Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant(little sediment). A striking deep dark magenta with bricking. On the nose: subtle seductive notes of dark red fruit, wet earth, eucalyptus, mushroom, toffee. Taste: silky, balanced, fresh, elegant wine with dark cherry, currants, leather, minerals, herbs, mint, and a earthy raspberry espresso long lingering finish. YUM! — 4 days ago

with Brenda

Ed Chin

9.0

Appearance didn’t seem to be for a 60yo. No orange hue clear rim. The bright red fruit faded within a half hr and died within the hour. 11.5% was a nice surprise. — 24 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(modest sediment). A striking still dark purplish crimson color with bricking. On the nose: Seductive notes of dark fruit, sandalwood, cigar wrapper, herbaceous, stewed meat, pencil lead, worn leather. Taste: silky, layered, vibrant wine with dried plum/cherry, cigar leaf, graphite, that Cos spice, crushed gravel, hint of chocolate, and a hauntingly long dry finish. YUM! Terrific old school Bordeaux. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant(some fine/cloudy sediment). A striking still dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: Intoxicating notes of stewed dark fruit, floral, potting soil, cinnamon, mint, coffee grounds. Taste: silky, balanced, savory, creamy, juicy wine with dried blackberry, currants, dark chocolate, earth, mocha, crushed stone, and a peppery graphite long finish. YUM! Somewhere in its peaked drinking window so drink em if you got em. Unfortunately, my last bottle. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2019 vintage. FLB collateral damage. Opened and decanted. Tasted after 20 mins, 1 hour and 1.5 hours. No noticeable development(s) during that time. Medium/medium-heavy body. Some chunk. Some refinement. Obvious quality evident. Similar to the 2016 vintage tasted 6.12.26. Very, very nice but ultimately incapable of reaching the stratosphere that multiple vintages of this wine have reached...and breached. Seek out the 2018 vintage of this noww and thank me later. 6.26.26. — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(lots of sediment). A gorgeous purplish garnet color. On the nose: Intoxicating musky notes of dark fruit, potting soil, worn leather, truffles, stewed meat, slight menthol. Taste: velvety, seamless, balanced, intense wine with dark fruit, cassis, earth, tobacco, mineral, herbs, and a chocolate graphite long never-ending finish. YUM! This wine has aged gracefully and has more gas in the tank. Enjoy. — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer. — 8 months ago

Rick Phillips

9.7

Just peaking in my estimation. May sill have a couple or three years before its decline starts. Opened and sat in the bottle for 2 hours. Poured a glass which sat another hour. Bold forward fruits. Blackberry, Plums, Black Cherry, hints of spice herbs that quickly fade into a smooth, luxurious taste of velvety tannins. Backend is just as the Front, Luxurious Bold Fruit but just a touch of old earth, lite tobacco and chocolate/cherry. — 2 days ago

with Letha

Christian Fischer

9.6

I am torn with the rating here. We had this after the Dom Rose and man did this need a lot of air. Very closed and tannin forward upon opening and decanting, then slowing opening up - an hour was not enough. It really came together after 3-4 hours and then had an amazing balance. Evolved from 9.0 to something 9.6 through the course of the evening. — 14 days ago

Tom Garland

9.2

1 hour decant(decent sediment). A striking purplish crimson red color. On the nose: Seductive perfumed notes of red fruit, herbaceous, leather, mint, milk chocolate, cedar. Taste: silky, rich, wine with dark cherry/blackberry, minerals, graphite, chocolate espresso, earth, and a smokey spiced slightly astringent tar long lingering finish with some still there tannic kick. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.5

1/2 hour decant(decent fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red with bricking. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, forest floor, worn leather, mushroom, cigar, smoked meat, some bandaid(brett). Taste: silky, classic, elegant wine with dried red berries, currants, tobacco, saline, minerals and a cedar graphite long dry finish. YUM! What a thrill to drink tonight! — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(lots of fine/cloudy sediment). A splendid still inky dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: expressive notes of dark red fruit, currants, smoked meat, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, nutmeg. Taste: silky, layered, rich wine with ripe blackberry/blueberry, earth, baking spice, chocolate, and a long minerally espresso never-ending finish. YUM!! — 6 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking medium purplish garnet color with bricking. On the nose: Inviting notes of dried red fruit, currants, pencil shavings, floral, stewed meat, milk chocolate. Taste: fully mature, savory, silky wine with dried plum, ground coffee, earth, minerals, tobacco, and a sour cherry/green bell pepper/graphite long finish. YUM!! Drink em if you got em. — 8 months ago

with Brenda

Vino Joe

9.8

Wow. Wow and wow. This was amazing! It’s definitely still early on. I let this decant for 2.5 hours before the first sip. It was revved and ready by then and was stellar by hour 4+. Rich and deep but silky smooth. Currants and an earthy/smokey quality. Loved this! — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

My last of three.

The 05 vintage is basically perfect fruit etc…

This started a bit slow from an hour decant. It really pick up steam w/ the Waygu Ribcap.

The Bordeaux elegance & earth profound. The fruits are floral-laden. Dry blackberries, raspberries, both plum, with skin, dark cherries, dry strawberries, baked rhubarb, hints of raspberry, dark chocolate bar, light caramel, dark spice with a little heat, dry limestone. topsoil, dry riverstone, cigar box with ash, old used leather, dark forest floor with leaves, clove, touch of cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg sweet graphite, used charcoal, black tea, mid berry cola dark wuthering flowers, hence of lavender and old violets, perfect around acidity with a well-balanced structured, evenly tensioned finish that last minutes and lands on dry earth and spice with florals — 4 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some sediment). A gorgeous dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: mesmerizing areomatic notes of dark red fruit, currants, forest floor, floral, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings. Taste: velvety, vibrant, fresh wine with brambly dried blackberry/cherry, earth, graphite, wet stones, and a cedar gamey raspberry long finish. YUM! What a treat to drink, and a success for 03...not too ripe, hot, or roasted. — 25 days ago

Tom Garland

9.3

2 hour decant(lots of chunky sediment). A gorgeous dark purplish garnet color. On the nose: Intoxicating notes of ripe dark fruit, forest floor, pencil shavings, herbaceous, smokey oak, minty chocolate. Taste: silky, rich, dense wine with dark cherry/plum, dark chocolate espresso, licorice, and a very spiced graphite/sour cherry never ending finish. YUM! Drinks nicely with the decant and many years to go. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2018 vintage. From magnum. Last tasted 3.19.26 (9.4), 12.5.25 (9.4), 1.31.25 (9.4) and 10.26.23 (9.5). Decanted and tasted after one hour. Yeahhh. 7.1.26. — 4 months ago

Suneal Vishnupad

9.6

Not quite as good as I remember it, but still excellent. Graphite, pencil shavings, leather, tobacco. 3+ hour decant. needs lots of time but really special.  — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+2 hour decant(decent sediment). A marvelous dark magenta color. On the nose: perfumed red fruit, potting soil, graphite, cedar lined cigar box, herbaceous. Taste: Powerful, structured wine with red fruit, currants, planting soil, spice, and a cedar-minerally-mocha lingering and evolving finish! YUM! — 7 months ago

with Brenda