Jay Kline

9.6

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1999 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with slightly desiccated, wild, mixed, mostly red brambles, some horse blanket, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olive tapenade, old leather bound books, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Tonight, the 1999 seemed like a younger, bassier version of the 1992. It was a profoundly deep and guttural wine with the most substantial structure of the three. Drink now through 2039. — 3 months ago

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. — a year ago

Jeffrey Howell

9.0

Delightful — 5 years ago

Katie Sanders Boyce

9.0

Thought it would be a little too sweet for me, but I really liked it — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Joseph Phelps Party and the 83 Insignia from magnum.

The nose reveals; floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits; strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, cedar, old leather & tobacco, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with dry & withering dark, red florals.

The body is medium full with a fair amount of tannins in a wine with this age. The structure, tension, length and balance are still quite sound with harmony. Floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits, strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, dark spice with some heat, cedar, old leather & tobacco, cedar, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with some funkiness. withering dark, red florals. The acidity is nice. The long finish still show ripeness, good balance but, has leaned and shows nice persistence. — 7 years ago

Drew Miller

9.4

So solid. A little dry and a little mineral. Some interesting slight sweet flavor. Damn. Drank like water. — 8 years ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Medium-dark red-purple color, beautiful redfruit aromas and flavors, with medium-toast oak showing as a seasoning the background, pretty sound structure and backbone, solid acidity, long, lingering finish, excellent California mountain Merlot (w/25% Cabernet Sauvignon). The sheer quality and complexity of this bottle is a wonderful tribute to the vision of Barbara and Jim Richards, who I am certain would be very proud, with Paloma now being ably run by their son Sheldon and his family. — 6 months ago

with Jim

Freek Welter

9.0

Not a sound bottle — a year ago

web bond

9.0

Structurally sound, fruit and elegance underneath, but brett marred purity. — a year ago

Byron Hewett

9.1

Cherry liqueur, mineral spine. Vibrant acidity. You can smell the stem inclusion here. Quite nice. The cork smelled of TCA, but the wine was sound. Whew! Got lucky! — 3 years ago

Jason Troendle

9.5

Fruit flavor and easy to drink — 5 years ago

with Mandy

Cameron Etezadi

9.2

Again another super vintage of this wine. Refreshing crisp melon notes and slight mineral aftertones. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

Ovum makes “quiet wines of place.” This is a wine that really sang for me and reminded me just how much I find inspiration from aromatic white wines. It’s old world and new world. It’s expressive but not heavy. It’s supremely unpretentious. Perfumed lychee and wasps of smokey tangerine. Full bodied. Neither oily nor fat. — 7 years ago

Sean Wallner - WSET II

9.0

Delicious! Actually has a lot of similarity to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. I’m not an expert, yet... but if I blind tasted this I would have guessed a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Notes of Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Green Apple, Lychee, Pear, Nectarine with hints of Slate and some Salinity. Low alcohol at 11% and good acidity with a medium finish. — 8 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.3

Floral notes on the nose — roses, hibiscus, plus mint, and the dry fragrance of sun-bleached wood. Strawberries on the front. Medium tannic structure. Black tea high notes with hint mint on the mid palate. Citrusy finish with long acidic afterburn. My description fails in that it makes it sound like a light and floral wine. But taken altogether, this is wine is rock solid, and it hasn’t even begun to develop. — 6 months ago

romo

9.6

Impressively knit and proudly firm. A rare treat that is magically sound and correct. An ambivalence insists it has some years left. Scary. — 9 months ago

romo

9.3

Giving lots of love, this Fleurie is. Still very sound. — 2 years ago

Adam Kincaid

9.2

Remarkable complexity and uniqueness mark this 2018. One thing I love about Sauvignon is it’s ability to adapt to where it is - and terroir comes flying out of this glass. Let’s start with the aromas because… omg I’m overwhelmed with an intimate old sweaty gym bag! Some petrol comes after, but it’s more subtle. Powerfully tight, like it’s poised to spring out of the glass. Tart grapefruit dominates with touches of tomato vine and other herbaceous notes. Long, strong, finish. It doesn’t sound appealing but it is. — 3 years ago

with Jillian

Justin

9.5

A beautiful deep magenta-purple color. Fruity and perfumed aromas of blackberry, loganberry, vanilla, clove, currant, and violets rise from the glass. Polished and fine tannins glide across the palate, outlining a medium-full body that is loaded with black fruit, currant, sweet tobacco, and baking spice flavors, finishing with a flourish of chocolate-covered cherries. Drink now - 2027. $35 on Wine Access. Get more. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Recent reviews by some on CT had me curious about how these were evolving so I had to check in myself and personally assess, you know, for science. Popped and poured; consumed over three days. The first day was OTT with red fruit and spices...but mostly the fruit. The spices, really sort of a one-note black pepper bomb, pricking the tongue, perhaps giving a glimpse of something more interesting if patience was exercised. Super clean with no signs of brett. I was almost taken aback because this was coming across rather ham fisted and definitely an outlier for Pegaü. I say almost. Two days later, I revisited the remaining half of the bottle and that’s when things really started to show off. Chewy red and black fruits were still very much in abundance but they were now more delineated and showing somewhat grainy tannins which seems much more pronounced now than they were on the first night. Think the texture of eating a mouthful of brambles. The spices that were teasing on the first night were stepping up to play a more pronounced role taking on more of a black licorice character with some lovely garrigue. Sound structure...though perhaps not as impressive as the 2016 Cuvée Réservée. Long, lip smacking finish though...and really delivering the goods! Based off this experience, I would imagine the best is yet to come for the 2015 Pegaü. If you’re drinking on the pop and pour, prepare for disappointment. These could use some time. I look forward to revisiting in 2025 and beyond. — 6 years ago