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  • Country ranking ?

    134
  • Producer ranking ?

    1
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Game

Food Pairing

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The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

The Wagners produced their first Cabernet Sauvignon – “Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon” -- from the 1972 vintage.  Their first Special Selection, from outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon lots given extended barrel aging, was made from the 1975 vintage.

The Wagners’ 60 acres of estate vineyard remain at the core of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, but Chuck Wagner believes that much is gained in complexity and layering of flavors by not restricting frui...

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Written Notes

The 2018 vintage in Napa Valley is celebrated for its long, mild growing season, marked by cool nights, steady warmth, and an absence of major heat spikes. These conditions allowed Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen slowly and evenly, producing wines with exceptional purity, fine tannin structure, and brilliant aromatic lift. For Caymus, whose style leans toward richness and opulence, 2018 offered the perfect canvas: concentration without heaviness, power with poise, and impeccable fruit definition.

The Caymus Special Selection 2018 is a luxurious, deeply expressive wine—sumptuous yet refined, delivering the polished richness that has made this bottling one of Napa’s modern icons. The nose is intense and enveloping, offering layers of blackberry liqueur, crème de cassis, and ripe black cherry, framed by seductive notes of dark chocolate, vanilla bean, mocha, and warm baking spices. Hints of sweet tobacco, anise, and cassis leaf add aromatic complexity.

On the palate, the wine is velvety, dense, and beautifully structured, with a plush texture that glides effortlessly from start to finish. The 2018 vintage’s purity shines through in the clarity of the fruit—cassis, blackberry compote, and dark plum—supported by exceptionally smooth, cocoa-dusted tannins. Subtle undertones of espresso, brown sugar, cedar, and toasted oak weave through the mid-palate, while a refined thread of acidity keeps the wine fresh and balanced. The finish is long, layered, and sensuous, leaving notes of dark fruit, spice, and chocolate lingering gracefully.

A standout Special Selection—powerful, polished, and irresistibly delicious, with the structure to evolve for 15–20 years, yet generous enough to enjoy now with a brief aeration.


  • 97p

Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, dark fruits, rich, intense, vanilla, layered, nuanced and long.

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

California, Napa Valley
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