It has been over 7 years since I last tried a bottle. Took about an hour and a half for the funk to wear off leaving a palate of dark plums, tobacco, wood and earth. The earth dominates the finish.
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Root Day - decanted off about 2 tablespoons of sediment. Still garnet in colour. The nose has both savoury and dried fruit elements. Tannins are fully resolved and there’s excellent acidity giving it life still. The palate showcased dried fruit, black fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and minerality. An amazing bottle with lots of life left in it. I wish Caymus made wines like this still.
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Pulled this wine out of my cellar as I have been trying to drink up my older stuff. This bottle has been cellared at 55 degrees since I obtained it on release. Poured a glass with my Coravin. Color was still garnet, not an older wine look. Nice nose. Fruit very much present without tannin. Shocking-still drinking great. Glad I have 6 more! The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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My final bottle of this, and I didn't realize that I still had it until a few months ago. Opened, but not decanted, after standing it upright for a day. Really enjoyed it. The cork came out looking pristine, and the color was a very dark red. The nose was immediately there with big floral notes a lot of fruit left. The Tannins were barely there, as the wine was definitely soft after all these years. After an hour there were some notes of stewed fruit (as noted by a previous poster).
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Had it in my cellar for 20 years and decided to pop a bottle. We pnp'd at lunch. Had a little trouble with the cork but got it out in two pieces, fruit on the nose, the palate was plum, dried flowers a touch of cedar with fully integrated tannins. The finish was of moderate length and extremely smooth. There is lots of sediment so using a vintorio or decanting through a vinturi is advisable. It was well worth waiting all these years to drink and in checking my inventory I have 4 more to look forward to.
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Hillside - Dirty Habit - Nopa (SF): Slight pyrazines and suggestion of earth/Brett. Savory nose with blackcurrant and olive. Very nice nose! In the mouth: bold and medium-plus body with elevated tannins and elevated acid. Blueberry, pomegranate, cherry, and blackcurrant. Acid sticks out a bit to me - maybe acidified? But other than that very nice.
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I had this wine after it had plenty of air (equivalent of a several hour decant to say the least). The color is still quite dark - some slight bricking on the edges but barely perceptible. My first impression on the nose was that there is still a lot of fruit here. Sure it is leaning towards the baked, stewed side, but its a quarter century old. Baked plum and black cherry. The nose also offers a lot of oaky notes - cedar and dill namely, very well integrated. Nice acidity - med+. Tannins are perceptible but totally integrated. This would be a great wine to pair with a tenderloin of beef. Finish is impressive, if it times it can bring out the slight stewiness of the fruit - this is why I'm only giving it 92.
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A smooth wine at this point with well integrated tannins. A sweetness to the front palate with cherry and plum, but a notable lack of secondary characteristics. While there is some dry soil and old leather on the nose, these characteristics do not show up on the palate. Performing just fine at almost 25 years of age, but too one dimensional for me. An acceptable pairing with duck with bitter orange.
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Bought from new. Rested up from cellar for 24h before opening. 33% decanted 33% from the bottle 33% tasted from the bottle 12h later. This wine is typically Napa. The integration of fruit and tannins is near perfect right now abut will improve further as the oak needs to mellow a tiny bit more. The decanted wine was best. It looked like a 10y wine. Nose of vanilla and leather. The mouthfil was opulent and complex with a great length. Caymus vineyards merit all its accolades.
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Interesting wine. At first I thought it was tired and not performing anymore, but it really has held strong with the fruit and has pretty strong sour plums, cherry, and an almost fruit punch type of flavor on the finish. It is actually drinking fine, but I just don't think this wine was ever anything special.
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Forward. Sour cherry mash, yellow plum, bay leaf, touch of barn yard, leather, intense fruit flavour, great acidity, long balanced, totally resolved tannins. Very enjoyable and nowhere near dead.
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We drank the Caymus 1991, The Dead Arm 2005 and Beringer Napa 2004 on the annual golf trip. No surprises on the tastings - The Caymus has held up well, the color was slightly brown on the edge but in real good shape, the body was medium, the fruit and oak was light and enjoyable. We had this one first as if it were a Pinot to start the evening. The Dead Arm was the third wine the first evening and it was awsome! I love Oak and it had plenty, the fruit was also well pronounced, the wine was very dry but balanced and the body and color was perfect. The Beringer Napa Cab we drank on the second night as the third wine. It definately had a nice oak flavor, Very enjoyable! Ii is less balanced then the Dead Arm. Of the last two the Dead Arm seemed to have plenty of life left and the Beringer was drinking at it's peak.
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We had one of the 1991 and 2005 Caymus Napa's. Amazing that the 1991 can still hold up. The 1991 had Good color, light body but still clear. The wine was soft up front, not much complexity but finished with a bacon type flavor that lingered. Greatwine experience! The 2005 is drinking really well - Dence, packed with dark fruits with an oak finish that lingers for 3 to 4 seconds after finishing. Great wine to drink now and for another year or so.
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This wine has held up amazingly well. On the nose and in the mouth, it was a surprisingly more Bordeaux-style than we recalled. Definite notes of graphite or perhaps tobacco. The tannins have softened, but still good fruit. Not a dense wine, but really very well made--great balance, smooth with appropriate proportions of fruit, tannin acid.
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Opened with friends at dinner last nite in my restaurant...App-still deep red with some purple hints, med. plus intensity, appeared 3-5 yrs in age (5 pts). Nose-clean, fruit forward, violets, cassis, blackberry, spice, slight earth, toast (12 pts) Palate-silky, tannins resolved, med. acid, med plus alcohol, balanced, still plump, dark raspberry, cassis, cedar, oak spice, (16 pts) Overall-nice blend of primary and secondary flavors, remarkable youth, very enjoyable (8 pts) Total-91 pts
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had with the 90,92,93,94 bottle opened for about 2 hrs then poured, after the first 5-10 minutes in the glass the fruit was rushing forward red fruit and after about 4 hours the fruit was still showing beautifully sweet tannins more pronounced thru the drinking span great wine
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Slight earthiness permeates the opening black cherry which gives way to a mouthful of sweet black cherry, plum and an even bigger creamy toasty oak on a long smooth seductive finish.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dark and dense. Graphite, dark fruit, moderate tannins have indeed evened out and mellowed at this point. Drinking well right now. I have a few bottles left that I'll likely consume over the next 2 years.
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i have had this wine since release, it was great, tannins gave way to a nice even mouthful of fruit that has certinly mellowed over time. i wasnt sure how much life would be left in this wine i had called the winery and there wasnt anybody who had tasted this wine in a long time. if stored properly this wine will last another 3-5 years. we tasted next to a 91 insignia which was much bigger however the caymus more thenheld its own.
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This wine had an earthy nose, with dark fruit and tobaccco. Lots left in this wine, and the complexity showed as it sat in the glass. Smooth, smooth finish.
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10/13/2023 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
It has been over 7 years since I last tried a bottle. Took about an hour and a half for the funk to wear off leaving a palate of dark plums, tobacco, wood and earth. The earth dominates the finish.
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12/27/2021 - biggie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Root Day - decanted off about 2 tablespoons of sediment. Still garnet in colour. The nose has both savoury and dried fruit elements. Tannins are fully resolved and there’s excellent acidity giving it life still. The palate showcased dried fruit, black fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and minerality. An amazing bottle with lots of life left in it. I wish Caymus made wines like this still.
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4/16/2020 - bplace wrote: 92 Points
Pulled this wine out of my cellar as I have been trying to drink up my older stuff. This bottle has been cellared at 55 degrees since I obtained it on release. Poured a glass with my Coravin. Color was still garnet, not an older wine look. Nice nose. Fruit very much present without tannin. Shocking-still drinking great. Glad I have 6 more!
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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4/8/2020 - gmkwine wrote:
Tt
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10/31/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
My final bottle of this, and I didn't realize that I still had it until a few months ago. Opened, but not decanted, after standing it upright for a day. Really enjoyed it. The cork came out looking pristine, and the color was a very dark red. The nose was immediately there with big floral notes a lot of fruit left. The Tannins were barely there, as the wine was definitely soft after all these years. After an hour there were some notes of stewed fruit (as noted by a previous poster).
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8/25/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had it in my cellar for 20 years and decided to pop a bottle. We pnp'd at lunch. Had a little trouble with the cork but got it out in two pieces, fruit on the nose, the palate was plum, dried flowers a touch of cedar with fully integrated tannins. The finish was of moderate length and extremely smooth. There is lots of sediment so using a vintorio or decanting through a vinturi is advisable. It was well worth waiting all these years to drink and in checking my inventory I have 4 more to look forward to.
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7/16/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
Hillside - Dirty Habit - Nopa (SF): Slight pyrazines and suggestion of earth/Brett. Savory nose with blackcurrant and olive. Very nice nose!
In the mouth: bold and medium-plus body with elevated tannins and elevated acid. Blueberry, pomegranate, cherry, and blackcurrant. Acid sticks out a bit to me - maybe acidified? But other than that very nice.
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6/30/2016 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Earthy, darkest color of the flight, chocolate and plums. Holding up well.
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4/1/2016 - TuscanSon Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had this wine after it had plenty of air (equivalent of a several hour decant to say the least). The color is still quite dark - some slight bricking on the edges but barely perceptible. My first impression on the nose was that there is still a lot of fruit here. Sure it is leaning towards the baked, stewed side, but its a quarter century old. Baked plum and black cherry. The nose also offers a lot of oaky notes - cedar and dill namely, very well integrated. Nice acidity - med+. Tannins are perceptible but totally integrated. This would be a great wine to pair with a tenderloin of beef. Finish is impressive, if it times it can bring out the slight stewiness of the fruit - this is why I'm only giving it 92.
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4/17/2015 - Chip & Susanne Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sadly, waited too long to enjoy. Decanting helped but fruit is pretty much gone. Hints of its former elegance there, but only hints
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3/28/2015 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
A smooth wine at this point with well integrated tannins. A sweetness to the front palate with cherry and plum, but a notable lack of secondary characteristics. While there is some dry soil and old leather on the nose, these characteristics do not show up on the palate. Performing just fine at almost 25 years of age, but too one dimensional for me. An acceptable pairing with duck with bitter orange.
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12/25/2014 - sathome Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bought from new. Rested up from cellar for 24h before opening. 33% decanted 33% from the bottle 33% tasted from the bottle 12h later. This wine is typically Napa. The integration of fruit and tannins is near perfect right now abut will improve further as the oak needs to mellow a tiny bit more. The decanted wine was best. It looked like a 10y wine. Nose of vanilla and leather. The mouthfil was opulent and complex with a great length. Caymus vineyards merit all its accolades.
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12/23/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 87 Points
Interesting wine. At first I thought it was tired and not performing anymore, but it really has held strong with the fruit and has pretty strong sour plums, cherry, and an almost fruit punch type of flavor on the finish. It is actually drinking fine, but I just don't think this wine was ever anything special.
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12/25/2013 - Milos Likes this wine: 91 Points
Forward. Sour cherry mash, yellow plum, bay leaf, touch of barn yard, leather, intense fruit flavour, great acidity, long balanced, totally resolved tannins. Very enjoyable and nowhere near dead.
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11/17/2013 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
Still drinking nicely, but it's days are numbered.
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9/3/2012 - rhh wrote: 92 Points
all spice, plum, long finish
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7/7/2012 - Tambo248 wrote: 92 Points
good nose, not exploding but very definety black currant and hint of cherries and tar. smooth tannins, easy, depth on finish, great mid palate
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12/11/2011 - rben_mvp wrote: 93 Points
This was so good. Complex, savory, long finish. Awesome with food.
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11/25/2011 - KeyMaster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Souper "à la bonne franquette" Novembre 2011 (Jean-Pierre et Jannick): Vraiment superbe! Style très Bordeaux ou super toscan. Tellement facile à boire! Quelques années devant lui encore.
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3/20/2011 - kj_millar wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic!
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12/18/2010 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 91 Points
Mature, well rounded, and expresses classic Bordeauc character (from a California wine!?!?!). And my father-in-law loved it.
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9/25/2010 - bryon m wrote: 90 Points
We drank the Caymus 1991, The Dead Arm 2005 and Beringer Napa 2004 on the annual golf trip. No surprises on the tastings - The Caymus has held up well, the color was slightly brown on the edge but in real good shape, the body was medium, the fruit and oak was light and enjoyable. We had this one first as if it were a Pinot to start the evening. The Dead Arm was the third wine the first evening and it was awsome! I love Oak and it had plenty, the fruit was also well pronounced, the wine was very dry but balanced and the body and color was perfect. The Beringer Napa Cab we drank on the second night as the third wine. It definately had a nice oak flavor, Very enjoyable! Ii is less balanced then the Dead Arm. Of the last two the Dead Arm seemed to have plenty of life left and the Beringer was drinking at it's peak.
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6/18/2010 - BradE wrote:
Great shape, holding up surprisingly well. Somewhat one dimensional.
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2/16/2010 - bryon m wrote: 90 Points
We had one of the 1991 and 2005 Caymus Napa's. Amazing that the 1991 can still hold up. The 1991 had Good color, light body but still clear. The wine was soft up front, not much complexity but finished with a bacon type flavor that lingered. Greatwine experience! The 2005 is drinking really well - Dence, packed with dark fruits with an oak finish that lingers for 3 to 4 seconds after finishing. Great wine to drink now and for another year or so.
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5/10/2009 - amred wrote: 92 Points
This wine has held up amazingly well. On the nose and in the mouth, it was a surprisingly more Bordeaux-style than we recalled. Definite notes of graphite or perhaps tobacco. The tannins have softened, but still good fruit. Not a dense wine, but really very well made--great balance, smooth with appropriate proportions of fruit, tannin acid.
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2/21/2009 - Jack wrote: 88 Points
Good but past it's prime.
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11/1/2008 - BradE wrote:
Great condition. Good fruit, also had a sweet trait that was too pronounced.
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4/14/2008 - MCL wrote: 91 Points
No oxidation; very good fruit; not complex but very good; still has years ahead of it. Amazing.
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2/14/2008 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Poor storage for the past 10 years but this still showed well. I was surprised.
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10/22/2007 - shine wrote: 92 Points
Still full of fruit. Very enjoyable but not especially complex. Medium finish.
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2/16/2007 - lstevens wrote: 91 Points
Opened with friends at dinner last nite in my restaurant...App-still deep red with some purple hints, med. plus intensity, appeared 3-5 yrs in age (5 pts). Nose-clean, fruit forward, violets, cassis, blackberry, spice, slight earth, toast (12 pts) Palate-silky, tannins resolved, med. acid, med plus alcohol, balanced, still plump, dark raspberry, cassis, cedar, oak spice, (16 pts)
Overall-nice blend of primary and secondary flavors, remarkable youth, very enjoyable (8 pts) Total-91 pts
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2/8/2007 - cgrimes wrote: flawed
Wine Club BYO (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Oxydized but still showed some good, port-wine like qualities and gentle tannins.
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1/13/2007 - dd wrote:
had with the 90,92,93,94 bottle opened for about 2 hrs then poured, after the first 5-10 minutes in the glass the fruit was rushing forward red fruit and after about 4 hours the fruit was still showing beautifully sweet tannins more pronounced thru the drinking span great wine
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4/9/2006 - rmcnees wrote: 92 Points
Slight earthiness permeates the opening black cherry which gives way to a mouthful of sweet black cherry, plum and an even bigger creamy toasty oak on a long smooth seductive finish.
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3/22/2006 - AZ Wine Lover wrote: 98 Points
This was incredible...well worth the wait, but would definately want to drink them up before 2007
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1/14/2006 - NeuroDoc wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dark and dense. Graphite, dark fruit, moderate tannins have indeed evened out and mellowed at this point. Drinking well right now. I have a few bottles left that I'll likely consume over the next 2 years.
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3/29/2005 - dd wrote:
i have had this wine since release, it was great, tannins gave way to a nice even mouthful of fruit that has certinly mellowed over time. i wasnt sure how much life would be left in this wine i had called the winery and there wasnt anybody who had tasted this wine in a long time. if stored properly this wine will last another 3-5 years. we tasted next to a 91 insignia which was much bigger however the caymus more thenheld its own.
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7/1/2003 - Tom_B wrote: 93 Points
This wine had an earthy nose, with dark fruit and tobaccco. Lots left in this wine, and the complexity showed as it sat in the glass. Smooth, smooth finish.
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