Fin Jams

9.6

Could do with more time in the bottle but it's a special occasion afterall. Noses rose petals, vanilla, leather, capsicum and tobacco, black fruits and pencil shavings....and date I say onions! Huge body. Palate is savoury yet so layered and structured. Dark chocolates galore with a generous scatter of sea salt. Harmonious! Precise! — 14 hours ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.1

I don‘t know. This has so much oak it overpowers everything. Might need another 10 years to be approachable. Cigar box, black berries. Deep, big and profound. I am not sure I would spend 70$ on this. It needs much much more time. Probably needs to be open for 2 days. Out of the machine at the Wine House in LA. — a month 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! — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

1989 vintage. Last tasted 3 years ago (9.6). Nice fill. Durand used to open. Cork 95% saturated with extensive bottle rim cleaning involved before pouring. Not decanted. Tight, minty nose throughout along with a decided, lingering zinc note under the tongue at the finish line. Tasted 2 hours after opening. Power but without delineation. Just a consistent, forgettable push. Nothing wrong with the wine...it just needed more air/time and a decant but it wasn't my call. Feel like the zinc flavor would have dissipated/blown off with more time. Good but more memorable for what it wasn't vs what it was. Pity and an entire wasting of what could have been. 11.21.25. — a day ago

VA

9.0

Drinking in 2025. Plums and dark fruit on nose, hints of tobacco and smoke on front of palate. Sorta gets lost after a great start, with short unremarkable finish. — 2 months ago

Austin Hohnke

9.5

First time having the pleasure. Ok, I get it. Unctuous and thicc. Searching every corner of my palate for one more ethereal drop of elixir. Grilled peach and apricot drizzled with vanilla extract. Is that sugar I’m chewing on?
The money though? — 2 months ago

Austin Hohnke

9.2

Wow. A richer, darker, and more concentrated Picasses than I’ve had in some time. Oak is also a bit more gratuitous than I’m used to for this wine. Blackberries, currant, moss, anise. This can go the distance, but definitely a bit hot. Still one of my favorite wines in the world for consistent quality to price ratio and age-ability. — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 24 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Pretty much the same as the Pavillon Rouge , ruby garnet core and garnet ruby rim. This is quite serious and classic , with blackcurrant , grafite , blackberry , mineral hints, oyster shell and cedar . The tannin is still quite grippy and a little drying , quite fresh acidity , dry spice and grafite tinged finish of good length . Mineral , grafite , oyster shell finish . Needs a little more time to integrate the tannins , but it’s promising and classic in style . Better in 5 years and will last well a further 10-15 . — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2020 Classico pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Morello cherry, pomegranate, red flowers, old wood, and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. My first time trying the 2020 vintage of Produttori’s Classico and it’s another really lovely, benchmark example of Barbaresco. Drink now through 2040. — 3 months ago