Last week our house was decorated in Lone Star flags. My father-in-law celebrated his 80th birthday and the event turned into a week long family reunion. We hosted some very fun people, made even more fun when we found out they loved wine.
So we decided to spend a day in Napa Valley. I sent an email to Janet Thomas of Caymus Vineyards and asked if she could set up a tasting for us. A Texan herself, she was more than happy to oblige.
But first the back story. A few years ago I was on a flight to Hawaii for business (no, really, it was a business trip). Turns out the person sitting next to me was Chuck Wagner, the owner of Caymus Vineyards.
It was a serendipitous meeting because I love Caymus wines. D’Aun and I met Chuck’s father decades ago at a tasting in Napa. It was just a brief meeting, but for years D’Aun and I talked about meeting “Mr. Caymus” and getting what amounted to a private tasting with him. So it was a fun conversation with Chuck on the flight.
As Chuck and I disembarked from the plane we swapped business cards and promised to stay in touch. Chuck said to let him know the next time I was in Napa. Which I did two years ago when D’Aun and I celebrated our 30th anniversary. True to his word, Chuck found the time to meet with us.
So back to last Tuesday. We arrive at Caymus about 3 PM. Janet leads us into a beautiful private room. As my mother-in-law said, “This day just keeps getting better and betterer.” In the center of the room was a large dining table with a place for each of us. Each place setting had four glasses, cheese, and crackers. About this time Janet introduced us to Ezekiel, who led us through the tasting.
How’s that for a big bottle of wine?
Each bottle — the 2011 Chardonnay, the 2010 Zinfandel, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2010 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon — was tremendous. We were all split on which was our favorite, but there was consensus there wasn’t a weak one in the group. Some loved the unoaked Mer Soleil Chardonnay, which is light and crisp. And everybody admired the unique ceramic bottle! Others were struck by the Caymus Zinfandel, which can only be purchased at the winery. For the Cab lovers it was an impossible decision to make between two great wines. Personally, I thought the Special Selection was through the roof incredible — and The Wine Spectator agrees, giving it 96 points.
After the tasting Ezekiel led us into the barrel room where we saw a HUGE bottle of 2007 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. At 570 liters it has earned several Guinness records and is going to make for a very special party! Ezekiel allowed us a barrel tasting of the upcoming 2011 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.
The hospitality was matched by the generosity, from the little things (my father-in-law was given a new Caymus Special Selection hat) to the bigger things (the tasting was comped). I walked away in wonder, thinking how lucky I was to be on the plane with Chuck.
All of this over the top hospitality was matched by the elegant casualness with which the Caymus team pulls it off. This is a family business in the best possible sense. It’s clear that people love working for Chuck, and that energy exudes through everything. The wine is incredible, of course, but there are a lot of great wines out there. What makes Caymus stand apart is the spirit of joy in each person, the sense of wonder in each glass, and the promise of hope in each new vintage.
My suggestion to you? Well, first, always start a conversation with the person sitting next to you on the plane. Second, always take your family to Napa for tastings. And third, make sure you have plenty of Caymus wines on hand because they bring joy, wonder, and hope in every glass.
And if you meet Janet, be sure to give her a big hug.