Stuart Pollack

10

What I dream about when I dream about wine. Perfect. Leather and tannins and earth and depth. Drinking at its peak now. The nose is sensational and hits as soon as the bottle is opened. The fruit is complex and dark with some bitterness. Worth its $90 price tag. — 19 days ago

Evan Roberts

9.1

Delicious and a perfect match for French food — 5 months ago

Ted

9.5

Superb. Soft and Lucious. 4 years on lees. Sign me up for more. — 7 months ago

with Jeni

Anton Siochi

9.5

Great example of Irish whiskey, mellow yet flavourful. Almost a syrupy mouthfeel, candy, a wee bite at the finish — 10 months ago

Josh Eichorn

9.9

A perfect wine? Perhaps. Not many Napa wines can have this kind of horsepower at 19 years old (I was always told Napa wines fall apart after 15 years). I’ve never had Screaming Eagle or Grace Family or any of the new “premier cru” wines. What I will say, though, is that I have a hard time imagining a wine being better than this. Plush, with a solid core. Very little fade. Let it breathe, but it was drinkable right out of the bottle, rich with refined tannins, so much fruit, so much pleasure. The oak is now seamless with the wine, not an addition, but a part of it. If you had told me this was a more recent vintage, I would have believed you. This was Cosentino’s top of the line and what a top it was. Age has allowed for more complexity (I did taste this when it was newly bottled) and development, but this is a young wine, still. Nothing out of place. It is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. Quintessential Napa, the best the valley has to offer. I forget the story of “the secret clone” but knowing what all the steps are in making great wine, having this clone was just one of the many right choices in making this. This one may outlive me. It is in its prime with no end in sight. Perfect? I’m not sure. But I’ve not had better. — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Taken to Selby's in Redwood City. Young and fresh with great energy. Notes of citrus, wet stone and some red fruit. Great silky mousse texture. In a perfect spot although still in a youthful stage. — 4 years ago

Martijn

9.4

Fruit and chocolate and some fancy acidity. This is sit back and relax wine! Great stuff! — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Classic La Mission nose that is in a perfect spot showing red & black fruits, cedar, leather, earth, graphite, spice box along with sweet tobacco — 10 days ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

The cool 88 vintage is in a great spot—gamey and savory, a perfect food wine, particularly with the aged duck! — 3 months ago

J Choi

9.3

Pico. In a good spot — 5 months 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! — 9 months ago

Lily Lee

9.0

Dark cherry chocolate and sweet undertones of figs — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Always hits the spot — 4 years ago

Heather Morren

9.0

Pretty good and didn’t make me super stuffed up. — 5 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.3

Clear, pale ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced intensity primary aromas of hibiscus, black tea, and raspberries; on the palate, it's dry with medium acidity, low tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and pronounced primary and secondary flavors of dried strawberries, candied cherries, and clay pots with a long finish. This wine is intense and well balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. — 3 months ago

with Nellie and

Ron Siegel

9.3

This seemed to be in a perfect spot showing red & black fruit, graphite, cedar, sweet savory spice, leather & tobacco — 9 months ago

Amy Forst

9.0

Happy Mother’s Day — a year ago

Scott Soren

9.6

Special bottle. Really in its sweet spot. Fragrant nose , with some Mourvèdre funk. Sweet tannins with dark red fruits. Some Tobacco and black olive. Matured further in glass over the hour and a half the bottle was consumed. Just left you want g more — 2 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.1

Not what I was hoping for,
Gave it some air but not too much so that we didn’t lose the sweet spot. Didn’t touch the Shafer until this was finished. Just a typical older Bordeaux blend from Napa but very ordinary considering the price point. Secondary market purchase so who knows prior storage. — 3 years ago

Mark Turner

9.5

Clear purple but not opaque. Petrol, earth and tobacco on the nose. Elegant and smooth with layers of tobacco, boysenberry and led pencil with a long elegant earthy finish. Really elegant. Enjoyed it thoroughly. — 5 years ago