"Odedi"

9.5

It's time for a celebration!

Inky in color with short reddish/purplish rim.

Gorgeous nose of sweet blueberries, blackberries, black plum preserve, dried figs, mediterranean spices, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, light alcohol, herbs, peppercorn, eucalyptus and light black tea.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cedar, licorice, chocolates, dried figs, light bitter herbs, light earth, cola, light vegetables, spices and tobacco leaf.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This young Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is drinking beautifully already. Rich and fruit forward. Complex and interesting.

Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Spicy, tangy and entertaining. Majestic, with good structure.

Good right out of the bottle and so much better after 3 hours in the decanter.

Already showing a very complex nose, even at this young age. Very impressive.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years. Has good potential to become a 97+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$175. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Getting ready to leave France, so let's go out with a bang! It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, light vegetables, licorice, chocolates, coffee and light peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cherries, plums, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, light vegetables, black pepper, tobacco leaf, earth and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 8 year old Merlot based blend is still very young. In most vintages, it is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, but in the 2017 vintage it was a little different.

Spicy and entertaining. Well balanced and complex, but a little tight and restraint right now. Much earthier than I expected it to be.

Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

A good food wine right now, that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Aged in (70% New) French oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — 10 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Caymus Vineyards – Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Special Selection is Caymus’ flagship bottling, the only wine to twice earn Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year.” The 2013 vintage comes from a benchmark Napa year—warm, consistent, and producing deeply concentrated fruit. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from prime valley-floor sites, this wine showcases the Caymus hallmark: bold, plush, and fruit-driven Napa opulence.

Aromas & Flavors
Opulent blackberries, cassis, and baked blueberries, wrapped in layers of cocoa, espresso, and toasted vanilla. Secondary notes of licorice, sweet tobacco, and graphite add depth. With time in the glass, hints of cedar and leather start to show, signaling the early stages of graceful evolution.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and richly textured, almost velvet-like, with powerful yet polished tannins. The 2013 vintage delivers intensity and weight, but with balance—long, lingering finish loaded with ripe dark fruit and spice.

Winemaking Notes
Meticulous cluster selection, long maceration for depth, and extended aging in new French oak barrels (18+ months). Chuck Wagner’s hallmark style: unapologetically ripe fruit, creamy oak integration, and a seamless, approachable structure even in youth.

Food Pairing
A natural match for grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or herb-crusted lamb. For a more indulgent pairing, try it with aged Gouda or truffle-infused dishes.

Verdict
A monumental vintage of Caymus Special Selection—ripe, hedonistic, and still showing youthful vigor more than a decade later. Built for aging, yet already a crowd-pleaser. A benchmark expression of Napa Cabernet’s luxurious side.

Personal Pick Highlight
2013 stands out as one of Napa’s greatest modern vintages, and tasting it now is like catching Caymus in its prime sweet spot: power meeting polish. Cheers! — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

No formal notes. Maybe slightly less dense ruby, wider rim . More refined and quite elegant , medium bodied , slightly more cooler greener fruits . This quite aromatic initially, mix of red and dark hedgerow fruits . A little more refined and small boned , perhaps a little light a shorter than others . This was impressive out of the gate , aromatic and charming quite mineral also , though it was the only wine that faded a little with time in the glass . This appears to be at its peak though probably will remain here for another 5 -10 years perhaps — 9 months ago

Kurt Schuster

9.0

Start out incredibly rich and concentrated, and with tongue coating tans, but after a couple of hours really opened up to show some delicate fruit and savory flavors. The nose also started out incredibly intense and a little jammy, but cleared with time to become something much more delicate and lovely with flowers and cold fruits and Deliciousness.  — 10 months ago

with Denise

"Odedi"

9.1

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of blue and black fruits with light oak, licorice, tobacco and chocolates.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, black cherries, light oak, spices, dark chocolates, herbs, coffee, licorice, peppercorn and pencil lead.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 4-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is drinking nicely now with nice complexity.

Soft, elegant and easy drinking. Showing nice complexity, tangy and interesting. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. I gave it 90 minutes in the decanter. Shows a very pretty nose once it opens up.

Not your typical Napa Cabernet, as it is more in the Left Bank Bordeaux Style.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2018 vintage. Last tasted 04.08.23 (9.5), 12.01.22 from a 375ml (9.5) and upon release 06.07.21 (9.5). Decanted and tasted after 45 minutes. Mysterious, dark-fruited and dusty nose. Medium body with excellent darkness of night color. Previous baby-fat overtures approximately 90% gonzo. Slimming down and getting more toned. In a state of transition with undeniable tension that can easily be misconstrued as underperforming. Last wine I tasted that was under this sort of metamorphosis at this level was the 1996 Pichon-Lalande about 1.5 years ago. Such a privilege to experience world-class wines in such a vulnerable moment. Everything is laid out bare/naked before you and you can see where the wine is headed and whether it will be following a trajectory that agrees with you. Definitely unusual to find this occurring in a wine this youthful but the 21st Century is smashing the old 20th Century clay tablets and digitizing. For most wine enthusiasts sampling this wine now, expecting some disappointment in the scoring. For myself, this is currently in the perfect symmetry of past, present and future. Will it show critically better in the future according to the accepted trials, palates, judges and juries? Probably. Will they experience the potential, doubts, insecurities and questions? Doubtful. This kid stays in this exact picture for another 2-4 years imho before striking another pose and I would love to taste this again during that time frame. An above and beyond thank you to FLB (Friday Lunch Bunch) regular Todd. 08.15.25. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon yellow , fine bubbles . Quite restrained and mineral focused on the nose , then lemon confit , quince, touch of orange flowers, with some pastry notes , white flowers , honeysuckle also . Quite intense and mineral on the palate , fills out well with some lemon oil and pastry notes also , but this is reserved and elegant in style , more mineral , chalky and more intense than the 2013 had last week. Really refreshing acidity . Long and complex on the finish , I would imagine this needs more time than the 2013 too. Come back in 5 years , will show well for a further 10-15 years , perhaps longer. Very promising . — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Dark inky in color with a reddish rim.

Very pretty nose with black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, Indian spices, cola and light black tea.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, chocolates, toast, light vanilla, dark coffee, Indian spices, light cola licorice and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious 9 year old Merlot from Columbia Valley. Rich and extracted. Spicy and entertaining.

Peaking now and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 3 hours of airtime.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Smooth and elegant. Fruit forward and tangy. The high alcohol is well integrated by now.

Good by itself as a sipping wine.

A blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in (85% new) French Oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$75. — 9 months ago