Jan A

9.5

Young, wait 5-10y — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer. — 7 months ago

Philippe Thibault

9.0

Classic Comtesse de Lalande. Nose of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully, this wine is still young but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. — 9 years ago

Laurence Feraud

8.9

Too young — 10 years ago

Jake Kimar

9.3

Dark fruits, dusty tannins, lively and focused on the palate. Not bad for 38 years young. — 10 years ago

Jeff Dodd

9.4

Still so young #rosesandthornes — 11 years ago

with Molly and Kelly

Ryan Dolan

9.0

Great blend of character for a young wine — 11 years ago

Matt Wilson

9.4

Tight and young but my god the fruit is divine. A benchmark of the best Napa can offer. — 11 years ago

Cody Short

8.9

Too young and not giving up much right now. Lots of potential but some red fruits and wood most prevalent. — 12 years ago

Mike Evans

9.5

Just a brilliant Bordeaux, classic Pauillac and drinking young but well. — 6 months ago

Jan A

9.7

Young ish, wait 5 years — 10 months ago

Eric

9.4

Wow. Some kind of quality. Nose was amazing and the palate evolved throughout the lifespan of the glass. So impressive how young this still was. — 7 years ago

Alex Hughes

9.3

Intense dark cherry with a long finish. Oak is well integrated + well developed tertiary aromas/flavors. Tannins were surprisingly soft for a Dunn this young. — 8 years ago

Neil Maiers

9.1

Young, dark, savory, smokey and delicious. — 9 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Extremely pure fruit. Raspberrys, iron, iodene. Very pure, intense and long. Lovely juice. Young with great herbaceous notes. In a few years this will be gorgeous. — 10 years ago

with Lindsay

Bruce Baldinger

9.1

Just too young yet. — 10 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.6

Young Bonneau du Martray; just linear, oak though a big presence is layered, nose awfully restrained and fruit basically hidden until it evolves some more; try in a decade maybe two; so slight but so tight; acid tucked behind the wood too; an evolution to happen; great Corton; an even better site when I drove past this vineyard in May this year; #drinkFrance #drinkburgundy #côtedor #cortoncharlemagne #corton #bonneaudumartray #grandcru #domaine #2009 #uncorkedandcultivated #wineandfoodtours #France2016 — 11 years ago

Ehren Jordan

Owner/Winemaker Failla Wines

9.1

Young and tight. — 11 years ago

Bradley P. Friedman

9.5

Baking spice and tart black cherry. Too young but it's showing pretty well - 2007 — 12 years ago

Red Wine Lovers

9.5

Very complex with layers of bold fruit, anise, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, and a lingering sanguine finish. This wine has such finesse and elegance at a young age. — 13 years ago

Jesse Clemente

9.7

2017 showed nicely - young. Drank on EA with GG — 7 months ago

Carl D.

9.2

Still quite young. — 9 months ago

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

9.0

Tasting Group 5/24/20. 2-meter café @ Corison Winery. My 3rd, Group 1st. Brett but still fruity. Red currants. Nice acidity — 6 years ago

Mike Evans

9.4

Pure currant fruit, nimble with good concentration, still on the young side, aging very gracefully. — 8 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.7

Wow... so young... so much promise... Terrific. — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 10 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.8

85 P3 in Mag loved this! So young and fresh showing roasted nuts and dried fruits — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2001 vintage. Lovely youthful notes here. Still way too young. Plummy and mixed berries, some smokey oak, mulberries. On the palate, medium body, tannins are well integrated, hints of black pepper and nutmeg. White chocolate. Yummy despite its youthfulness. Open in 2025. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Likely the best Artemis Stag's Leap has ever made. Ripe blackberries, boysenberries, black plum, cinnamon, dark chocolate, vanilla toasted oak and caramel finish. It's not as fresh as we've had at the winery. Starting to close down in the bottle. This entry level Stag's Leap is better at this young stage than most of their 2011's. At $40, an extreme value. Can't wait to try it again in 8-10 years! — 12 years ago

Paul Einbund

Wine Director/Sommelier Frances

9.0

Tight and young but perfect as evah — 12 years ago