Love it or love to hate it, everyone knows Caymus. The iconic Napa Valley winery, founded by the Wagner family in 1972, recently celebrated its commendable 50 years of operation. Despite its contentious reputation among sommeliers and wine nerds, the continued success of the family-owned brand is irrefutably impressive. From its signature Cabernet Sauvignon to its esteemed Special Selection bottling and even its second label Bonanza (affectionately referred to as “baby Caymus”), the brand and its wines are wildly popular across the U.S.
To commemorate its half-century of winemaking, the Wagner family added another bottle to the Caymus portfolio: the 50th Anniversary Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2022 vintage. It’s unclear if there’s anything concrete that differentiates this wine from a typical bottle of Caymus Cab, aside from the family photo and sentimenal message from Caymus owner and winemaker Chuck Wagner printed on its label. To see how it stacks up against the rest of the line, we tasted the special release. Here’s what we thought.
Caymus is known for its bold wines, and as expected, this liquid appears dark in the glass. The nose is jammy with dark plum and blackberry notes coated in a layer of vanilla. Together, the aromas are reminiscent of stewed plums, or a somewhat nostalgic throwback to puréed, fruit-based baby food.
The palate is plush and fruit-forward (and yes, maybe a little saccharine) with more dark fruit notes accented by a touch of oak. The website states that the tasting notes show “evidence of French oak,” but doesn’t divulge whether or not the wine is actually aged in French oak. Even though the hefty fruit flavors and 14.6-percent ABV suggest the wine would be powerful on the palate, it lands surprisingly soft. Grippy tannins crowd the tongue on first contact, but quickly dissipate.
One thing’s for sure: this wine stays true to the brand’s signature style, which has kept the winery going for 50 years.