Caymus Vineyards: the Wagner Family's Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is one of those names that shaped what people picture when they think of Napa Cabernet. The Wagners have farmed in Rutherford since 1906, when Carl Wagner bought land there. In the 1960s Charlie and Lorna Wagner pulled out their prune and walnut orchards for vines, and in 1972 they founded Caymus Vineyards with their son Chuck, starting with 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. The name comes from Rancho Caymus, a 19th-century Mexican land grant. Chuck is still the winemaker, and the style he built is ripe, generous and supple, the kind of Cabernet that is plush and approachable young.
The Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet is the house benchmark and a natural starting point if you are exploring Napa Valley wine. For the 2022 50th Anniversary bottling, fruit came from across the valley, from cool Coombsville in the south to warm Calistoga in the north, with Rutherford and Oakville in the mix. That blend of districts is what gives the wine its depth without any hard edges.
Caymus Special Selection and the 50th Anniversary Cabernet
Special Selection arrived in 1975 and is the family's top Cabernet Sauvignon, a darker, more concentrated wine with real ageing potential. It is also the only wine Wine Spectator has named Wine of the Year twice.
The 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet carries a commemorative label marking the 50th vintage since 1972. It comes in several formats, from half bottles and a one-litre bottle to magnum and a three-litre bottle, which makes it an easy pick for a celebration or a gift.
Caymus California Cabernet, Caymus-Suisun and Bonanza
The Caymus California Cabernet looks beyond Napa, drawing on Paso Robles alongside Lake, Monterey and San Benito counties while keeping the rich Caymus signature. Bonanza, Chuck Wagner's multi-vintage California wine, blends Cabernet from overlooked sites around the state and is released in numbered lots.
Caymus-Suisun is the family's newer project in Suisun Valley, about 30 minutes southeast of Napa. Chuck, Charlie and Jenny Wagner opened the winery in spring 2022. Grand Durif is a Petite Sirah, the valley's signature grape (Durif is another name for it), while The Walking Fool is a red blend of Petite Sirah and juicy Zinfandel, named after the family's ancestor Johannes Glos.
Mer Soleil, Sea Sun, Emmolo and Red Schooner from the Next Generation
Chuck's son Charlie Wagner runs Mer Soleil in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, making a Reserve Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and the unoaked Mer Soleil Silver, first released in 2005. Charlie also created Sea Sun, a coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Red Schooner, a Malbec from Andes-grown grapes shipped chilled to Napa Valley and made in the Caymus style. Chuck's daughter Jenny makes Emmolo, named after her mother's side of the family, who came to Napa Valley from Sicily in 1923. Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc is bright, fresh and a fine counterpoint to all that Cabernet.
Caymus Wine FAQ
Who makes Caymus wine?
Caymus Vineyards is owned and run by the Wagner family in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Chuck Wagner co-founded it with his parents in 1972 and still leads the winemaking, while his children Charlie and Jenny make the family's other labels.
What is the difference between Caymus Napa Valley and Special Selection?
The Napa Valley Cabernet is the flagship blend from sites across the valley. Special Selection, made since 1975, is the family's top Cabernet: more concentrated, more structured and built for longer cellaring.
Is Conundrum made by Caymus?
Conundrum comes from the same Wagner family. It was inspired in the late 1980s by Charlie Wagner Sr.'s blending experiments and is now led by his grandson Charlie, who also makes Mer Soleil.
What is special about the Caymus 50th Anniversary?
The 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet marks 50 vintages since the first Caymus in 1972, with a commemorative label and fruit from Coombsville, Calistoga, Rutherford and Oakville.
How long can I keep Caymus Cabernet?
The Napa Valley bottling is lovely young, thanks to its soft tannins. Special Selection rewards patience, and large formats like magnums age more slowly and gracefully.