Caymus 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 3L DOUBLE MAGNUM

Caymus has been the Wagner family's own signature statement on Napa Valley Cabernet since Charles Wagner founded the winery in 1972, now guided by his son Chuck Wagner, and it remains genuinely one of the most consistent, widely trusted names in the entire category — a real steakhouse and cellar staple that's made repeated appearances on Wine Spectator's Top 100. This 2021 vintage, presented here in a genuinely striking 3-liter Double Magnum, is sourced across eight of Napa's sixteen distinct sub-appellations, from Coombsville to Calistoga, with fruit from the valley floor contributing real lushness while hillside sources provide backbone and structure — a deliberate diversification strategy that lets the winemaking team build the best possible wine each vintage, regardless of how any single site performs.

Caymus's signature style, genuinely recognizable across the whole Napa Cabernet category, comes from extended hang-time — keeping fruit on the vine unusually long to develop real supple ripeness and velvety tannin that's, as one retailer puts it, "almost impossible to detect." A 3-liter Double Magnum is a genuinely celebratory format, holding the equivalent of four standard bottles in a single, striking vessel — larger formats are also widely believed to age more gracefully thanks to a more favorable wine-to-air ratio inside the bottle.

James Suckling awarded a genuine 94 Points, praising its "silky" character. Wine Access's own tasting found "dense purple/black color," with "extravagant and voluptuous aromas of black cherry, mountain blueberry, cassis, and licorice," describing the wine as filled "with a hedonistic mix of crushed-black-fruit preserves, sweet crème de cassis, eucalyptus, and sweet spice," calling it "textbook Caymus" that "shows what's possible when five decades of family know-how are brought to bear." Ken's Wine Guide's tasting found "the mouthfeel balanced, round and concentrated," with "rich dark chocolate and black cherry compote" blending "with notes of oak and tobacco," alongside "hints of thyme, fresh mint, and black tea," the finish showing "dusty tannins" that linger "nicely." This is genuinely benchmark Napa Valley Cabernet — real, dependable richness in a format built for real celebration.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Caymus 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is produced by Caymus Vineyards, founded in 1972 by Charles Wagner in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, and family-owned and operated by the Wagner family ever since, now led by Chuck Wagner. The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced across eight of Napa Valley's sixteen sub-appellations, combining valley floor fruit for lushness with hillside fruit for structure and backbone.

Caymus's signature production style relies on extended hang-time, keeping fruit on the vine well past typical ripeness to develop deep color, rich fruit, and genuinely supple, velvety tannin. The wine ages in French oak. Bottled at approximately 14.6% ABV, presented here in a 3-liter Double Magnum, equivalent to four standard 750ml bottles.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 94 Points

Wine Access (extended tasting note):
"Dense purple/black color. Extravagant and voluptuous aromas of black cherry, mountain blueberry, cassis, and licorice. Richness and density are the name of the game in this Cabernet of exquisite purity and density, which is filled with a hedonistic mix of crushed-black-fruit preserves, sweet crème de cassis, eucalyptus, and sweet spice. This is textbook Caymus, and it shows what's possible when five decades of family know-how are brought to bear."

Ken's Wine Guide (November 14, 2023):
"The mouthfeel is balanced, round and concentrated. The flavor profile is rich dark chocolate and black cherry compote blend with notes of oak and tobacco. We also detected hints of thyme, fresh mint, and black tea. The finish has dusty tannins and lingers nicely."

Wine Spectator:
"A plush, caressing style, with creamed boysenberry and..."

Caymus Vineyards (official tasting note):
"Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe, velvety tannins — as approachable in youth as in maturity. We farm Cabernet grapes in eight of Napa's 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. Our Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe dark berries."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Dense purple/black in color. Extravagant black cherry and mountain blueberry lead, joined by cassis and licorice, alongside dark chocolate and tobacco.

Palate
Rich and concentrated, with crushed black fruit preserves and sweet crème de cassis carrying the entry, developing mocha, eucalyptus, sweet spice, and black cherry compote, balanced by thyme, fresh mint, and black tea.

Finish
Plush and lingering, closing with dusty, velvety tannin and lasting dark fruit richness.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Red meat and steak
• Rich pasta dishes
• Strong, aged cheeses
• Hearty braises

Serving Note

The larger 3L format is widely believed to age more gracefully than standard bottles, thanks to a more favorable wine-to-air ratio — a genuinely striking centerpiece for celebrations and special occasions.