Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 750ml

Wine Advocate #201 Jun 2012
This stunning, inky/plum/purple-tinged 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection boasts a glorious fragrance of creme de cassis, licorice, toasty oak, spice box, cassis and vanillin. Full-bodied, opulent, flashy and irresistible, this endearing, plush, exuberant, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon is 3-5 years away from full maturity, yet it is already complex and rewarding. It should last for another two decades.

Caymus Vineyards produces two Cabernets Sauvignons a Napa Valley and the venerable Special Selection. Both Cabernet bottlings have aromas and flavors which can only be achieved through hang time technique which chances the loss of crop if early winter sets in. Leaving the fruit to hang on the vine unusually long develops suppleness, increases color, and matures the tannins of the grapes. The wines are abundant in textural tannins yet soft as velvet. Crop thinning, allowing measured sunlight to reach the vine's fruit zone, and waiting for increased ripeness are all part of our viticultural practices. Caymus Cabernets offer a wide array of aromas and flavors including cocoa, cassis and vanilla.
Caymus Special Selection is the flagship wine of the Wagner family and is comprised of the very best barrels of the vintage. Caymus Napa Valley is more representative of a standard Cabernet of Napa Valley, as it is a bit less precocious than the Special Selection, but still delivers big. Caymus prides itself on producing wines that are as approachable in youth as well at maturity. Both the Napa Valley and Special Selection Cabernets are produced under the winemaking hand of Chuck Wagner.

Meats, Beef and Venison