Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Napa Valley AVA, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
The Special Selection represents the pinnacle of Caymus’ winemaking—crafted only in outstanding vintages and known for its luxurious, fruit-driven Napa style. The 2019 vintage shows Caymus’ signature opulence but with slightly more balance and finesse compared to earlier years.

Aromas & Flavors
Explosive nose of ripe blackberries, cassis, dark cherries, and baked blueberries, layered with espresso, cocoa beans, black pepper, and sweet vanilla spice. Secondary notes of cedar and tobacco add complexity.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and lush, with plush tannins and a velvety texture. The palate is generous in ripe fruit, layered with spice, chocolate, and savory undertones. The long, lingering finish highlights the richness while keeping an elegant balance.

Winemaking Notes
Carefully sourced from select Napa Valley vineyards, the 2019 was aged in new French oak barrels to emphasize depth and structure. Caymus’ hallmark extended hang time ensures fully ripe fruit and bold concentration.

Food Pairing
Pairs beautifully with grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, rack of lamb, or mushroom risotto. Aged hard cheeses (like Parmigiano-Reggiano) also make a great match.

Verdict
A rich, polished Napa Cabernet with undeniable charm. The 2019 Special Selection is approachable now but has the structure to age another 10+ years. A quintessential bottle for lovers of Caymus’ plush, fruit-forward style. — a year ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.3

It needs time to open up
After a while it really reminds of a Burgundy
It has class to sell
Less funky than the 2018, but still very fleshy and delicious
It might be that the winemaking hands are changed, but not the beauty of the wine.
Again not a rose for the lovers of a classic Provence crisp rose, more towards being a red i reckon
This wine i am sure can age quite well for few years. It is definitely something you at least wanna try once, but i would not be surprised if you get hooked.
Cheers — 4 years ago

Maxwell Hall

9.0

Really great merlot. As CWM said, a merlot for Cab lovers! Full bodied, but still light enough to drink on its own without too much of the heavy mouth feel. — 6 years ago

Scott Kahn

9.4

For my first exposure to Ducru’s second wine this vintage is superb! Dark and sumptuous on the palette - a perfect complement to steak. This is a Cabernet lovers Bordeaux. — 7 years ago

J Mcconeg

9.4

This is a wine to be loved by lovers of old Bordeaux. Really special. Will hold up for at least another decade. — 7 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Oak lovers, this Condrieu is for you. 100% new oak but shockingly well integrated. This is the softest and butteriest of the bunch. Personally I maybe wouldn’t choose it but I can think of a good many of my friends who would love it. And it’s not bad for a change! — 7 years ago

Conner Esworthy

9.0

Agree with the review below - my husband and I were introduced to this wine at a restaurant in the South Island when we said we wanted “A Pinot for Cabernet - or more full bodied red - wine lovers! — a year ago

Romain Fitoussi

8.9

Always one of the best quality/price/pleasure ratios in Morocco. The solar syrah, but with balance.. superb vinification, modern trend, purity, floral, silky touch. The syrah expresses itself wonderfully. To be tested at least once for lovers of the Rhône Nord.

Toujours l’un des meilleurs rapports qualité/prix/plaisir du Maroc. La syrah solaire, mais à l’équilibre.. vinification superbe, tendance moderne, pureté, floral, toucher soyeux. La syrah s’y exprime à merveille. A tester au moins une fois pour les amateurs du Rhône Nord. — 4 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.1

Urraca ‘Primera’ Reserva Single Vineyard 2005: Big. Bold. Flavorful. Black fruits. Plum. Vanilla. Oak. Spice. An exciting & expressive Argentinian Bordeaux blend that’s been waiting to be released. Consisting of 70% Malbec & 30% Merlot, that was a perfectly aged wine ready for enjoying “empanadas y vino en familia”! Happy Sunday wine lovers! Cheers🍷 — 5 years ago

Patricia Schnitzer

9.0

April 25, 2020. Housewarming Gift from Jack D, Oct 2016. Pandemic quarantine cellar exploration. So many say ‘drink now!’ From reviews on Cellartracker was worried this might be past it’s prime. Perhaps for big fruity Napa cab lovers it is, but I found it to be quite lovely, despite >15% alcohol. Bordeaux blend by Orin Swift. Black fruit, tobacco. Full bodied. synthetic cork. 😣 — 6 years ago

Connor Smith

9.2

Sanlúcar de Barrameda was the port that Christopher Columbus set off from in 1492. Just 1 year earlier, duties on wine exports from Sanlúcar had been abolished to take advantage of English merchants desperate for new supply after the loss of Bordeaux.

It began a centuries-long romance between Sherry and English wine lovers, as immortalized in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 2, when Falstaff glorifies sturdy Spanish 'sack' over thin Bordeaux 'claret' and Rhine 'hock'.

But the honeymoon, quite literally, was not to last. Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon drove a wedge between England and Catholic Europe, and left English wine lovers in need of a new source once again. But Sherry fanatics wouldn't have to go entirely without. When Sir Francis Drake sailed into Cádiz and burned the Spanish fleet in 1587, he carried away 2,900 butts of Sherry - enough to supply London for years - as his most famous prize.

(This is adapted from notes for Le Dû’s Wines ‘History of Wine 1453AD-Present’ seminar, where this wine was poured) — 7 years ago

Jean-Francois Brunelle

9.2

Great alternative for Burgundy lovers this is fantastic with great purity and complexity; lots of fruits, black tea, smoky and meaty makes this special and a well-deserved 65th place on WS Top 100. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.5

After trying the 2014 in 🇪🇸 we grabbed this truly unique wine @ €56 from the winery 😁 2015 consistently the similar to 14 😉 but seemed a touch creamier, exotic & dryer 👍 Another White Priorat that white Tondonia & Musar lovers will salivate over 😍

📍 Terroir Al Limit Pedra de Guix 2015

🏵 95 points

🍇 Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo & Garnatxa Blanca

🍷 Amber honey w/ a bronze orange tone

👃 Light burnt marmalade, stick toffee pudding foam, old sherry cask, fallen green apple & vanilla pods w/ a touch of fuel & pineapple

👄 Med refreshing body of creamy brown green apple in torched brown sugar, honey, citrus zest & baked orange w/ passion fruit, soft dry sherry tones & cracked flint mineral

🎯 Long dry smooth aged tortured toffee old apple in honey & brown sugar - almost a subtle sherry-esq drop

🐮 Paired lovely with Mrs Es famous Fillet Steak burger 🍔 with cheddar, tomato, lettuce, grilled courgette & horseradish 😍 scroll for pic ⏩ on Instagram

❓Do you enjoy white wine with red meat or red wine with fish like we do ❓
— 8 years ago

Doug Powers

9.3

[Half bottle] This lovely 17-year-old Banyuls has finally knitted together into a very fine example of Dr. Parce Banyuls (old vine Grenache made in the same way as Port), earlier bottles were terribly disjointed and lacking balance and sweetness). Served with Viennese Sacher Torte my wife made for dessert!

Our first Dr. Parce was the 1967 “Vielles Vignes” which was fantastic and is still my reference point. We had that in 1987 at Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant in St. Etienne, before he moved on to Paris, his staff was kind enough to comp us a bottle — blind — while my brother and I embarrassed ourselves trying to identify the wine!! That bottle was tried with Pierre’s famous “chocolate soup” dessert, the recipe for which was in Patricia Wells’ “Food and Wine Lovers of France” book from the mid-1980s — memorable combination!!! — 2 years ago

with Jim

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Lovers ❣️
SCORE: 99+ (always room for improvement).

Wine...

93 points — 4 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.2

2018 vintage. Vacation wine!!!! Very welcome in the face of continued uncertainty after such a whirlwind year and a half. Tart cranberry, crabapple, unripe cherry, lime, autumn leaves, dust, black rocks, rosehips, tea. Great alternative for Burgundy lovers. — 5 years ago

Sarah O'Kelley

9.2

Sangiovese for burgundy lovers!  perfect with braised pork shanks for a comforting winter meal!  — 6 years ago

Moin Rastegar CSW

9.2

This is an amazing bottle for Merlot lovers that over delivers!!! Wow — 7 years ago

Joe Spagnola

9.8

So young of a wine, but in perfect state. A faint powdery floral notes on the nose and a tight pucker on the tongue. This will go great for the dry wine lovers. — 7 years ago

with John

Samantha Amberg

9.2

Velvety with blue fruit, spice, and anise. Good for cab lovers. — 8 years ago