"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. — a day ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2013 vintage. Sweet fill and cork. Trashy label. Slightly less sed than expected. Big nose on the decant. Tasted after 1 hour open and 5 hours open. Medium heavy body. Roasted nuts, earth, plummy fruit and grilled beef nose and flavors. Finishing palate added a finely ground black pepper note. Consistent throughout and absolutely delicious. 05.23.25. — 14 days ago

Benjamin Hickey

8.9

Big but still pretty restrainted. — a month ago

Shay A

9.4

My contribution to a large Rhône dinner. Standouts were ‘07 Chapoutier Le Meal Blanc, ‘89 and ‘90 Jaboulet La Chappelle, ‘11 Guigal La Mouline.

An over-generalization, but what I love about Cornas is the rusticity and sometimes feral nature of the wines (which I don’t find in Hermitage or CR) and this ‘05 is in that vein. I followed this from pop (after all, we are at the almost 20yr mark) and over the course of three hours.

Interplay of red and black berry fruits, black pepper, slightly herbal (maybe closer to potpurri floral) aromatically. Bright and nimble on the palate, nothing about this is ripe or soft. Energetic acidity all the way through surrounded by notes of iron (sanguine-like) and rocky minerality. Crunchy red and black fruits (whole-cluster?), hint of gaminess but not in the meaty-style I semi-expected. Clean and pure style of Syrah. Big structure at the finish…hard to imagine drinking this 10+yrs ago. Acidity and tannin will carry this a long time, but I think this is peak window for getting depth of fruit and complexity. — 22 days ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Dark and brooding. Tangy plum fruit, roses, blood and dried herbs, iodine. Very intense and serious. Blackcurrant and black pepper with plum and black cherry. Long and quality. — 20 days ago

with Bex, Major-General and 1 other

Conrad Green

9.4

So rounded and glossy. High toned with black cherry and some mocha and good acidity. Excellent stuff. — 19 days ago

with Rick

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When Caymus was Caymus!!!

It is good to remember the style of wine Chuck used to make. His wine from 2011 backwards. The wine I used to collect. I refer to this now as Caymus Classic. I have requested they make this style again every time I see a Caymus representative. Just 500 cases by simply picking earlier at lower brix and applying past winemaking. They under estimate how fast those cases would sellout.

I get they made a business decision to make a sweeter wine that will drink easier young. They get better critic scores and sell to a larger customer base. A customer base that generally drinks it like supermarket buyers…within the first two weeks of purchase.

Of course, 1997 was an epic vintage in Napa and this 97 bought weeks ago has been well stored and in perfect condition. I miss this wine as it has so much more character than their 2012 vintage & forward. So do many former Caymus collectors.

The nose reveals, bright, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries that are just starting to reveal some liqueur notes, raspberries, strawberries & plum. Sandalwood, old, dry tobacco, baking soda, mid berry cola/licorice, some light graphite, dark spice, dry stems, decayed red flowers, red roses and violets.

The palate is exquisite. It is all beauty with nothing bitty or angular. Ripe, juicy, lush; blackberries, cassis, black raspberries, dark cherries with hints of some liqueur notes, raspberries, strawberries, mulberries as it unfurls & plum. Sandalwood, old, dry tobacco with ash, baking soda, mid berry cola/licorice, some light graphite, perfect dark spice with some tongue heat, mocha, dark chocolate baking bar, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & hints of vanillin, dry herbs, baking soda, dry limestone powder, top soil with pebbles, slightly moist volcanic clay, dry stems, decayed red flowers, red roses and violets, excellent, rainfall acidity and an elegant, balanced, nicely tensioned & structured, polished finish that last two-minutes and lands on spice & gentle earthy tones. I miss their distinct spice. Glorious!!!

This bottle is somewhere on the other side of the bell curve and still singing. Still very sound. It won’t improve and recommend if you own, drink them sooner than later but certainly not a rush.

88% Cabernet, 10% Merlot & 2% Cabernet Franc. 25.95% Paladins, Skruggs, Wright-St. Helena. 52.15% Caymus Estate, Glos, Usibelli-Rutherford, 15.84% Sciambra-Atlas Peak, 6.06% Tambor Vineyards-Mt. Veeder.

Photos of: Caymus tasting room, tasting room courtyard, owner Chuck Wagner and vineyard. — 16 hours ago

Joe Carroll

Owner/Wine Director Spuyten Duyvil, Fette Sau, St. Anselm & Gotham Artisanal Provisions

9.3

A bit too much oak for me but otherwise great. Also drinking much younger than its 21 years — a month ago

John Willison

9.0

Red and black fruit, leathery tannins. — 15 days ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment (lots of chunky/fine sediment) and pour. A stunning medium ruby red color with little signs of aging. On the nose: big inviting notes of dark fruit/currants, worn leather, herbaceous, smoked meat, funky earth, menthol. Taste: silky, evolved, expressive structure with brambly plum, currants, old leather, dark chocolate, graphite, and a black raspberry-iron-dried herb long finish. YUM! It's what's you want in an aged Napa cab, and glad to have just acquired 3 more bottles. — 13 days ago

with Brenda