Caymus Vineyards Special Selection 2018

Lush and very forward, with velvety textured waves of cassis, mulled plum and blackberry reduction mixed with flashes of mocha and roasted vanilla. Long, with seamless structure letting the fruit play out. For the hedonist crowd.

Brawny tannins meet mild acidity in this powerful, rich wine that’s full-bodied and decadent. Chocolate, mocha and caramel notes are etched into its soft, rounded layers of generous red fruit.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection has a dense blackish/purple color and creamy, sweet crème de cassis fruit, blackberries, a touch of graphite and vanilla, This exuberant, boisterous, in-your-face style of Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly a fruit bomb, so be warned. Full-bodied and opulent with stunning concentration and richness, the wine has no hard edges and is much in the Caymus style of terrific fruit intensity (most of it black and blue), voluptuous texture, and a stunning finish with plenty of glycerin, wood and spice. The alcohol on the label is listed at 14.8%, which seems about accurate. I have Caymus Special Selection in my cellar back to some of the historic wines made by Chuck Wagner’s father in the early 1970s, and while the style’s gotten more precocious and consumer-friendly, these wines, even the more latter-day styles, have a tendency to age beautifully. This can be drunk now, or cellared for 20+ years.