Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

I think if you read this nonsense I post, you know how I feel about this producer, past & present. This 07 is outstanding & top of its bell curve. It is so good to revisit these great vintages of Caymus Classic.

This is fresher than the 97. It is rich/lush, cassis to currents, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, classic, beautiful, Caymus Classic spice that I miss dearly in their new wines, black licorice, fudge, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanillin, most top soil, limestone, dry herbs, dry tobacco, barrel shavings, taut leather, volcanic grey clay, dark, fresh & slightly withering flowers, violets, beautiful round acidity, balance, structure, nice tension and elegant finish that last minutes and falls on spice and evoluted earth tones.

This bottle is in fine shape. Still strong and will last another 10 years of fine drinking. Phenomenal vintage and time to enjoy. — a month ago

Brandon Boesch

9.7

Unbelievable. So much flavor, so light yet good texture and long finish. Probably my favorite. — 3 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

4/2025. Good wine. Full of flavor. Nice to drink. Paired well with the short rib at Mr. Friendly’s — 3 months ago

Vino Joe

9.7

Even more fantastic than the previous bottle of 2010 I enjoyed a year ago. Decanted and enjoyed over 7 hours. This was good from first pour but became great and then magnificent over the next 3.5 and 7 hours. It was still full of verve on the last sip! Early only it was more dark fruit but over time the wines softened and became a bit sweeter and rounder. Tremendous length and complexity. — 3 months ago

Vijay Parikh

9.3

With a 2 hour decant (needs 3) the 2000 Lalanden has noticeable Petit Verdot and pales in comparison to its sibling the Baron in this vintage. Still a very good wine! — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon colour . This is showing a little more complex and detailed than the last time . Lemon rind , crushed rocks , ginger and white flowers , touch of brioche also . On the palate a bit more dense , but with good balanced acidity and lemon rind , brioche , ginger and toasty , mineral finish. Drinkable now , though best days will be in 5-10 years time , though I don’t think this will be as long lived as the 2012 . — 5 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

So rounded and glossy. High toned with black cherry and some mocha and good acidity. Excellent stuff. — 2 months ago

with Rick

Jan A

9.5

Still a little bit greenish tones (not distracting), plateau'ed. Good freshness — 2 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2008 | 17 years, great drinking but also potential to ripen further. Real Pauillac character: strong wine with good structure, cherries and mint. — 3 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.3

Deep purple color. Aromas of raspberry, cherry cola and cedar. This one is still young and a little tight- definitely needs more time or decanting. Very good flavors of red fruit, spices and oak finish.

95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.1% Merlot, 1.4% Cabernet Franc, 0.7% Petit Verdot, 0.6% Malbec

🏅94 Points- Decanter — 3 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby with aromas of blue & black fruits, sweet spice & slight mineral character. A blend of mostly Cab Sauvignon with small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot & Cab Franc from their estate-owned Napa Valley vineyards, aged 18 months French (62%) & American oak (38%) (about 50% new). Palate, complex flavors, blackberry, plums & cherry with sweet spice, oak & tobacco notes. Well balanced with good acidity & developing tannins. Full-bodied, long finish ending with pepper & wood spice. Nice! — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium deep ruby , thinner rim. Quite deep and spicy nose , dark fruits , quite classic . On the palate quite dense , but rounded and suave tannin . Quite dense and meaty after a while , long and really well balanced , good length and a mineral , slate tinged finish. In this flight this was quite obvious as Latour , just the structure and density marked it out . This is a good Latour to enjoy at the moment , the tannin is polished, good freshness and density. No rush however I expect this to continue well for a least another decade , maybe more — 5 months ago

Alexandre Czesnat

8.9

BlackBerry, Oak, Tobbaco aromas, chocolate, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon with really good quality — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

From mag. soft raspberry fruit. Slightly tart. Very good purity. A little light compared to the wines alongside — 2 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

It is really no surprise that this 05 is incredible and yet still extremely youthful. This 05 will out live almost anyone 50 years old. It is good for another 45 years.

I had their 16 La Dame last weekend & commented it should not be opened for another 10 years.

The core on the nose is dark velvet black currants. There’s a bit of melted dark chocolate-mousse. Ripe but subtle blackberries, black raspberries, black plum-plum pudding, very dark cherries, some mulberries, mocha powder, dark, rich earth, dry river stone, limestone, anise, mix of dry/fresh herbs, fine, undertone of baking spices, moist grey clay, slightly dry tobacco, sandalwood, mild, elegant spice, just the slightest hint of mint, very, slightly candied, dark, withering flowers & red roses.

The palate is rich, round with velvety M+ tannins. The core is dark fruits blended in melted dark-mocha chocolate. Blackberries, black raspberries, both plums w/ heavy skin, dark cherries, poached to slightly baked strawberries & raspberries over the top. Dry bay leaf-sage, moist clay, rich, dark, turned earth, dry river stone, limestone powder, stem inclusion, red licorice/cola, anise to black licorice candy, sandalwood to soft cedar, slightly moist tobacco, used leather, mild, dark spice, a touch & just a touch of tomato leaf, hints of cardamom, dark/red withering flowers with just a touch of violets, perfect acidity and a very well knitted, tensioned, balanced, structured, elegantly polished finish that last two-minutes and lands on nice earthiness & softly muddled spice.

Paired w/ their bone-in Ribeye. Best steakhouse steak that I’ve had out and not made by friends and or myself. Rich fat, tender and nice flavor. Lacks a bit of char and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com.

Open in another 15-20 years.

A real shot at a 💯 in another 15-20+.

@Delmonico Steakhouse Las Vegas — 2 months ago

David Weir

9.0

Easy drinking delicious garnacha. Great value. — 4 months ago

Michele La

9.6

Will definitely buy this bottle again. — 4 months ago

Maggie Barnard

9.5

earthy deep flavors — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .

This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines ! — 5 months ago