Jay Kline

9.3

Poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service; no formal notes due to the setting. It has been a few years since I last enjoyed the 2015 and I am happy to report that it is now very much open for business. The fruit is on full display and the oak is much better integrated. The structure is still quite firm but I found everything to be in better balance than it was upon release. This is squarely and its drinking window and should remain that way through the remainder of this decade and likely, well beyond. Drink now through 2030+ — a month ago

Will Stanley

9.6

Truly benchmark Rioja, La Rioja Alta’s ‘904’ Gran Reserva from the 2010 vintage - as fabled in Rioja as it is in Bordeaux - is a disarmingly gorgeous wine with superb ageing potential. I first tried this wine over two years ago, and found it a little closed at the time and was underwhelmed by the palate. The nose was terrific though, and that holds true today - it’s simply breathtaking, the sort of wine you spend ten minutes sniffing before taking your first sip. Today’s palate, however, is well and truly open for business. What a veritable explosion of flavour; a kaleidoscopic array of the best of both traditional and modern Rioja, all of it fresh, none of it tired, with a pure and ethereal presence of black and blue fruits, flowers, vanilla bean, clove, clementine and macerated cherry. When wine folk talk of a long finish, this wine gets a nod - it leaves an imprint on one’s palate that lasts minutes. I’m quite amazed by the improvement that two years has afforded this wine, both bottles bought at the same time and stored side-by-side in my cellar. At last, this has begun to show its potential and I cannot wait to see how it develops in the coming 20, 30, 40 years.

In the meantime, do not sleep on the 2010 Viña Ardanza, a wine that I have enjoyed many a time in the last two years, and one that would be included in my all-time list of value fine wines, were anyone to ask!

96+ — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.5

This was drinking beautifully, open for business showing bright red cherry with the classic Dujac spice, earth & perfumed floral tones — 4 years ago

Mary H

9.4

Heady perfume of flowers and plush dark berries. On the palate, strawberries and dark berries. Oakiness in the base note. This wine has no business being this sexy. — a month ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

07 is in a fabulous place, expressive, detailed and defined wafting layers of creme de cassis, camphor and violets with a vibrant and velvety palate with soft tannins and a long mineral inflicted finish. An absolute classic and an elegant rendition in 2007, and fully open for business! — 6 months ago

Matt Perlman

9.3

Nothing wrong with the classics. Dark garnet, juicy, broad, morello cherry, dank earth, porcini, open for business but could go longer — 3 years ago

Brent Young

9.3

Are we there yet?

Checking in on 05 Bordeaux

DAY1
Served with the Vinloq System
Youthful appearance. Nice, but still holding back

Let the remaiming wine Slow Decant in my fridge

DAY10
The sweet perfumed fruit is now open for business

DAY19
Best on this day
👃Fruit, tobacco, & cedar in equal parts
👅Silky. Refined personality. So pleasant. Nice herbal and tobacco followed by cedar on the persistent finish. Tannins are soft. Solid wine 👍

Follow Instagram “Vinloq.notes”

— 3 years 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. — 4 months ago

David Nicewicz

9.4

First time I opened one of these 1.5 years ago it was totally closed. Now it’s back open for business and lovely. If blindfolded, based on the perfume alone I would have guessed a Margaux like Palmer as it threw off tons of violets, graphite and blue fruits - gorgeous but a tinge of rough edge that blew off after about an hour. Palate still tasted young but had the complexity you look for in an older claret - spice, leather, graphite, blue fruits and a long finish. This is in a great drinking window but easily has decades of life ahead of it. — 3 years ago

Lev Lavrichtchev

8.9

Nice and ready for business — 4 years ago