Appellation Napa Valley | Known for Special Selection | |
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Location Rutherford, California, United States Other labels Belle Glos, Conundrum, Mer Soleil Key people Charles Wagner -- founder
Chuck Wagner -- winemaker Cases/yr Caymus: 58,000
Belle Glos Meiomi: 80,000
Conundrum: 120,000
Mer Soleil Silver: 20,000 Founded 1972, Rutherford, California, United States | ||
Caymus vineyards california wine with tony
Caymus Vineyards is a Napa winery owned by Chuck Wagner and his family.
Contents
Caymus vineyards 40th anniversary cabernet sauvignon
History
The Wagner family has farmed the current Caymus property to wine grapes since the 1940s; until 1972, when the winery was established, the fruit was sold to other area wineries.
The vineyard was planted to Nathan Fay's clone of Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s. Fay also famously provided grapes to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.
In 1975, the winery hired Randy Dunn as winemaker, and offered the first vintage of their flagship wine, the Caymus Special Selection. The Special Selection is not produced every year, but only in "better years" (the last vintage of Special Selection not to be released was 1996). In 1989 the 1984 Special Selection was named Wine Spectator magazine’s “Wine of the Year.” The 1990 Special Selection received the same title in 1994, making Caymus the only winery in the world to have received the award twice. The winery makes a "regular" cabernet that is released annually.
Chuck Wagner, Charles' son, took over winemaking duties in 2015, a role which he continues to hold to this day.
Wines
In addition to the two Cabernets, the Wagners also produce small amounts of zinfandel and sauvignon blanc under the Caymus label. The family also makes other wines under the "Wagner Family of Wine" -- Mer Soleil, Conundrum, and Belle Glos -- out of non-Cabernet varietals. Mer Soleil is a Chardonnay label made by Charlie Wagner, Chuck Wagner's eldest son, with 2 wines; the "Silver" is unoaked, while the "regular" sees barrels. Belle Glos is a Pinot noir label made by Chuck Wagner's other son, Joseph Wagner, with 5 wines; four single-vineyard wines, and a blend of vineyards that goes into "Meiomi." Conundrum produces non-varietal white and red wine.