some qualities to it.
Plenty of almost dried blackberry fruit and with some air and at the proper temperature it does have the appropriate amount of acidity.
I can certainly understand why people feel the lack of tannins but I do believe that it is there behind all the extraction.
I don't believe that you can argue with the objective quality of the wine but definitely about whether or not you like the wine.
I liked it a lot but it is not one of my favorite wines :-)
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1/25/2015 - prism wrote:
Deep Crimson color. Dense, full-bodied. Vanilla and blackberries on the nose. Delicious juice, if very primary. Packed with sweet rich black fruit; deeply flavorful. Should be excellent with a couple more years sideways.
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1/25/2015 - Millennial Drinkers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vanilla and sweet undertones, was delicious
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1/24/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 95 Points
Birthday Party (River Bend Golf and Country Club): This is a powerbomb. The only way to say it. Dark chocolate and heavy blueberry and cassis on the nose. This was decanted for 6 hours and next bottle I will try at least 12 hours. Folks loved this and we went through 3 or 4 bottles.
By itself it is almost too overpowering, with strong food it clearly holds its own and is complimentary. I would love to see what this is like in 10 years. I hope I can not drink the entire case. Historically, I have been a Special Selection fan and not the standard Caymus. For me this year's Caymus is closer towards the Special Selection in fruitness. It just needs to mellow and integrate to remove its youthful brashness. It may then even see and increase in score of 2 or 3 points for me if it can do that?
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1/24/2015 - RobbieC Does not like this wine:
Previously rated this at 90 points. Had my second bottle the other night AFTER a 1997 Rubicon. The difference was stunning! The 2012 Caymus was awful in comparison. First time ever to not finish a bottle of Caymus. Dumped half a bottle down the drain. Four experienced wine drinkers all really disappointed in the 2012 Caymus effort and lots of talk about how many bottles were still in the cellar that now needed to be "dealt with" in some form or another. I'm sure I'll find a way to drink what I have but this comparison has really changed my opinion of the 2012. How did they manage to screw-up such a good vintage?
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1/24/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 91 Points
If you like huge fruit bombs, very fleshy wines, you'll love this one. Very intense nose of rasberry, straberries and cherries. Good lenght. Not sure how well this will age...
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1/23/2015 - Cabernet Couple Does not like this wine: 75 Points
As many others have noted, not worthy of the Caymus label. There was a syrup-like consistency and it was so sweet it seemed like a grape juice of sorts. Not just the usual Caymus fruit bomb, this had no complexity and almost tasted like a sugary drink. We only held this for about 6-8 months but it was properly cellared for the entire duration. Very, very disappointing. We poured it out, unfortunately we purchased two bottles...we're hopeful that there is a variation between bottles as others have commented and that number two will be drinkable!
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1/23/2015 - Jwd12 wrote: 92 Points
This is a great wine. Have not had the bottle to bottle others have mentioned. A little sweeter than typical California cabs, but for someone who rarely drinks cabs with meals this a wonderful choice,
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1/21/2015 - CTwine wrote: flawed
First bottle a 94 this bottle almost undrinkable. I have never seen such huge bottle variations from a producer in a single vintage. Good luck you will get either a fun fruit bomb or throw away swill.
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1/19/2015 - Wamrod wrote: 93 Points
Big but also rich, meaty and savory - liked it a lot.
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1/18/2015 - BinVA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Candy wine, but I like it
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1/18/2015 - TastesGoodToMe wrote: 91 Points
I am beginning to believe, as others have written, that there may be tremendous bottle variation. I was very disappointed with my first bottle form this vintage back in August. But this bottle was a more a typical bottle of Caymus. Not sure 5 months can make that big a difference - thus the bottle variation theory. My first bottle was like Welch's grape juice. This was a more typical big, dark fruits, chocolate styled Caymus with nice finish. I hope the rest of these I have are more similar to this last bottle.
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1/18/2015 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
While scores are all over the place on this wine, let me just say that in most cases this is a fun and crowd pleasing wine. Rich, spicy and fruit forward. Dark purple and viscous. Velvety texture and a long and round finish. Not all that sophisticated, but a great bottle of red wine.
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1/18/2015 - Hilliard Does not like this wine: 82 Points
I have to preface that Caymis is not my favorite out of more more expensive wines. +$75. There is a sweetness to the rich fruit I just don't care for. This particular blend is has longer sweeter notes than th reg Caymis cab. Which some may care for, but not what I consider a good wine.
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1/17/2015 - George C ATLANTA wrote: 86 Points
Very one dimensional, a bit sweet with tastes of maple syrup, the same from beginning to end. Much better can be found at this price point. They spent a lot of $ and effort on the appearance of this "special" bottling, which is always a concern, since what we want is great wine first and foremost, you can't drink the glass or the label. Suitable for an unsophisticated pallet; a dominican cigar vs. a fine cuban. An expense account dinner wine where a client is being taken out and the supplier wants to impress on appearance and brand, vs. real taste and value. Maybe a tad better than Silver Oak or Jordan.
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1/16/2015 - Ken G Likes this wine: 94 Points
I love this wine! Dark color, good bouquet, smooth dense flavor, not acidic. Ready to drink now, but could age as well. This is a delicious wine. Stock up on this.
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1/14/2015 - jaxpaj wrote: 86 Points
Extremely sweet
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1/13/2015 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
OK, it's not bad. Definitely a little "sweeter" and more syrup'ish, but not bad. With two other people, hour decant, everyone enjoyed. Not sure worth the $50-something price, but not dump or cook wine either
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1/11/2015 - purdyshuz Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very dark in color, intense raisin in smell. A light spicy-ness. When finishing the bottle a couple days later it was nearly unpalatable, so I would suggest to enjoy in one sitting.
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1/10/2015 - gejohnston Does not like this wine:
Can you say Welch's? Both RP and JL are way off on this. Perhaps the scores would be somewhat reasonable if they were estmating a drinking window that begins in 5 or so years. AG is the only sane one on this stuff. The only benefit that I have seen is that this offering has lowered the price of the remaining 09's and 10's at my local store to $59.97.
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1/10/2015 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 91 Points
Going strong.
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1/10/2015 - wineshaman wrote:
Gave a bottle of this to my novice wine drinking boss, who served with wood oven roasted prime rib for Xmas dinner, he said and his guest that it was one of the best wine they had ever drank. Again this is quite a crowd pleaser!
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1/9/2015 - Krakajack wrote: 66 Points
Absolutely terrible. Grape juice with skunky after wash. Never purchase a caymus again after this joke.
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1/9/2015 - niwotcellar wrote: 79 Points
Fruit bomb. Shiraz like.
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1/9/2015 - johnbhamrick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice and smooth. No bad aftertaste or tannins. Lighter than most Caymus vintages in my opinion, but still worthy of the name and cost.
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1/7/2015 - GaelTir Does not like this wine: 78 Points
This wine is a massive rippoff. I hope Wagners realize they have screwed their reputation with the swill they bottled (10,000 barrels) here and the Belle Glos sugar bomb "pinot noir" since 2011. Horrible. The label is awesome, the 1 litre bottle a great idea, the cheap thin green glass not a good idea and the light bodied sweet nose plonk they bottled from an awesome vintage not a good idea. And no I did not get "a bad bottle" but how I wish.
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1/7/2015 - shadow wrote: 96 Points
Curiosity got to me, and as luck would have it, a dinner guest recently gifted me one.
So here goes, lets see what this taste like.
Nice nose, fruit, bit of sourness to it.
Another sniff, embers of pot luck stew.
Color, as dark as purple can get.
Moment of truth, first sip, big fruit, rich classic fruit, not ramped up Cameron Hughes glycol.
Tannins carry through, but leave your teeth after a couple minutes.
Another sip, faint licorice and leather.
Anyone who hates this, either got a bad bottle, or does not really drink Cab's often.
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1/5/2015 - rdelf wrote: 90 Points
A super heavy hammer, not worth the price. Opened a 3L bottle with Family for Turkey dinner... it was fun for that, I'm glad I opened it.
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1/4/2015 - fifisoda wrote: 93 Points
Oh baby!!!!
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1/3/2015 - Bimbler wrote: 85 Points
All mouth and no trousers. Left to breathe for 6 hours, and still hard pressed to detect any structure or underlying tannins. Lots of big, sweet, berry fruits and a mouth-filling juiciness. Undoubtedly higher class than the average crowd-pleaser; but still seemed astonishingly dumbed down, with very little finish. More useful as an exorbitant holiday gift to an everyday wine drinker, maybe.
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1/2/2015 - cjohnson2960 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful and unique wine - will be even better in time. Thick, sweet fruit. Jammy, chewy, luscious feel.
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1/2/2015 - djs Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Weak and weedy.
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1/1/2015 - Aideng12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well it wasn't as sweet as Moscato. Really though this was a mammoth fruit bomb both on the bouquet and palate. The wine was thick and purple. Perhaps remove half the flavor and three-quarters the sweetness of prune juice, and this is what you get.
It was interesting to note the color of the glass utilized for the bottle. Normally a darker glass color is used, but in this case the glass is clear and nearly colorless (perhaps marginally green). This presents the wine, while still in the bottle, as though in a decanter. After opening the wine, and pouring a couple glasses, the bottle was appealing. That's very subjective of course, but at least I have my reasoning.
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1/1/2015 - Jbod wrote: 89 Points
Great juice!
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1/1/2015 - SanderB wrote: 88 Points
Monster fruit bomb! Candied pineapple. Sweet mint. Caused my insulin level to spike. Actually quite delicious, just over the top sugary. Not much complexity, but velvety smooth and easy drinking.
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1/1/2015 - Jimb1001 wrote: 70 Points
Undrinkable - Go find a 10 year old Caymus stored in ideal conditions. Drink it blind next to this fruit bomb. What a shame.
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12/31/2014 - Mech-E wrote: 87 Points
Smooth, over-the-top vanilla. Guests really enjoyed and commented constantly about it's velvety texture and utter drinkability. I must say I disagreed and think this was too fruit-forward and over-oaked. Just OK.
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12/31/2014 - willfab60 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is drinking very well now . I was surprised by the youth and how the wine is drinking right now. All tannins are gone. I would not wait much longer to consume this.The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. It has a slight cherry aroma. The flavors are very nicely integrated.
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12/31/2014 - Naplesgolfer wrote: 90 Points
Nice fruity cab. Slightly too sweet for my tastes. I keep a case around because it is a crowd pleaser and a cellar defender.
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12/30/2014 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 91 Points
Fruit forward and very drinkable now.
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12/29/2014 - eluebchow Does not like this wine: 65 Points
This pretty much fits the definition of an excessively manipulated, “spoofed” wine to a tee. Just an overwhelmingly extracted, sweet palate of vanilla and oak with the consistency of cough syrup that tastes as if it were created in a lab, with absolutely no expression of terroir whatsoever. Even fans of full-bodied, concentrated California cabernets should cringe at this manufactured mess of a wine. Maybe other reviewers are correct and this will improve with time, but I found this to be abhorrent in its current state
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12/26/2014 - casaallora wrote: 82 Points
I was so disappointed. Caymus makes some very nice Cabs and this is not even worthy of Chuck Wagners name. Decanted 1 hour. Inital nose was promising w/leather heavy nose. Strong legs. Licorice, chocolate with fair backbone on initial taste. Then the wine faded rapidly almost to a point of not drinkable. I served at Christmas and asked my 4 adult kids to blind rate the wine. Ratings went from 52 to 82. Would not recommend this wine. One of the kids described the wine as sweet, which is not a normal profile for a cab. Many flavors going on with no consistency
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12/25/2014 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich and voluptuous. Certainly a crowd pleaser
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12/25/2014 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Various berries on the nose. Forest fruit on the tongue. Spice cake. Syrup. Sweet. Nutmeg. Blueberry. Very similar to Belle Glos, but more subtle. Numbing finish. Sort of hot. Vanilla. Wood.
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12/25/2014 - FGS Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sharp nose that softens after it's been open for a bit. Lots of fruit - blackberry and blueberry. This is my first experience w/ Caymus, but agree w/ the reviewer who cited the lack of tannins, and that the acidity is overpowered by all the fruit. Also agree that it does lack complexity or structure I would expect of a Napa cab.
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12/24/2014 - LLim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this on Christmas Eve with standing rib roast, truffled mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. Drank from 1L bottle that was decanted right before serving. This is a highly extracted wine but it is balanced and was liked by all. Went well with food, but I could drink this by itself. The nose is candied and sweet (like grape bubblegum) but if you can get past that, there are aromas of crushed violets and wood. Same with the initial taste. It is very fruit forward and seems sweet, but as it opens and you taste more depth, there are more dark fruits, plum, dark cherry, vanillins and oak. It is well balanced and drinkable now, but I wonder what it will be like in 3, 5, 10 yrs? This is the second time I've tasted it and the bottles seem consistent. Seems like most people either like this style or hate it. I liked it.
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12/24/2014 - Randito Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth ripe fruit, silky and velvety with loads of vanilla and subtle oak. Favorite of the rookie wine drinkers at Xmas eve dinner.
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12/24/2014 - ArtietheK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, served Xmas Eve and was a knockout success. People loved it and only negatives were the 1L bottle was gone & seemed almost too smooth. Actually surprised me as I thought it might need another year or two. Buying more bottles.
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12/24/2014 - smileBD Likes this wine: 90 Points
I know reviews are mixed on this but I really enjoyed it. I did taste the 2009 and 2014 in tandem and rate the 2009 higher but it's still really good and stands on it's own. I'm not rating it agains what I expect or people say but strictly on the taste and it's definitely a solid, bold Napa Cab, rich dark berry color, a bit acidic, and overall a strong wine. Looking forward to enjoying my other bottle in the future. I also shared this with 2 other people and they like it as well.
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12/24/2014 - JHumps wrote: 90 Points
Very dark, glad staining purple. Slightly too far on the Jammy side. Almost a baby port like consistency. But still a nice Caymus vintage.
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12/24/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Christmas Eve Dinner at Flemings. One of my hosts thoughtfully provided a glass which was poured fifteen minutes into the evening meal and sat there for seventy-five minutes before I took the first sip. When the In Bone Filet Mignon was served for dinner, a swirl of the glass and the nose reminded me of the 1985 Napa Cuvee when Charlie made three cabernet sauvignons in the old days. Fragrant perfume of rich and ripe cabernet sauvignon, lots of black cherry, black berry, and cassis, more of the same on the palate, young wine but smooth with mouth filling and mouth coating cabernet sauvignon flavors, definitely a big body of fruit, easy to sip and enjoy while eating the steak, rich and flavorful fruity finish.
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12/24/2014 - rickspicks wrote: 85 Points
Whoa! - and not in a good way. I used to drink a lot of Caymus cab from the 1985 - 2005 vintages (and I remember paying $15 for the '85 and $17 for the '87!), but this is the first Caymus cab I have had in many years. I was shocked at how much of a fruit-bomb this has become. Really lovely rich, ripe, layered blackberry/boysenberry flavors with a luxurious, unctuous mouthfeel and a nice finish. However, it was almost totally lacking any structure - not even a hint of tannins and whatever acidity was there was completely overpowered by the sweetness of the fruit. Overall very disappointing effort for what used to be one of my favorite cabernet producers. This bottle had no hope of improving with more time.
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12/24/2014 - Arch57 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
All I can say is glad I didn't drop any money on this as it was brought to a Christmas Eve dinner by a dear friend. His intentions were first class so I raved about the wine but really don't get the whole Caymus experience. I struggled to find any wine like character in the glass and found nothing but oak, butterscotch and toasted almond and vanilla. At the end of the evening one third of the bottle was left while a couple of Jaffurs Syrahs from Santa Barbara were emptied.
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12/23/2014 - TEXAS TOAD wrote:
They have a new process to make the wine age faster, dink in next three years or you will be disappointed.
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12/23/2014 - salcorn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fourth bottle I've had at various venues. It's always amusing to read the disparate reviews on this wine, ranging from 50 to 100 points. Absurdity! It's a sound, pleasant wine with big fruit and high alcohol, and enough tannic backbone to improve for 5 or 10 years. Time to rate it for what it is, not what it's supposed to be!
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12/20/2014 - BinVA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big and chewy as always, like a wine candy treat, nice every once in a while. Let it sit for an hour plus
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12/20/2014 - Big Joe wrote: 89 Points
Has been almost a year so I tried again. Still hard to get above 89/90. I agree with others it won't hold out for a long time. Left a little overnight in the bottle to see if time helped. It did not! Not sure if I am disappointed in the wine or that it is not the Caymus Special Select that I love. Could be a relative thing I suppose.
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12/16/2014 - espesq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still young.
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12/13/2014 - RandomCoil wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding in nearly every way. Baking spices and round, fleshy fruit. You get what you pay for.
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12/12/2014 - pmccullough17 wrote: 89 Points
PMcCullough: good but over Oakes.
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12/11/2014 - acyso wrote: 50 Points
Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): This is a turning "wine". If you put it near your nose, your head turns away. If you swallow it, your stomach turns. I hear points are assigned arbitrarily these days by the big critics. I will endeavour to do the same here. I give this 100 points, minus one point for every year Caymus has been in existence. Then I take away 10 points for the ugly label, which made me turn my eyes away. The Wagners are laughing all the way to the bank.
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12/9/2014 - Laxison Likes this wine: 90 Points
Jammy, powerful fruits. Stands on its own, wouldn't pair with too many foods because it's so bold. Delicious.
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12/9/2014 - MoreWinePlease Likes this wine:
Short cork. Inky red/purple, glass staining color. Nose is an interesting mix of ripe plums, bing cherries, cassis and ripe sweet black berries with subtle top notes of pie spice, sweet oak and prunes. Very fat midpalate of: black raspberries(the black cap kind), cassis and fudge brownie and...prunes that coat the mouth along w/ripe tannins that show up lightly in the finish. It's all a little overwhelming but not quite the blueberry pancake syrup I thought of when I first popped a bottle back in June. 90-93pts. depending on where your head's at or what you like. Parker's buds must be drying up to give it a 96 because it's all a bit much. I had wines he'd scored 96+ (Shrader, Spotteswoode, Peter Michael..., none of which tasted like this 2012 Caymus. But I did get it for $47 on sale. Tasted over two nights with very little change. Wondering how it will age???
There are textural qualities that show up across almost all of the Camus family/related wines, a kind of rich, extracted smoothness. I noticed this in the 2012 Meomi Pinot noir I tasted around the same time. Think they're using the same recipe?
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12/9/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
2014 Tree Lighting Party (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): Large-scaled and rich on the nose with toasty brioche, blackberry, currant and milk chocolate. On the palate, velvety textures ushered in dark fruits, spice, coco, licorice and cherry liquor. The finish was long with saturating black fruits and a linger hint of hard candy.
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12/7/2014 - jeffmeister wrote: 92 Points
Full body experience. Nice fruity smell. Full flavored start, nice middle and smooth finish. Light tannins at finish. Decanter time not required. Tastes great after 5 min. Top 10 ever.
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12/7/2014 - pvmaanen Likes this wine:
This is a wine that you will remember. First the nose; rich, solid, chocolate, berries and alcohol. The first drink will bring you to wines like Spain's Toros' or the strong Garnacha from Campo de Borja. Fully bodied, 14.6% alcohol is not usual for a California Cabernet. Dark in color is a wine that the more you drink the more you want. As it is young and to my taste it requieres decanting; after one hour the wine screams to drink it all. Excellent. Bought one more case to age it. I red after that the cork maybe poor (I notice that it is a lot smaller than the special selection one). Hope not, otherwise I will have to drink this fast since obviously it will not age well.
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12/7/2014 - GalvezGuy wrote: 85 Points
Hot disjointed mess. Nose of chocolate, berries, vanilla and oak. On the palate blueberry, mocha, vanilla. Hot finish. Not recommended.
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12/6/2014 - mrguyot Likes this wine: 84 Points
Ouverture prématurée. Nez pâtissier, un peu de miel. Un élevage omniprésent qui devra s'intégrer. Pour l'instant, des notes de vanille assez concentrées viennent nuire à la dégustation. À attendre sans aucun doute et à revoir.
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12/6/2014 - nollenfm wrote: 85 Points
My husband and I always adore Caymus, such a consistently rich, delicious Cabernet. So when they announced a 40th anniversary vintage - we ordered four cases! Unfortunately, I have to agree with my disappointed bretheren here...this vintage starts out like Caymus (rich, cherry) but then falls off the tongue - no bold, smooth finish. I guess they overproduced to take advantage of their anniversary and their loyal subjects. :( Pick any prior year vintage for a great wine, but NOT this one. Hoping it gets better with age - but I don't see how...there's nothing to smooth out!
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12/1/2014 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
Un nez très fruité avec un boisé-vanillé assez poussé.
En bouche, beaucoup d'extraction et de boisé. Long et riche mais surfait.
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11/30/2014 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 88 Points
I laugh at the wide divergence of opinion on this wine although given the volume of wine produced there must be a lot of variation. Chocolate and vanilla notes, decent cab that I hope will improve. Not as good as any older Caymus Cab.
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11/29/2014 - mk05 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Robert Parker must have been wasted. This tastes like spiked Manischewitz. Nevertheless, if you like fruit juice, this is a grand substitute for Welch's + soju.
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11/28/2014 - Mmbratt Does not like this wine: 87 Points
A winery that has had a strong record of consistently excellent wines has broken its record on this wine. I have tasted 3 separate times and it has a nice fruity nose and then nothing. No tannins, peppers, or complexity.
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11/28/2014 - JGerbasIII Does not like this wine: 55 Points
wow, I've never had such an overpriced bottle of boring.
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11/28/2014 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 88 Points
Gave this a marginal "I like it" Still needs time to integrate and hopefully soften its overpowering sweet vanilla/mocha taste component. However, my wife, son, and daughter-in-law like this wine more so than I. Will give it another try around Christmas/New Years. I have another 11 bottles............ and faith that it will improve.
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11/28/2014 - laxman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful. Lived up to expectations. Opened for Thanksgiving dinner to share with guests. Luckily several at the table weren't drinking, so had a couple of glasses :) Front to back this is a beautiful classic Napa cab. No over-extracted fruit bomb here, just gorgeous subtle dark fruit with hints of smoke that opens up in the mouth. I would hesitate to pair this with heavily spiced/sauced foods, because it is more subtle than other "big" cabs, so i'd prefer to eat light and focus on the wine. Impressed how ready this is to enjoy. No grippy tannins or funkiness. BTW, the 1 liter format is getting very hard to find, but the 750ml is a nice gift idea (even to yourself :).
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11/27/2014 - rjrwinesnobs Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), blueberry, violet and vanilla. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry and plum. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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11/27/2014 - John O' Does not like this wine:
over extracted. Tastes more like the Belle Glos pinot than an elegant Napa Cab. I really hope bottle age settles this down.
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11/27/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle in two nights, thanksgiving with the kids at Charlie Palmer steak house Washington DC. Big of course, rich yes, extracted, no doubt, jammy, sweet purple syrup, maybe a bit over the top but fun as hell to drink. This was clearly the wine of the night by all who tasted it, including the sommelier.
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11/27/2014 - wconnolly wrote: 88 Points
A good but atypical offering from this usually consistent producer. Although Caymus is usually approachable early, I sense this needs more time. Deep, opaque, indigo in color. Upon opening, a strong aroma of vanilla permeates the area. On the palate, this is hugely fruit forward with bing cherry and overripe plum the most predominant characteristics other than oak. This is big but a bit out of balance. I think this will be better in 2 to 3 years.
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11/26/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was the wine by the glass program at Fleming's and paired with the In Bone Filet Mignon for dinner. Wonderful nose, more perfume, lots of black cherry, pencil lead, and touch of earth, more of the same on the palate, smooth but mouth filling and mouth coating, rich cabernet flavors on the mid palate, big body of fruit, lovely cabernet flavors on the finish and aftertaste. Improving and evolving nicely.
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11/26/2014 - jes0811 wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple/plum. Floral, fruit, vanilla nose. Big, rich, and fleshy in a good way. But unfortunately a little flabby. Not as sicky sweet as I feared from other reviews. Still, at this price point there was a bit of imbalance.
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11/26/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2hrs, I think it is important to remember that what makes wine so different than many adult beverages is that it is and always will be subjective. One Budweiser taste the same as the next Budweiser, but with wine one vintage of one varietal will vary from vintage to vintage and even bottle to bottle. I believe there is no better example of this subjectiveness than Caymus regular Cabernet bottle. I have said it many times that one man's junk is another man's treasure, for me this is a treasure. That is my two cents worth and I am sticking to it! The bottom line, everyone is entitled to their respected opinion, especially when it comes to wine, after all this is America and it is a semi free country!
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11/26/2014 - MikeFiend wrote: 94 Points
Unbelievable! Shared a bottle with a few friends at my bar and we were blown away. The idiots that are saying this particular vintage expression from Caymus is awful need their head examined. This is arguably the BEST vineyard in California. Stop being a hater! Parker gave this bottling a 96. 96! Hello? Buy as much of this as you can procure/afford!
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11/25/2014 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
My first time with this wine. Obviously controversial among CT drinkers, and I can see why. Very big and ripe, easy to drink. Slight cough syrup flavor and absolutely no "complexity." I actually enjoyed drinking it, but can see why others would differ. Parker's score way out of line.
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11/22/2014 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Tasted on two separate occasions with consistent notes. Big cabernet-typical bouquet of ripe black cherries and graphite, with vanilla notes in the foreground imparting a confectionary impression. Delicious red and dark cherries flood the palate, along with some supporting earth and graphite. Good acidity, medium-plus polished tannins, and fairly lengthy finish. Smooth and delicious Cab but not much else to say, because frankly the complexity seems low at this stage. Perhaps the bouquet and fruit will calm down and it will show more of what it has to offer in a few years.
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11/22/2014 - Robert Page Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Over-oaked and sugary. Taste is reminiscent of vanilla-infused cough syrup...which I'm pretty sure nobody makes because it is a terrible combination. I might have liked this during my senior year in college, but I'm having a tough time getting it down as a mature adult.
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11/22/2014 - ravbik wrote: 88 Points
Too sweet for me
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11/22/2014 - bonedoc wrote:
Welchs grape juice, sweet, residual sugar, overripe. To a serious wine drinker, this is almost undrinkable.
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11/21/2014 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 88 Points
Similar to others' experiences: a huge, sweet, overripe extravaganza. Tastes like it was made in a laboratory, not by a wine maker.
Bizarrely, I did not hate it, perhaps because this is what I have come to expect from Caymus more often than not. (I do like the basic Cab for what it is; this one was more like the typically over-the-top Special Selection).
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11/21/2014 - Uglypinga Likes this wine: 90 Points
Huge wine. Warm dark berries. Chocolate, baking spices. The palate is big but enjoyable with blackberries and oak. Drinkable in a bigger than it should be kind of way.
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11/20/2014 - Hamersly wrote: 70 Points
Sweet, pruney and simple with virtually no structure. I can't see this wine going anywhere positive, it just doesn't have the stuffing to evolve. A sad showing from this splendid winery. Parker's 96 rating is inexplicable and very worrisome. Tasted three times from three different cases over a five week period with consistent results.
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11/20/2014 - Yack Man wrote: 91 Points
The same as before, not bad, actually good, but not 96 Points to me. Dark extracted fruit, stewed prunes, raises, with hints of milk chocolate. Getting better to me but it's not registering a 96 points. Obviously, if you don't like FRUIT BOMBS, you will not like this wine. The score is all over the place with this one, either love, like or hate it, but it's not a terrible and I will admit that I have enjoyed previous vintages more so. I also know that one of the major wine shops in my area had several cases of this wine (pallets) and they have sold out and people are still asking for more if you can believe that. 90.6 Points tonite.
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11/20/2014 - oenophilemoose wrote:
Tasted on two different occasions and came to the same conclusions. This is a good wine that exhibits a soft silkiness of dark fruit however its flavor profile contained a dominant element of prune. While this was not off-putting, there are just other Cabernet Sauvignon iterations I enjoy more.
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11/19/2014 - wunhang wrote: 92 Points
Amazingly strong nose of jammy fruit. Starts strong with a mouthful of fruit but lacks finish
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11/19/2014 - Belldp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth wine with great finish.
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11/17/2014 - joraesque wrote:
The 1 L bottle broke so I had to drink what was left. On the fruitier side, with a candied component reminiscent of Carneros Pinot. Still very primary. Strong ethyl notes on the nose but not too hot on the palate. This is clearly no Special Selection. 88-90+ points
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11/17/2014 - jeffm_fla wrote: 88 Points
Least favorite of the night. Too much vanilla and bubble gum. Flabby and sweet
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11/16/2014 - the godfather wrote:
Not really my cup of tea, lots of oak
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11/16/2014 - pkatz wrote: 90 Points
Good, but overrated. Big rich wine, dark fruit and cocoa flavors, balanced oak and tannins well in check. The only missing piece is the fruit has a slightly bitter character and lacks sweetness. Maybe this will come together in time. I'll wait at least 2-3 years before opening another bottle.
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11/15/2014 - Ombibulous Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose and the flavour are both jammy. The nose was intriguing to me. For a while, I didn't want to drink the wine, I just wanted to continue to enjoy the aroma. On the palate, a big, juicy fruit bomb. I like that kind of wine, once in a while, for a glass or two, or maybe a half bottle at most. But I was expecting more. More complexity, more subtlety. I got a lot of black fruit, i.e. blackcurrant and blackberry, and a little bit of black pepper, wood, and dill, this last perhaps being from the American oak barrels being purchased too young (they need to be aged for three years, to dry out). The flavour of this wine is more lingering than evolving. This wine got 96 Parker points, whereas the Venge Silencieux I had last week got only 94, and I liked it better, for the same price. That scoring should be reversed. Overall value: 3.5 stars of 5. Overall impression: excellent (90.5).
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11/14/2014 - CTwine wrote: 94 Points
If you are into Bordeaux you may not like this wine. It's a true California Cab. big and bold with layered fruit and lots of power but one that's very enjoyable and a pleasure to drink. I will buy more at $55 it's more than worth the price.
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11/13/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Second time I tasted this. Had a glass over two hours. Big nose of fruit and minerals. Nice complexity, the oak / vanilla flavors continue to dominate the profile. The tannins remain distant in the background. For me it seems to lack the acidity to optimally bring it all together and it comes off a little bit flabby. It will be interesting to see how this develops into over the next decade. Their 2007 is currently drinking very well and more my style.
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11/12/2014 - Alpton Does not like this wine: 82 Points
It is sweet and it lacks structure.
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11/11/2014 - wineaux49 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
There once was a wine named Caymus
Whose ratings made it quite famous
but when it started to clot
and seized engine blocks
they gave up, feeling ashamus
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11/9/2014 - Donjcorleone wrote: 88 Points
The nose shows vanilla, black fruit and oak which leads to much of the same on the sweet palate for better or for worse. Not exactly sure how this is going to evolve but right now it is a little bit of a one trick pony.
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11/8/2014 - mossreport Likes this wine: 93 Points
I am by no means a regular cab drinker but that is why I loved this wine. It is so fruity and with well resolved tannins for a very young wine. With out the hint of dryness of the finish I would have thought it to be a full bodied pinot.
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11/8/2014 - Jalex99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely gorgeous with beautiful cocoa notes on the nose and dark leather and pipe tobacco elements giving great depth to the taste countered by lighter, floral elements that balance the heaviness of the overall presentation. An absolute triumph from Caymus that should improve with age. This will become a collectors item. Get it while you can.
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11/7/2014 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 2012 vintage release also shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.
Typical legendary Caymus Cab style - dark blackish ruby/garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel and kirsch giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/11/caymus-2012-40th-anniversary-bottling.html
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11/7/2014 - awineo wrote: 88 Points
OK.... I had to test it out. Not ready to drink yet. The fruit was backward and not integrated and overall a disappointment. The 2012 vintage is drinking better young than any in recent history, so I worry about this one. On the other hand Caymus is one of the most consistent producers in Napa, so it will probably just take some time to come around.
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11/6/2014 - cristian_m wrote: 90 Points
This one is pretty weird. Quite good in its own way. Highly extracted, sweet, dense, probably the oakiest wine I can recall ever tasting, thick tannins and fantastically young and immature. Full of flavor and downright chewy mouthfeel. It was great to taste it but now that I have I can safely say that this one needs years of rest to integrate, min 5. Not sure what will become of this one as I didn't detect acid in any way and would think it will age into something flat without that needed pep. Haven't looked at the spec sheet to see if the acids exists and are just hidden behind the overwhelming bulk of this thing.
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11/4/2014 - cos65 wrote:
Big Caymus. Love it or hate it, or pretend to hate it because it's too delicious to be wine. This is tasty stuff, not to ponder, just to enjoy. That said, I wouldn't serve it with anything subtle. Maybe pizza, burgers or a big steak
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11/3/2014 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Always great wine from Caymus.
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11/2/2014 - Mikeymeatsauce Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pleasantly surprised at this Caymus. While I find most caymus needs a few years in the cellar. This 40th anniversary from the 1 liter was a crowd pleaser. Nice fruit vanilla and chocolate on the nose very smooth with moderate tannins. Very approachable now....
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11/2/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
High extract cab with lots and lots of ripe red fruit and spice. Good balance, nothing special.
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11/1/2014 - RCBAROLO wrote: 94 Points
I have had so many Caymus vintages I just can't log them all. I tried the 40th anniversary 2012 vintage from a 750 the other night and it was awesome. Dark dark color, great rich nose of dark fruits, earth, vanilla and toasty oak. Did not taste like a baby, tasted older and it's only 2-3 years old. Rich, opulent, long lasting finish. Listen, there is no such thing as a bad Caymus, decant it, go through a vinifier, swirl away. Highly recommended, do your homework, the best track record over the last 20 years for Napa Cab? Caymus and the SS....
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10/31/2014 - Poisey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sexy and concentrated. Big gooseberry and plumb fruit with a long finish. Notes of milk chocolate, rose pedals and vanilla with noticeable yet a nice use of oak. Lingering puckering tannin. Great structure and balance. Excellent.
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10/30/2014 - cos65 wrote:
Oh! All the haters! What do you want? This tastes like vacation. Yes, it's a bit sweet, lots of oak and vanilla and currants and fruit. A bit too much, more like a cocktail. But very easy to drink. Why so serious? When there's fun to be had...
Other than that, difficult to recommend.
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10/30/2014 - WineCPA wrote: 88 Points
Just had a glass of this at a steakhouse with lunch. I was anxious to do so, after reading all the love/hate tasting notes. It's definitely not the Caymus of old days. This wine is huge, sweet, oakey, and show's no finesse at all. I will not even attempt a bottle for 3-5 years and hope that it starts to balance out. This is a hot mess right now of black fruit, alcohol, oak, and vanilla.
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10/30/2014 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, this was inky black, jammy, fruity, explosive, sweet -- "wine candy." It was fun to drink, not serious. Maybe it will mature over a long time into a serious wine, but for now enjoy, talk about it, smile or shake your head and say it's just wrong!
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10/30/2014 - Kskels wrote: 91 Points
Cherry and currant on the nose. Light on tannins, fruit forward. Still young.
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10/29/2014 - Bacchusboy wrote: 85 Points
This has to be one of the "Sweetest" Cab I have ever had. It was like someone sabotaged the wine by pouring sugar in the bottle. If you have friends who won't drink reds because they are "too dry"....give them this soda pop. Terrible!
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10/29/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
2012 Napa Cabs ("reasonably priced"), 68 Madeira (Our Home): Glad to finally get a chance to try this. It was very tight when opened. I think of all the wines tonight, this is the longest lived. When it opened the nose showed cassis and plenty of fresh oak. There is a fair amount of chocolate as well, or as one guy described it, ovaltine. Deep on the palate. It slowly unwinds to show tight layering with plenty of fruit and oak. I di think it all sorts out, but I wouldn't touch these for a while.
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10/28/2014 - Mountster27 wrote: 89 Points
Dark but fruity and borderline sweet. Soft tannin barely noticeable until open for many hours. Probably won't stand up to many foods, but went well with a very mild manchego.
My other bottles with be drank soon, as I'm not sure how much better this can get with age.
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10/26/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Knightsbridge Bordeaux and US Cabernet Tasting (Northbrook, IL): Tasting, brief note. As dark as molasses. Others enjoyed this, while I found it over-the-top and off center.
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10/26/2014 - prb352 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted an hour, drank over the next two. Very concentrated, big oak/vanilla, very ripe dark fruit, tannins not well developed.
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10/26/2014 - TXTASH Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit forward and almost too sweet. Decanted for about an hour. Nice nose with fruit, vanilla, and caramel. Nice medium length finish.
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10/25/2014 - Paul Benigeri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really exceptional, peppery and quite sweet.
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10/23/2014 - MrBrege Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Whenever I'm in the US I buy a few different bottles of Napa Cabernet that I get recommended, to see if I can find an alternative to Bordeaux. So far it has always been a slight disappointment to me, I think I'm just unlucky but I keep ending up with fruit bombs without any structure, but I'm pretty certain there must be really good Cabs in the 50-100$ range. This attempt was unusually unsuccessful, I ended up with a fruit syrup bomb instead of a wine. Pretty disgusting to be truthful, I kept refilling my water glass during dinner to get some balance back. Totally hopeless!
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10/22/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Some Blind Cali Cabernets (My Place - Washington, DC): Dark purple color. Gorgeous nose of blueberry, rich currants, blackberry, rounded out by cola, vanilla, loamy soil, sweet mocha and a hint of tobacco. Full-bodied and rich with structured but velvety tannins and some acid for refreshment. The fruit is layered and complex, with waves of blueberry, red and black currants and some dark plum jam, then add in the elements of cola, cedar, espresso, graphite, mint and tobacco. A bold wine but it presents itself well, chewy and smooth at the same time with a long finish. Shows surprisingly well but will unfold a lot in the cellar.
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10/20/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Rich raisin and cedar nose, maybe a little eucalyptus. Realm round body. Lots of fruit and tannins are not prominent. Lots of fruit. Will be interesting to see how it ages but drinking well already.
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10/20/2014 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours. Flavors of cola and blueberry pie. Round and rich tasting, not a lot of structure, acidity and spice are in the background with the fruit forward. A good value in a Valley full of wines that are over priced and under deliver.
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10/20/2014 - TomInRO Likes this wine: 95 Points
I bought this at a restaurant (and paid at least twice what it was worth but I wanted to try it). I really think this is an outstanding wine. As someone else pointed out, the tannins seem very tame even without decanting, which may mean this is something to drink young.
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10/20/2014 - diverdano Likes this wine: 91 Points
vinturi used to speed up aeration. Was still fantastic day 2
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10/19/2014 - wirelesswine wrote: 86 Points
I expected a fruit forward wine, but not this. This wine was quite sweet, with vanilla and chocolate taking center stage. I can't imagine drinking this with food and really wonder how folks can rate this so highly. I will not deny that this brings the delicious factor - I would not turn this down as a post-dinner sipper at all. But at $55, this wine concerns me and I have to wonder if someone enjoying this wouldn't benefit more from a half case of Apothic Red.
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10/18/2014 - The King Likes this wine: 96 Points
Full fruit, dark, full mouth. Good juice.
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10/14/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 88 Points
Seriously, I really think this stuff is growing on me.
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10/14/2014 - phillyboyP wrote: 92 Points
From 1 Liter. Decanted for 2 hours then poured and let sit for another hour. Beautiful bouquet of sweet fruit and spice. Had a nice, almost creamy mouthfeel. Tannins are already tame and I thought this was quite nice. Interesting to see all the conflicting notes/scores. I have a close source for discount bottles and picked this up for about $35, which was a great price, but at $70, pass..... Very enjoyable though. 92
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10/11/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Like candy. Caramel, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, red fruit and a wonderful creamy texture. Great balance. Sweet, forward and easy. Good now and will evolve. Like the wine but the 1L bottle is pretty funky. I was looking for the "30% MORE FREE" banner across the top.
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10/10/2014 - grizzlymarmot wrote:
No numbers from me on this wine. Bountiful medium dark fruits in a silky balanced wine. Finish is medium with soft tannins. A very nice wine to sip on its own. It made an excellent pairing with a grilled salmon and I think it will be really nice with a lot of foods associated with a lighter style red. I'll be interested to see what people say time does with this wine. It seems to me that it will always retain the fruit and it is already as mellow as it needs to be.
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10/9/2014 - Johnfromspokane wrote: 89 Points
Didn't get the depth that the true caymus cabs in this. The cassis/blueberry profile was there, but it was lacking true structure and body to make this worthy of the Wagner name. I was a little disappointed in how fruit forward this was.
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10/5/2014 - Pjreddy wrote: 90 Points
Fruit fwd and the alcohol hits you. Decanted for an hour. I like the standard caymus cab better but this is a typical Caymus cab.
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10/5/2014 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 94 Points
Had at dinner, decanted for around 30min.
Really enjoyed this bottle. Very representative of the Rutherford area. Big fig and cassis highlights. Nice bottle/label as well. Alcohol balance felt right to me. We ordered more for home while sitting at dinner.
Paired with pecan crusted crab cake and ancho rubbed NY strip.
It should improve in a few years IMHO.
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10/4/2014 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at Oxy Car McCain Dinner
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10/3/2014 - tgang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delivers those wonderful tobacco, cherry and vanilla flavors. Smooth and delicious like I have come to expect from Caymus. A little more fruit forward than the standard Cabernet but equally as nice.
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10/3/2014 - theoz wrote: 90 Points
Good stuff but needs more time.
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10/3/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2hr, all I can say is one man's treasure's is another mans junk, it is what it is, as for me this vino is a treasure, sweet, rich rich, flavorful and concentrated. No offense!
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10/3/2014 - wmccone54 wrote: 80 Points
I buy this for my guests who know little about wine and gravitate toward the "crowd pleaser" portion of casual wine drinking segment. I reluctantly let my wife talk me into opening a bottle tonight, but only after dinner...thank God!
What a sugary mess! Yuck!!! Should have been made into port, obviously the grapes were way past ripe. Vanilla, dark berries, and zero structure, perfect for the gotta drink it now crowd. Caymus whiffed on this; no wonder it's selling at a highly discounted price. IMHO a total waste of money. Couldn't finish a glass for fear of hyperglycemia and I'm not diabetic! lol
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10/3/2014 - bobwire Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really nice bottle of wine. Great body, nice tannins , fruit forward and very drinkable now. Let it open for an hour. Classic Caymus.
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10/2/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
Black in color turning purple at the rim with a deep nose of ripe dark berries, vanilla and creme de cassis. The palate is dense, powerful and bold with a velvety texture. Opulent flavors of ripe dark cherry, blueberry, mocha, tobacco, black tea, kirsch, liqueur and toasted vanilla. The fruit is just so rich, jammy and intense, it may tend to overwhelm. However, from track record, Caymus wines age beautifully in controlled cellar conditions, and I suspect that once those fruit flavors mellow down after 5-to-6-years (better actually in 10) subtle nuances of earth, oak, and dried herb will balance this one out. Finishes long and lifted with high alcohol levels. Drink now with a 1-hr decant until 2027. 92+
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9/30/2014 - awise45 wrote: 89 Points
Much better after open for an hour. At the start, there was a very strong, prune-like flavor that wore off after time. I didn't like it as much as past years, but i did not find it as bad as others either. Almost more like an over-the-top Zin than a Cab.
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9/27/2014 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet with nutmeg. Fruit syrup.
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9/27/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
This first half of this bottle was enjoyed At Fleming's for dinner the previous night after the Premier Wine Tasting Event. Pulled from the refrigerator two hours before dinner and placed on the counter top. Grilled burgers and skewers of chicken with peppers and onions. Went to the kitchen and uncorked the last half of the Caymus, and poured a glass, wonderful nose, more expressive than last night, lots of blackberry, kirsch, pencil lead, with a hint of very ripe black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, smooth as silk, east to sip and enjoy as it lingered on the palate, big body of fruit, lovely cabernet flavors on the finish and aftertaste, I think it will peak in 3 years and last 20 years.
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9/27/2014 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark berry nose, rich, deep, cherry/fruit bomb, satin, easy to drink. 14.6% alc. Nice effort. Glad we've got another one in the cellar.
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9/27/2014 - Wineist05 Likes this wine: 91 Points
1 liter bottle. Initially only faint dark fruit muted by alcohol and tannin and oak. Following 1 hour double decant, wonderful notes of dark black fruit, currant, and vanilla. More of the same on the palate with prominent black cherry. Tannins mellowed more than enough to enjoy. Overall a fruit forward cab, fairy typical Caymus. Drink now with decant or hold for 3-5 years.
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9/26/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
At Fleming's for dinner after the Premier Wine Tasting Event. A sample taste was provided by the server since I was interested in this wine. I tasted it and immediately ordered a bottle for dinner. Dark, bright plum, beet red color in the glass, hard to see with the lighting in the room, nose of blackberry, kirsch, and dusty earth, swirling dramatically improved the aromatics on the nose, more of the same on the palate, the fruit is very concentrated and silky smooth like a warm Hershey Candy Bar, terrific match with the mushroom ravioli and the double breasted chicken, very tasty, massive body of fruit, concentrated, subdued fruit and a touch simple suggests it needs time, medium/long wonderful finish and aftertaste. Corked the bottle and will enjoy tomorrow night.
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9/26/2014 - richardkim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense on the palate, with flavors of blackcurrant, boysenberry, blueberry pie. Just this side of jammy, but with enough delineation to carry off the fruit. The tannins are sweet, but not firm enough to lend enough structure. I worry that this wine might not age well, as the lack of backbone will only render the wine more out of balance as it ages.
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9/25/2014 - philweird Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is always heavy on the fruit. I have never had a bottle that was not. But I actually think this is a great quaffing wine with people who enjoy wine but aren't enthusiasts.
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9/24/2014 - napared Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Well.... Had liter bottle in late August and upon opening, nose had some promise. However, after that all that came through was maple syrup. Four experienced wine drinkers and could not finish it. 24 hours later not any better. More maple syrup and one dimensional. Caymus always surprised me (pleasantly) how early they could release and still be approachable/drinkable at such an early age. This one doesn't stack up right now. Opened up a .75 liter in late September with similar notes - my wife thinks might be good with pancakes or to pour over some vanilla ice cream. Disappointed at the moment and time will tell if any improvement - have a bunch of liter and regular bottle left to open up every 6 months or so to see if any improvement. Not holding out much hope though. Also have 3 liter etched bottle signed by Chuck that will hold the longest and hope for the best. Overall, quite disappointing "special" vintage for them - broke the string of our caymus saying "never had a bad Caymus".
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9/23/2014 - TGOT Likes this wine: 93 Points
This much maligned wine is better than I anticipated given many of the reviews. Overextracted? Yes, definitely. But given time to decant (and I'm talking 2-3 hours), this wine mellows out quite a bit and is actually a nice, round wine with big red and black fruits. Nothing complex here, and the tastes don't linger, but it's quite enjoyable if you given it enough time.
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9/21/2014 - slippytoad Likes this wine: 91 Points
So very lush and chocolatey. Took a while to open up. Clearly needs many more years in the cellar.
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9/20/2014 - h8oopus wrote: 90 Points
Opened but not decanted at 2:00PM. Decanted at 8:00PM. Drank at 8:30PM. Still big. Next time will try longer decant.
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9/16/2014 - Vinoclovis wrote: 84 Points
Nope
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9/15/2014 - LOTAsCellar wrote: 80 Points
Way too heavy handed. Doesn't give the fruit a chance to tell the story.
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9/13/2014 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 72 Points
Buy Carlo Rossi, just as good, if not better, and much better value.
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9/11/2014 - Giovanna.B wrote:
Incredible taste and smell right out of the bottle, only gets better as it breathes!
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9/11/2014 - SactoWino wrote: 90 Points
Good dark fruit on the front, but out of balance with very little finish. It is very approachable right now. Not everything you'd hope for at this price point, but enjoyable none the less.
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9/11/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 89 Points
Spice, menthol and some fruit. Medium finish. Should cost around $25.
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9/10/2014 - bignbold wrote: 89 Points
I'm really torn with this one and I hate giving a Caymus wine an 89 score. But, sadly, the 2012 40th Anniv doesn't deserve a 90+ rating. I have found that the $50 and above price point usually begins to separate the "ok" wines from the exceptional wines. On one hand, it's too sweet/jammy and the finish is fairly non-existent. On the other hand, it has great mouth "feel" and is a very easy drinker. I'm generally underwhelmed and just a little disappointed with this one. Maybe I expected a little more from Caymus.
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9/10/2014 - Glenn92 wrote: 88 Points
Nice spices on the nose
chocolate undertones as well
Wonderful color in the glass
vanilla upfront blended with anise.
not my favorite
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9/7/2014 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 90 Points
Depending on your style preference for Cabernet, you're either going to love this wine or hate it. This wine is a jammy fruit bomb that borders on the overripe. However, we liked it because it's a '12 Cab that's ready to drink and delivers a lot of flavor. Contrary to other reviews, we did not find the wine very tannic which suggests that the wine will certainly evolve with more age, but not necessarily improve.
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9/7/2014 - jimmythesaint wrote:
Okay but too young and jammy.
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9/7/2014 - goiako Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great wine that can use a few more years.
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9/6/2014 - mikev101 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Major dissapointment! I am shocked at how awful this wine tasted. We opened up a Peju Cab and Hall Cab first...saved the Caymus for last and it was truly undrinkable. Tasted more like a lower shelf grocery store magnum for $7.99 than a high end Napa cabernet!!! And what's with the clear bottle??!!!!!! I am sorry I have 2 more bottles waiting to be thrown away....I just HOPE time will help this junk....feeling very ripped off.
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9/6/2014 - BigBoy_Sonoma wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hour (split given 1L)
Black fruit, it has an overwhelming vanilla creamcile, pepper, cinnamon, safe, smokey oak. Lacked some complexity. It is well balanced. Good acidity. B+.
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9/6/2014 - Surfowl wrote: 91 Points
Ruth Chris had this by the glass and my wife and I both enjoyed it. I do agree that it is jammy and a bit sweet but I found some complexity in the wine that others didn't. We took our time and tannins were revealed and some nice luscious undertones. I just ordered a bottle so I'll post again after tasting at home
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9/6/2014 - RobbieC wrote: 90 Points
Such a wide range of reviews, just had to try one for ourselves. Three hour decant. It is very fruit forward with loads of dark fruit flavors, but the oak is ever present and that was a bit out of balance with everything else. Slightly grabby on the finish. This is more simple fun than sophisticated Napa Cab. My wife described this as smooth, jammy, and yummy. Can understand why some have labeled this as "sweet". A nice fun wine but not exactly what I expected from Caymus.
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9/5/2014 - Brendanhollis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark plum and blueberry pie filling aroma. Jammy mouthfeel and tasted like blackberry preserves. Drank with a pan fried prime rib eye.
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9/5/2014 - pc2006mg wrote: 95 Points
Very nice!
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9/5/2014 - CultCabKing wrote: 92 Points
Amazing amounts of leather and cassis with (unbelievable) a jammy undertone! I have to say that this tasted better to me than the Special Select!
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9/4/2014 - Johnymin wrote: 89 Points
Very, very sweet noise. Wine seemed to even out after 1-2 hours of decanting. All in all disappointing for: Caymus, a 2012, and price point.
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8/31/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 87 Points
Drunk this one from a mini mag. 1L bottle.
Every time I have this it changes and yet stays the same. No structure or backbone. This one seemed a bit weaker to me.
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8/30/2014 - WineWright Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ok, our third bottle so I would like to say a few things. First, I agree this wine should have some aging issues. That being said, I recommend giving Caymus the benefit of the doubt and holding some bottles just in case. As a heads up, all three corks from our bottles thus far have shown visible signs of wine creepage. I am saving each to see how or if this trend continues, but clearly this could be another aging issue. Finally--for now--this bottling has the damnedest capsule I have ever encountered. I need a box cutter to get to the cork! All in all, while I still have high, long term hopes for the 2012 Caymus vintage, I am happy to enjoy some tasty if not enigmatic wine right now.
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8/30/2014 - wren460 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Again, good solid wine but far from incredible. Very sweet, almost in the Mollydooker kind of style witch is ok but not great. I don´t know how the wine will be in 3-5 years, but right now it is just a good wine and nothing else.
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8/30/2014 - noni15 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Awesome wine right now, plenty of fruit giving more years to develop. Very well balance. Buy and store or buy and drink and be wow.
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8/29/2014 - j1mmy Likes this wine: 89 Points
All the tell tale Caymus is there if not a bit supercharged. No where near ready, give them a rest.
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8/28/2014 - neurovino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lot's of new oak. Creamy. Very modern style and if you like that you'll like this.
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8/25/2014 - gew71walsh wrote: 88 Points
Wow, is this sweet. I almost never drink a Cab, incl a Caymus so soon upon release, but with all the other comments I had to taste. I will rate this one, but won't touch this vintage again for a few years and assess at that time.
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8/25/2014 - jaxpaj wrote: 87 Points
This my second bottle (of 12) that is overwhelmingly sweet. I grabbed a $10 bottle of Malbec, at a dinner party, and mixed to cut the candy grape/super purple. Glad that a good portion of my bottles have been pretty good/traditional Caymus in taste.
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8/25/2014 - Tdub3305 Likes this wine: 93 Points
yummy
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8/24/2014 - redbrix Likes this wine: 90 Points
Caymus consistently delivers year after year. A very aromatic nose of fruit and oak. The same velvety smooth wine we have come to expect. Berry and oak flavors with a strong vanilla presence throughout and perhaps a hint of clove. The vanilla was somewhat unique for this wine and reds in general. I slight bit at the back end, but this should diminish with aging.
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8/22/2014 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
Give it a good decant and you will see the difference!
- 91 points and rising!
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8/20/2014 - Yack Man wrote: 91 Points
This youthful wine may end up surprising many that criticize it now. I think that it is starting to settle down, but it is still in its early stage. I opened my 4th bottle and tonite I am enjoying this. I drank it with a meal and it is getting better. I will give it time and we will see how it evolves as I think this will integrating beautifully with time. 90.6 Points.... Boom (huge fruit) bomb, but that's okay by me.
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8/16/2014 - bpittenger Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fantastic, typical Caymus. Very fruit forward. Drinks well now but will drink much better in a few years. If you love California fruit bomb Cabernets, you will love this wine.
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8/16/2014 - sandwich Likes this wine: 92 Points
I disagree with the comments stating that this is not a classic Caymus. The second I popped the cork the nose instantly screamed Caymus. This is as fruity and bomby as all previous vintages. I am a fan of Caymus so this is drank well.
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8/16/2014 - jonradus wrote: 95 Points
I see why these ratings are all over the board. If you were looking for the typical caymus fruit bomb, you were disappointed. This year is much more restrained than the last 10, and possesses great verve with a lengthy finish. Yes, there is still oak, but the oak meshes well with the energetic grapes. Not a jammy juice bomb this year, which is also great, but a soulful wine with great character. I'm excited to follow this wine over the next decade. I believe it will age great.
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8/15/2014 - TastesGoodToMe wrote: 87 Points
Damn. The most consistent winery I have ever found has broken their streak. I bought a case of this upon release as I am a Caymus fan and since 2012 is supposed to be a great vintage overall for Napa. And then the reviews started coming in on this wine...and I was hoping it was from the "Caymus Haters" out there that just do not like their style. Well finally popped one open...
Great nose. I got my hopes up. Decanted 5 hours at cellar temp. But upon tasting, my disappointment sank in. This has the big Caymus fruit front end, and I have no issue with fruit forward big wines. Love 'em actually. But they need to be balanced. The issue with this bottle was that there is no back end to support the big upfront fruit - tannins hardly existent. So you end up with wine that tastes good on the tongue, and then with the swallow comes the disappointment - nothing there. Just way out of balance. Like another reviewer wrote - not far from Welch's Grape Juice.
The wife still liked it. So I am not going to pan this wine completely. Had I paid $25, did I not have my palate ready for a one of my favorite wines from a great vintage and from one of the most consistent producers I know, and instead I was just drinking this wine blind on a Tuesday night, I think I would have rated it an 87. Not a horrible wine - just a tremendous disappointment for Caymus for what should be a great vintage.
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8/14/2014 - gullsnest wrote: 93 Points
Ummm...in a blind test people thought it was Belle Glos Las Alturas. They thought it was a new vintage. Since I love Pinots...home run for me! Jammy, inky, delicious
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8/12/2014 - jaxpaj wrote: 86 Points
I have had several bottles and the majority of them have been fine. The last bottle was very poor. Port like, thick, poor wine. Maybe there is bottle variation?
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8/10/2014 - dmccann3 Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine started off a bit jammy and was almost chewy in my mouth. After letting it sit for most of an hour it did open up more revealing more distinctive fruits while ending with a long finish.
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8/7/2014 - Sil Bill Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Tasted 3 bottles, consistent notes over three months. I'm not a fan of Caymus' wine, in general, although their whites seem to possess an authenticity their reds lack. I'm grouping the Belle Glos (confected) and Conundrum efforts into the same boat: these are "made" wines not wines that speak of place (except for California dreaming). The 2012 is a Grenache like wine, all playful in Strawberry Fields and lacking the grit and verve and backbone of King Cabernet. I think of the wine like a Beaujolais of Cabernet and the bottle speaks this thought too! Playful wine, meant to be chilled. Serve casually. Success in wine business for 40 years but an effort than suggests a marketed wine less than a farmed wine. Sorry to say.
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8/7/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 88 Points
See my previous two notes.
This stuff kind of grows on you. Kind of.
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8/6/2014 - Yack Man wrote: 90 Points
Big, rich, vivid and deep color. LUSH and jammy, maybe over extracted (almost too sweet). Give a decant and it will show much better that to pop and pour. Getting better in my opinion, as I think that it was a little young and disjointed in the beginning. And Parker gave this a '96 points?'.... "I don't know Ollie"
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8/4/2014 - armchairsommelier wrote: 88 Points
Seems a little more fruit-forward than a normal Caymus cab. Rich and jammy. Oddly, I enjoyed the first glass more than the second.
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8/2/2014 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with earlier tasting notes.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/08/napanook-and-caymus-napa-reds-anchor.html
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7/27/2014 - LegalWine wrote: 89 Points
There is one word to describe this wine: sweet. It is very a dark & dense wine. Another review said it was like drinking Welch's grape juice, which I can't say is far from the truth! There is some alcohol on the attack, which blows off with about 3 hours of decanting. After that, you are left with a very grape-y effort. Maybe this improves in a few years? Its a 40th anniversary year but in my opinion you can do a heck of a lot better for $57. Way too one dimensional at this price point. Buh bye.
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7/27/2014 - MaseratiGhibliSQ4 Likes this wine: 95 Points
No need for decant. It very decent cab. Great nose and very creamy and dark current on the palate. Me and my family enjoyed very much.
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7/26/2014 - flattfam@charter.net Likes this wine: 93 Points
This one needs two years in the bottle. Tight, but the potential is there for a wonderful, even classic Caymus. It will be interesting to see how the SS compares. For the early drinkers, have patience.
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7/25/2014 - agrulich21 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was a good Cab, but a bit sweeter than what I'm normally used to from Caymus. A bit too hot as well. However, after 3 hours in the decanter it finally started to settle into a nice place. Not sure this has the potential to age well though. I would say drink this one young.
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7/24/2014 - mpholiday wrote: 87 Points
Truth be told, I think this vintage is a bit young. I decanted for an hour, and it still tasted no different than a $10-$20 special at the local grocery store, but after 2 - 3 hours, this one opens up quite nicely. While I don't discount the lower scores, I do see some potential with a few years in the cellar. I plan to grab a few more to hang on to, just to see.
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7/24/2014 - jmorgand wrote: 94 Points
The low reviewers obviously don't know what the hell they're talking about. Just had to break one of my liter bottles open from the case I just purchased. Decanted for just a bit, and this is showing excellent potential for such a young wine. Strong, beautiful nose with lots of beautiful fruit showing through already. This is a cab lover's wine. Will be a stunner in 3 to 5 years.
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7/24/2014 - raypedia wrote: 86 Points
Dense, inky, completely opaque, the color and body of Welch's grape juice. Classic Caymus candied black fruit and burnt sugar aromas, undertones of camphor. Dense in the mouth. On open tannins are light but present, muted fruit. Moderate finish. Will update with additional notes as I give it air and drink over the next few days. Update: Vacuum sealed and stored in the fridge, then returned to room temp one day later, fruit is more present both in aroma and on the palate, but still the caramel and camphor notes are present. By day three, everything beginning to fade, suggesting you should drink up in the next 3-4 years.
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7/24/2014 - gogogo wrote: 83 Points
Barely drinkable gave most of it to our neighbors. Flabby, linear, and high alcohol. Reminds me of a Lewelling from 07'
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7/23/2014 - jaxpaj wrote: 92 Points
8 of us did a blind tasting of '09, '10, and '12 Caymus. The notes and reviews were very similar. 2012 is just another solid year for Caymus (if you like Caymus).
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7/20/2014 - DBunk wrote: 83 Points
A very polarizing wine on CT. It is indeed a fruit bomb with black fruit, oak, vanilla and chocolate. The slightest hint of tannin but needs more. Not a $55 CA cab from a price point aspect but not a horrific bottle - its pleasing but not captivating or interesting. Had with various grilled meats and it was decent but the lack of tannins is the big downer. Not one for aging given the lack of tannic structure at this young age. Drink'em if ya got'em.
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7/20/2014 - Joeltmc wrote: 88 Points
Needs a few years, but not that bad now. Caymus always gets better after it has rested for a few years. This will be a good wine late 2016.
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7/19/2014 - mflesh Does not like this wine:
I HOPE that this is just youth but this was decanted 90 minutes prior to tasting - - this wine is an 80 right now and that's putt it very nicely!!! This was tasted with a group of 3 oenophiles and we didn't even finish the bottle. This wine tastes like it rivals Menage-a-Trois at present. Sweet - tastes like an overdone, thin, sweet, generic 10 dollar wine. There is nothing about this that reminds me of any other Caymus wine I've had before. As someone who is already on the fence about Caymus to begin with, this doesn't really help to win me over. Since '11 was such a difficult year, I really hope that the Wagner family didn't rush this one to market before it was ready. I will certainly not be buying any of this stuff, but I am going to stockpile the 2010 Special Selection..... that wine was amazing. It's definitely an NR here.
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7/18/2014 - rkosd wrote: 89 Points
Typical Caymus. Rich, chocolatey, dense fruit bomb. Young and lacking tannins indeed but enjoyable, smooth, and crowd pleasing. Not as big and lush as previous vintages but still good.
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7/17/2014 - WDK wrote: 80 Points
Tastes like a barrel sample. Lots of sweet fruit, syrupy texture and no structure to be found. Lets hope it develops with time.
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7/17/2014 - Just Grapes Does not like this wine: 86 Points
I had this wine at Gram and Dun in KC. The wine is serviceable, at best, for a Napa Cab. I enjoy older Caymus Cabs and have them in my cellar and this wasn't even close. This is the Meiomi Pinot Noir (use that lightly since it is 25% something else) of Cabernet for 2012. I just don't get the reviews on this wine. This was such a fruit bomb that it almost tasted like Port. The bottle had only been open for 30 minutes or so. Thus, the wine in the bottle wasn't oxidized. I'm kind of scared to try the 2011 that I purchased and have in my cellar.
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7/16/2014 - Bob and Joli Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent color. A bit fruity, but very well blended for a young wine. What you'd expect from this vineyard.
Let it breathe for 20 minutes. Deteriorates after an hour.
Fun concept for 40th anniversary. Put a few bottles in the cellar for memories. It will get better with age.
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7/14/2014 - Marquette Warrior Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed the burger and Caymus special at Flemings. Dark red. Strong fruity smell. Taste was smooth. Finish was acidic and tart.
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7/14/2014 - ZachF88 wrote: 90 Points
Used Coravin to extract 2oz. After 5 mins in glass @ 56F: Hot with blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, tart red plum, bright violet, sweet baking spices (nutmeg), brown sugar/molasses, sweet tobacco, leather, vanillin, slight oak, soft tannins. Smooth and had a medium+ finish. Left a bit a sweetness on the palate that left me craving more.
After 1 hr in the glass @ 59F, the wine became more bold with stronger tannins, deeper/darker berries (strawberry in there now), stronger vanillin, and still lingering heat. Less sweetness on the palate and much more in-your-face body.
This is a young pup that needs at least 5 years of down time. I feel that the flavors will marry more and it'll be a beautiful, luscious, velvety, bold Napa cab. 90 now with a potential of 93.5 with some aging.
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7/13/2014 - RobertDwyer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Glass-coating. Dark and dense - 85% opaque. There are a dazzling array of aromatics present in this wine: Ripe plum, Chambord, black and blue fruit, cedar, a hint of cinnamon. It gets a bit boozy at times, especially on the nose, so if you're looking for a balanced wine (between fruit, acid, and tannin) this probably isn't for you.
That said, the wine is incredibly smooth and easy to drink. Hardly any tannins to mention and as heavy as it is it doesn't get tiring coming back for a second taste.
Overall, I think it could use more structure to bump it up to being truly extraordinary. But considering the relatively favorable price points this vintage is being offered at it's worth buying a bottle or two if you like fruit forward Napa Cab.
Sample for review.
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7/11/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
What an enchanting colour. 2012 produced a full-bodied, felt-tannined Cabernet that is meant to age - believe it or not. This is forward, yet architectually structured. Texas Bar B Q, anise, coconut meat, coffee liquor and dark berry medley, with a little medicine. Savory and suave during the approach, then an element of new oak - that will lessen in the next three-to-four years - during the long finish. It has been awhile since I have enjoyed their entry level Cabernet to this degree, yet, she is still a baby. Cellar, please... Drink 2017 - 2030.
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7/11/2014 - Robwild wrote: 92 Points
Deep rich purple color. Beautiful bouquet filled with berries and oak. Rich fruit with, cherries and cassis. Long finish medium tannins. Wonderful structure with great balance. A pure delight. Caymus went all out with a great vintage to commemorate its 40th anniversary. A Tour de force!
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7/9/2014 - redno5 Does not like this wine: 77 Points
Smells like vanilla and candy. Oak too prominate very off putting. Used to be an decent wine in the 90's really has gone down hill.
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7/9/2014 - wjmac Likes this wine: 90 Points
I thought this was the best Caymus Cab I have had. Typically Caymus Cab is to jammy almost like Zinfandel. From the first smell toasted oak shows with subtle fruit, again for typical Caymus. This is what appealed to me. Light tannic structure and medium plus body also takes it away from the typical Caymus Cab.
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7/6/2014 - USMA80 wrote: 89 Points
not quite up to normal Caymus standards to my taste, but racking it up to newness...maybe later
pretty jammy
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7/5/2014 - millerarner wrote: 90 Points
Been reading all the commentary on this with great interest (and amusement), so we were eager to try one. First thought is that the CT average of 90 is right on, although I think those giving this scores in the low 80's or less are being a bit too harsh in order to make a point. Setting aside stylistic differences in taste, I agree this does fall short of what Caymus was shooting for, but 80 points?? C'mon . . .
Second thought, based on all other TN's is that this may have some wide ranging bottle to bottle variance insofar as the flavors go. For instance, yes there is a ton of oak, but on our bottle it didn't manifest at all as over the top vanilla or coconut, rather it was a sweet chocolate & roasted coffee/toffee note. It was actually quite nice, unfortunately it utterly dominated all else.
To me this is a hedonistic pleasure bomb (or attempts to be) that I'd give more points to if it wasn't so one dimensional. As many have noted, it lacks both acid and backbone, so holding this for more than a few years is iffy. Will hold at least one, just to see what happens.
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7/4/2014 - Jay Paulaner wrote: flawed
A friend brought this to our holiday cookout. The bottle was corked, so I am unable to review the wine.
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7/3/2014 - onewineheaven wrote: 79 Points
Don't let my sacrifice go to waste. This is a dreadful beverage that has more in common with Coca Cola than wine. It might be tasty reduced with blackberries and served over ice cream.
2 days later no change, like Dorian Gray. Beneath the skins lurks a foul portrait of a wine.
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7/2/2014 - Ranjan wrote: 92 Points
Great nose, very smooth. Crowd pleaser.
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7/2/2014 - BillEpi Does not like this wine: 82 Points
I’m a die-hard Caymus lover and have been collecting and drinking both the Caymus Napa and Special Selection for some 27 years. I've had the opportunity to taste the 2012 Caymus Napa cabernet on several occasions now and am seriously unimpressed. Instead of approaching this note according to the more-traditional "wine tasting protocol, I've decided to summarize my reactions with the following points:
1) No one who knows Caymus could ever state the 2012 Napa cabernet is in any way “classic” or “typical.” Really now! This wine tastes like no Caymus I’ve ever experienced.
2) Specifically, I find it smooth, lighter than usual in body, shallow in fruit and tannin.
3) The drinking experience, with or without decanting and breathing time, is unsophisticated at best --- lacking in fruit, body, complexity and depth of character.
4) The most prominent impression I get from this wine is a strong flavor of VANILLA !!
5) In my well-educated Caymus opinion, the 2012 Napa cabernet is a complete disappointment. Caymus should be ashamed to have delivered such a lackluster effort on this their 40th Anniversary. It’s no wonder they increased quantity and decreased price for this wine --- that might say it all.
6) I can't find any professional reviews as of date of this note, and I can't say I'm surprised. As we all know, when the big wine critics have nothing good to say, they tend to conveniently skip the vintage. While I’m eager to read their reactions --- their silence is deafening.
In summary, this is a Caymus to be avoided. I suggest you invest your "cabernet dollar" elsewhere.
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7/2/2014 - donbaxter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Like most good designed wines, a little age or time in the decanter will serve this wine nicely. Classic Caymus to me! I like it!
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6/30/2014 - FlyinI wrote: 87 Points
Oaky, fruit bomb. Not very tannic. Good structure. Not sure how well this will age.
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6/29/2014 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
I had to weigh in on this wine as it seems so many others on CT are giving it varying reviews.
Give this wine at least 30 minutes of air time. I agree with some who said this vintage does not have the tannic structure of previous vintages. On the other hand, to me it did not seem over the top on vanilla or coconut. The tannins and finish do feel relatively sweet, but It's still in the traditonal Caymus style/flavor profile. Drink sooner rather than later. This wine had only been in its bottle 6 weeks. Very enjoyable with a juicy steak.
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6/29/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from a tasting pour at the wine shop. Dark in color. Lots of oak and blueberries, very primary. Not as tannic as many of the earlier Caymus Cabs upon release, but the tannins are still there. Good concentration. Glad that I bought a couple to cellar earlier in the month.
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6/28/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 87 Points
Well, because I have a Coravin, and a case of Caymus, I figured I would give this wine another try. Over a little bit of time. I poured one glass via Coravin. Yes I know I was not supposed to use the Coravin until my safety post it note and sleeve arrives, but I like living dangerously.
On the nose, it was actually very muted. I let it rest for about twenty minutes and still not much there. This was way different than the previous bottle. Not much of anything really.
I then tasted it and again, it was not like the previous bottle. Still no tannin or acid but also not some syrupy grape jammy mess. Very little specific fruit but I did get a note of coffee once or twice. Yes their was some oak and vanilla but again, not like the first bottle.
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6/28/2014 - BigBoy_Sonoma wrote: 89 Points
Dark fruit, vanilla, spice , black licorice, cedar and smokey oak. B+.
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6/28/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
I agree it's a bit of a fruit bomb right out of the bottle, but it becomes quite composed and a bit more serious after an hour of decanting. This is pretty supple, smooth, extended and appealing, though a bit simple and one-dimensional too. The structure is light, though the alcohol is pronounced. Not sure how much better this will get with age as it's approachable already. It's nice enough though hard to justify the price, even though this vintage is cheaper than usual. I wish it were more meaty and structured. There are better cabs for less money.
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6/28/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine. Well made. Bright purple fruit. Concentrated. Again, nothing crazy, but classic Caymus vanilla, etc. Clearly a good vintage, less tannic upon release than typical Caymus.
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6/28/2014 - goiako Likes this wine: 91 Points
this wine has some dark fruits mocha vanilla chocolate. It's silky smooth soft tannins nicely structured and a vanilla bomb I get some cigar box cinnamon.
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6/26/2014 - zinnut Does not like this wine: 89 Points
This a syrupy, oaky, grape bomb. Very unpleasant. Reminds me of Apothic Red.
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6/25/2014 - sdrum wrote: 92 Points
Very intense fruit and a lot of volatiles. Since it's still young I found it rather lively> definitely changes for the better after an hour or two of decanting.
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6/24/2014 - atwkite Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had the 2012 as part of a Caymus vertical which included 2004, 2004 SS, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012 during a big family get together. I must say I love the New World style and have always been a huge fan of Caymus. The 2012 and 2004 SS were the hands down favorites of most of the crowd, but border on transcending jammy into sweet. I like the vanilla notes (reminds me of Quilceda Creek), but is slightly over done here. That said, this wine and the Wagner products in general tolerate POP incredibly well and are often my go to bottles when bringing wine to restaurants. Love the 1L, perfect size, bought 5 cases!
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6/24/2014 - Champagne88 wrote: 90 Points
Not incredibly impressive, even for a young Napa cabernet. Some here have call this a "fruit bomb" -- but I got hardly any fruit, so I'm not sure what the deal is with that. Lots of vanilla and oak, with only a little bit of the typical dark fruit coming through towards the end. I am certainly not a true professional here, but the overall structure and absence of any professional reviews leads me to believe there may little hope of substantial improvement here. Of course, the price (less than the 2011) also supports this conclusion. It's a shame this once powerhouse did not aim a bit higher on a bottling they chose to label as their 40th Anniversary blend.
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6/22/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Typical Caymus fruit bomb.
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6/22/2014 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 90 Points
As many have stated, you pretty much know what your are getting with Caymus, so..... If you don't like this style, don't drink it (no offense). I say, if you drink it now you should give it a long decant. There are certainly some very dominant quality / sensual aspects to this 2012 vintage, but I think it get better with some aging and the point score will ascend with time. 90 points for now.
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6/21/2014 - Crunge wrote: 83 Points
When I drink a Caymus, I usually know what to expect. Caymus is one of the in-your-face, oaky fruit bombs. There's nothing wrong with this style, and when you're in the mood for power over subtlety, Caymus is usually a safe choice.
For me, the 2012's fruit is hidden by oak at this point. On a pop and pour, the nose and flavor were all vanilla. I like vanilla and don't mind it in my wine as one of the flavors, but I don't care for it as the dominant flavor. Over the course of an hour, the vanilla changed to coconut. Strong, unpleasant coconut.
After a night sealed with a Vacu Vin, the vanilla had faded ever so slightly. It was still the dominant flavor, and fortunately the coconut didn't reappear.
There is an undercurrent of black cherries and plum, but the vanilla is far too strong at this point for my tastes. The rest of my bottles will sit for a year or more to see if it mellows out.
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6/20/2014 - Jay_R Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very deep dark inviting red. Fruity but hidden beneath the oaky overtones. Improved as the wine breathed in the glass. Maybe a little young but allow to breath and you will be enjoyably surprised.
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6/18/2014 - Griffeyfan04 wrote: 89 Points
This wine was dark and inviting. I have had several caymus wines before that were off putting of raisin and prune. This one did not show those characteristics but was very ripe. There was vanilla, cocoa powder, espresso, and dark berry. This borders on over the top ripeness and will surely turn off some as too close to a port profile, but with time and/or the right food this is a nice wine. I can't see myself drinking more than two glasses due to seeming a bit rich.
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6/18/2014 - jlthurm wrote: 88 Points
Opened tonight. Let it set for bout an hour. Great nose. Very dark, clings to the glass. On first taste way to much vanilla. After letting it sit it did calm down.
Still a bit disappointed. To much vanilla for me.
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6/18/2014 - coreywb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Read from other reviews how approachable this was and opened a bottle for friends at lunch with steak sandwiches and burgers. This a new world cab with a dark ruby color and a lots going on on the nose. Blackberries, blueberries, a hint of chocolate and even a little plum. Medium body and a nice finish. Universal approval from friends. Think this will get better with some age as fruit dissipates slightly and the wine gets some added complexity. For now, it is just plain enjoyable.
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6/16/2014 - Gestalted wrote: 88 Points
Uber thick and sweet. Too far in that direction for me. I found myself missing some tannic grip and complexities with the fruit. It's like drinking a glass of milk chocolate.
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6/16/2014 - Firefly78 Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Almost black in colour with rurple rim. Jammy, ripe and consentrated.
Apart from a hint of smokeyness, I could discern nothing else. Tannins are present but fine and acidity is at good levels for a Cab. Medium finish. This is over the top for my tastes.
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6/14/2014 - DTWOB wrote: 86 Points
One word........... disappointing.
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6/14/2014 - sixtoedjack wrote: 89 Points
Better than the 2011 Napa, though might not age quite as well. Screamed black currents and spice on the nose. Rich purple color. Lots of tannins, and not much acid, finish didn't linger as long as I had expected. Hoping that this will develop in time, a little underwhelmed at the moment. Wine wasn't decanted at all, maybe that would have helped. There's still quite a bit of promise that is evident, but the window will be short though.
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6/14/2014 - ucbeau wrote: 84 Points
Popped and poured. Dark black/purple in the glass. First swirl/sniff brings all fruit, black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, all in preserve form. One of the ripest wines I've smelled in a long time. With more air, the American Oak comes out too, in the form of coconut, cocoa powder. A note of anise shows itself later.
On the palate it's all super-ripe fruit. Basically no acidity and hardly any tannins. Same black fruit preserves as on the nose. The finish has an odd burnt brown sugar/molasses quality to it that I couldn't really figure out.
Super soft, super ripe, I don't think this will improve with long-term aging. A cab for people who hate acidity and tannins, and instead prefer only ripe fruit and oak.
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6/14/2014 - desler Likes this wine: 88 Points
wow this is a big chocolaty vanilla rich pleasure to drink, unlike what i expected as a Napa Cab....everyone at the table loved it but it aint no regular Napa Cab.........
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6/14/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 87 Points
Oak, vanilla, caramel on the palate. Good God what happened.
Some sort of fruit medley explosion on the nose but cant pinpoint anything.
I had previously, on certain other vintages, said that Caymus was Hawaian Punch for adults. I meant that in a good way.
This here is Hawaian Punch.
I also found that this wine adhears to the sides of my glass in a very unnerving way. Give it a swirl and a rest and see for yourself.
$55 and I can see why the $10 price drop. Needs another $10 off, unfortunatly, I already bought a case.
Ok, so... Anybody who has posted a 94 or higher on this one is off their rockers. That is just my opinion of course. Im not trying to offend other posters here. Just saying.
Just FYI. This did not improve on day two. Day two score drops to about an 85
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6/13/2014 - MarvinCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decant for 1/2 - 1 hour. Nose and taste seem like a toned down 2011 vintage with alcohol nose and taste. Need to age a few more years.
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6/13/2014 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is a mess right now. Massive vanilla. Much better after open for 48 hours.
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6/13/2014 - dpolivy Likes this wine:
Dense and dark. The nose is intense; a mix of cotton candy, oak, and concentrated fruit. Rich, soft and elegant, the dense body is full of juicy black cherry, plum, and kirsch. Fine tannins and medium-plus length on the finish. Quite enjoyable now, and will likely improve a bit with age.
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6/13/2014 - jonwbrady wrote: 88 Points
This was a little bit of a surprise to us, but it will be interesting to see how this one ages. Too much fruit and not enough structure for me. No tannins to speak of and very fruity, blueberry, cherry, and chocolate.
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6/11/2014 - 321Nomad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit Bomb.
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6/10/2014 - redsonly wrote: 89 Points
Caramel milk chocolate overwhelms at this point, looking for barrel notes to subside and better integrate with fruit. Still fun to drink.
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6/8/2014 - dbermanmd wrote: 93 Points
6 hour decant. After reading the reviews to date I gave it a six hour decant and then consumed the bottle over the next almost 3 hours. It was still opening up.
That being said of the 6 adults including two wine managers at the restaurant everybody gave it a huge two thumbs up.
Beautiful color, expressive nose and a bouquet of fruit supported by tannins. This will age beautifully and will be adding it to my cellar. Just a really good wine.
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6/8/2014 - jeffm_fla wrote: 90 Points
This is the first of the hightly anticipated 2012's and I was a little disappointed. Typical Caymus lush flavor and texture, but a little too much vanilla for me. Much better than the 2011, but not my favorite recent Caymus Napa.
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6/8/2014 - danstrings Does not like this wine: 84 Points
OMG what an over the top blueberry maple syrup almost neon-purple glowing concoction. Nothing like the Caymuses of old that were more balanced with dusty Napa eucalyptus. This would be better paired at iHOP and a stack of pancakes.
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6/8/2014 - Corrie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mentally a hard time consuming a 2012 out of the bottle, but Caymus is nothing if not consistent. Always one of my favorites
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6/7/2014 - wren460 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine. Don´t think that because it is a 2012 it is much better tan other vintages, it is not. The wine is solid, it is delicious , but is is not a home run. I find the finish quite short and definitely it is not as fruit bomb as other vintages. Quite dry. I will buy a case or so for drinking in the next 2-5 years, but make no mistake, it is not an incredible wine.
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6/7/2014 - mwneil Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Tasted at WL. It was decanted. Maybe I need to try a bottle but the wine had no oomph. It paled in comparison to a South African Cab that I tasted at the same time. Anyone calling this is a fruit bomb has not had a fruit bomb. The wine is pricey and having had plenty of Caymus wines, maybe we should stick to the Special Selection, which is pricey and vg. Will try again.
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6/7/2014 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 2012 vintage release shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.
Typical Caymus Cabernet style - dark ruby/garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel, giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/06/cal-cab-release-tasting-caymus-40th.html
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6/7/2014 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple colored. A fruit forward & very jammy wine. Easy to drink & ready to drink. I will buy more at the 55.00 price point.
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6/6/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Midnight core with thin bright purple rim; jammy, ripe, sweet, cassis, blackberry jam, pencil lead, deep; sappy palate, thick, sweet cassis, some cedar, pencil lead; needs 5 years; promising.
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6/6/2014 - afu wrote: 92 Points
2 bottles in 2 nights says a lot, this is a very "pleasant", ready drink now Napa Cabernet, unmistakeably Caymus. Eager to please, vanilla, oak and plenty of grape. While not profound or complex, its a real treat, simple, delicious and so very easy to drink. Dark in color, the richness is surprising given its youth and overall balance. While it may not generate big scores now or ever this is a wine to serve others and enjoy without any pretense. In fact it was so enjoyable we opened a bottle 2 consecutive nights. For what we paid, unbeatable. Will be buying more this weekend or as soon as I can get my hands on some at the same price point. Don't pass this up.
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6/3/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Ah, the return of the Caymus fruit bomb. After an off year in 2011, 2012 returns to form. Classic, over the top jammy fruit with notes of vanilla. Definitely some good aromatics hiding in there somewhere. A recent tasting of 2007 shows that some cellar time gives this wine time for the fruit to recede and balance out. Caveat emptor on this one, this is a FRUIT BOMB, some people just don't like the style and will give it low scores. Don't be fooled. Patience will be rewarded here. I suspect with about 5 years of cellar time, this wine could easy score 95.
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6/1/2014 - Vinnut Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Deep dark reddish-purple; almost opaque. Forward, fragrant and attractive nose of youthful dark fruit aromas of cherries, boysenberries and plumy with toasty oak and vanilla overtones, spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, some herbs, dark cocoa/mocha and cedar. Full bodied with a very good concentration of youthful, balanced, smooth textured, rich, ripe, dark jammy fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries, plums and cassis dominated by toasty oak and vanilla, spices, some herbs, cherry-cola and dark chocolate. A bit soft in the middle; could have used more acidity. Surprisingly, drinks quite well with decanting and some airing and may develop further with additional aging but it appears to be made for the short haul. May be a bit over the top for some with the combination of sweet fruit, toasted oak and vanilla.
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6/1/2014 - TheDarkPrince Likes this wine: 91 Points
I think other CellarTracker drunkards (and I include myself in this group) have got the notes right.
Personally, I was somewhat jolted by the nose. I thought I had been transported to Dylans candy store (NYC) when I put my nose in the glass. On the palette, the wine is super-sweet, with vanilla wining over the fruit. This is a crowd-pleaser, that in my opinion, won't cellar for too long. Wifey loved it, extravagently lavishing 95 pts on this specimen. However, editorial liberties will prevail tonight!
Cherries and spice box on the palette. Hints of cloves and cinnamon tease the palette. Finish is acceptable, but not anything to write home about. In my mind, a good wine, but somewhat of a "construction site". I anticipated much better, but still good. The 2011 is much better.
:0)
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6/1/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine will be polarizing... lots of candy-like fruit, big, rich, dense... very tasty, but not showing too much restraint. Perhaps a bit over the top for some people, but I think it's great.
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6/1/2014 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
2 hour decant. Enjoyed it very much.
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5/31/2014 - jcvalenti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tried two bottles of this in the last week and notes were consistent. 2011 was unquestionably a terrible year for Napa Cab, with wines that were thin, vegetal and off-putting. Well, our not-so-long national nightmare is over, as this 2012 Caymus lives up to everything we've heard about how different 2012 was. Caymus is traditionally a HUGE wine, and true to form, this wine is a massive fruit bomb. If you like that style, as I often do, you will like this wine. If you do not like big wines - please .... don't even bother to score this wine. You won't like it.
Tremendous dark fruit on the nose, tons of berries and a hint of cedar. Wine is thick and viscous, and I found it dominated by blueberry. Huge finish. Tannins were fine and long lasting, and fairly well integrated. As is traditional with Caymus, this wine is drinking well right now, but sitting it for a year or two certainly wouldn't hurt. I'll be looking for some more of this while it's on the shelves.
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5/30/2014 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of candy. Fruit syrup. Vanilla. Oak. Sweet. Needs to cellar. Similar to Mollydooker, but more refined? Maybe too sweet? Silky. Smooth. Very light tannins, maybe even lacking balance. No acid. Cough syrup.
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5/29/2014 - RandomCoil wrote: 92 Points
As others have noted, this is vanilla-centric, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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5/28/2014 - LoneStarMusic.com wrote: 89 Points
It certainly is different, but the vanilla is almost overpowering at times. I'll gladly revise my ranking upward but I don't plan on tasting again for a couple years in hopes this ages well.
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5/27/2014 - mk05 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Your date, the self-proclaimed arbiter of haute couture and cuisine, who identifies social status through the amount of repeat Yelp reviews on Per Se and Daniel, will absolutely love this spiked fruit juice.
For those who have no predisposition, or grew up drinking French wine, appreciating terroir, finesse, balance, and hamony, the 40th is the essence of Californian arrogance in a bottle. It looks and tastes completely artificial.
The color is brightly purple, clinging heavily to the glass, the taste - oh so sucrose - and the finish, of glycerin and wax (some know where I am going with this). I would love to put this blind against Manischewitz for the fanboys and watch their faces turn screwy with impetuous glee.
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5/26/2014 - Cycle Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of vanilla right now. Recommend a couple years in the cellar before I try again.
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5/22/2014 - BruceHubbard wrote:
I was excited to try this wine given the Napa 2012 growing season. I drank it from the same bottle over three nights. The first popped and poured, the second night after 24 hours under gas, and the third just with the cork in and the bottle half full. On the nose were very ripe, almost over ripe black fruit, cassis, and a hint of cinnamon. However, on the palate, I was very disappointed on all three tastings. It is dominated by caramel, vanilla, and cream with a slightly sweet taste. This flaccidity obscures much of the fruit and I could barely detect any tannins to provide balance. The wine did not improve over the 48 hours and if anything, the caramel grew stronger and the profile became more monotonous. It did have a pleasant gylcerol mouth-feel. It seems to me that it is probably grossly over oaked, probably with new French oak and was probably harvested late. I have not seen any vintner's statistics on this product. I have three more bottles and it will be interesting to see how and if it evolves. It reminds me a bit of the "great" 1994 Napa vintage that was a crowd pleaser right out of the shute, but declined rather rapidly with time.
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5/19/2014 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
I will not give this wine a score now, its too young.... BUT, it is special and I like it. It has all of the characteristics that make Caymus Cabernet a very good wine, but it is in its youth. Age will produce a true, dark fruit driven, monster Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The best is yet to come!
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5/17/2014 - LMWS Jimmy and Rocio wrote: 89 Points
The color of the wine is deep purple. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. Aromas are blackberry, vanilla, chocolate and molasses. On the palate I experienced black currant, blackberry, plum, basically all dark fruitiness with a little dusty vanilla, cinnamon, and definitely chocolaty molasses that powers its way to the front. The body is medium/full. The wine has satin-like texture and finishes medium with medium acidity. Overall an enjoyable wine but no doubt showing its youth. Glad to have a case to experience its journey and report.
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5/17/2014 - PourMeSomeMore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Was very excited to taste a 2012 from a top producer and I know that it's very young now. 12 was an almost perfect growing season, so the fruit was very ripe and the skins thick. I wasn't surprised by the incredibly massively ripe fruit which cloaks the acid and tannins initially. But make no mistake, both the acid and tannins are there in full force. Aggressively decanted for 4 hours and the caramel & chocolate coated blackberries notes begin to subside and the acid/tannins start to come out along with the beginning of red fruit & meadow flowers. It kept getting juicier with more tannins until unfortunately the decanter was empty. Patience will be rewarded with this delicious wine. Also, interestingly for this year, they used a lightly green tinted bottle, so the color you see from the bottle is the very dark cab itself.
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5/17/2014 - TEKinsider wrote: 94 Points
Drank another bottle at Cellarmasters today with the wine crowd. Decanted for 1hr and drank across 3. Super sweet notes of caramel and milk chocolate. The longer the decant the more it tastes like a caramel chocolate milkshake. I know, I know a lot of you will poo poo it for that comment but it is strangely addictive and yummy!!!
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5/15/2014 - SMZ wrote: 90 Points
Tasted the wine last night.....way too young (I'll probably wait five years to open my three bottles), but I could tell this wine has a lot of potential.
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5/13/2014 - TEKinsider wrote: 93 Points
Got my first shipment today and couldn't resist opening a bottle. Popped and poured. I taste a lot of wine futures and like to drink wines across their lifespan. While this wine is not a "wine future" it is young and a bit disjointed similar to a freshly bottled wine (possible mild bottle shock as well from shipping). Nonetheless there are classic Caymus characteristics Present. Nose: strong aromatics of sweet young black fruit, milk chocolate, cedar and vanilla. Palate: highly extracted blackberries, slightly bitter red fruit, currants, vanilla, cedar, mocha and chocolate. Mouthfeel: Soft silky tannins, light fruit weight, thin mid palate with a relatively long warm finish. Overall, a bit disjointed at this phase, but has the potential to turn into a very nice fruit forward classic warm vintage Caymus. I don't think structurally this one is for long term aging, but given a few years in the cellar to integrate this should lead to a very enjoyable wine. 93-95pts. I'll revisit this same bottle tomorrow and any relevant updates.
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5/12/2014 - HaraldS Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Oh Boy; A disclaimer first of all, I do like structured wines where large fruit is balanced with acidity and finishes off with some substantial but well integrated tannins. So keep in mind, Caymus is not quite up my alley! However, I still like previous Caymus Cabs- they were typically fruit forward with a mellow mid palate but pretty balanced overall.
I usually don't post my tasting notes and never post such low scores. However, we had this at a wine tasting with 6 or 7 other people. It was totally out of balance. The smell of vanilla and cheese cake was overpowering. It tasted just like it smelled. None of us could get over the candy sweetness, vanilla taste and the utter lack of mid palate. Others called it over extracted, reeking of melolactic fermentation. Most of us poured the wine down the drain.
In short, this is more like a bad dessert wine. If you normally like Caymus, dont waste your money. If you have bought it, drink it soon, because it doesnt have enough acidity or tannins to make this an aging wine. Sorry!
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5/6/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Emmolo Tasting with Jenny Wagner (Gibson's Steakhouse - Chicago): Showing very nicely. Blackberries, blueberries fig and black olive. Creamy, oak and lots of fresh milk chocolate. Very aromatic.
Some spice but mostly lots of fruit up front. Obvious Napa styling. Hedonistic and quite enjoyable.
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