Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2022
Wagner Family of Wine (Caymus Vineyards, est. 1972) · Caymus Vineyards, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon is what happens when five decades of patience in the vineyard meet an unwavering commitment to a single vision. Chuck Wagner's approach is simple in concept and demanding in execution: wait for the fruit to reach perfect ripeness, blend across multiple Napa sub-appellations for complexity, and give the wine enough oak to frame the fruit without overwhelming it. Critics have debated the Caymus style for years — some find it too ripe, too rich, too crowd-pleasing — but the marketplace has settled the argument: this is one of the most consistently sought-after California Cabernets in existence. The 2022 vintage continues the tradition — dark, plush, generous, and built for the table rather than the cellar. Wagner's genius is making a wine that feels effortless, but that effortlessness comes from 50 years of learning what patience in the vineyard actually means.
Nose
Ripe blackberry, dark cherry, cassis, vanilla, cocoa powder, sweet cedar, and a warm, baked berry quality that signals the extended hang time Wagner is famous for.
Palate
Rich, round, and fruit-forward — dark plum, blackberry jam, milk chocolate, sweet oak, baking spice, and a plush, velvety texture. The tannins are ripe and soft, giving the wine immediate approachability without sacrificing structure.
Finish
Long and smooth with lingering dark fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, and a cocoa-dusted sweetness that persists well after the last sip.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Blend
- Cabernet Sauvignon (primarily), with small amounts of complementary varietals
- Vineyards
- Multi-vineyard blend from eight Napa Valley sub-appellations
Cocktail Suggestion
Cocktail — The Napa Sangria: 1 bottle Caymus Cabernet · 2 oz brandy · 1 oz Cointreau · 2 oz fresh orange juice · seasonal dark fruits (plums, blackberries, cherries). Combine in a pitcher, refrigerate 4–8 hours. Serve over ice with a cinnamon stick. The wine's richness makes a deeply satisfying sangria — but only if you're patient enough to let it rest.
Food Pairing
Pair with: Prime ribeye steak with a red wine reduction and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The Caymus was built for this — the wine's dark fruit and soft tannins envelop the marbled beef, and the reduction intensifies the pairing into something transcendent.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Ferrer Bobet Priorat Vinyes Velles 2018
Ferrer Bobet
Ferrer Bobet's old-vine Priorat bottling captures the essence of warmth radiating from ancient llicorella slate — a wine that speaks before you find the words. This 2018 has reached a gorgeous drinking window where concentration meets elegance, offering serious depth at a price that undercuts many of its Priorat peers. A bottle built for contemplation beside a low fire.
Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille's Bourgogne Rouge is a masterclass in what restraint can achieve at the regional level — no excess, no artifice, just transparent Pinot Noir from one of Burgundy's most principled estates. It embodies the theme of clarity through constraint: a wine that finds its beauty in what it withholds rather than what it offers. An essential benchmark for understanding why less, in Burgundy, is always more.
Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie
Calabretta
Calabretta's old-vine Nerello Mascalese is a masterclass in how air and altitude sculpt a wine—vineyards perched high on Etna's slopes channel wind and volcanic breath into the glass. This is traditional Etna winemaking at its most soulful: no shortcuts, no polish, just pure terroir captured by a family that has farmed the same contrada for generations. A hauntingly beautiful wine that rewards patience and contemplation.
Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve Rouge 2022
Perrin
The Perrin family's Réserve Rouge remains one of the Rhône's most reliable everyday reds, delivering genuine terroir character at a fraction of the cost of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape holdings. It captures the warmth of a late November harvest—generous, grounding, and quietly soulful. A wine that pairs as well with weeknight suppers as it does with the season's final fireside gatherings.