Caymus Vineyards

Caymus Vineyards

Company type	Private
Industry	Winery
Founded	1972
Founder	Wagner family
Headquarters	Napa , United States
Key people	Chuck Wagner (operator and winemaker)
Products	Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Sauvignon blanc
Parent	Wagner Family of Wine

Caymus Vineyards is a Napa winery operated by Chuck Wagner and his relatives. The estate takes its name from George Yount's Rancho Caymus land grant,<ref name=WagnerHistory> which itself was named after the Kaimus villages, originally inhabited by the Wappo people in the area.<ref name=NCHS>

History

Since the 1940s, the Wagner family has been growing wine grapes on what is now the Caymus estate. The winery officially began operations in 1972; before this, the grapes were sold to other wineries within the region.<ref name=CWA>

During the 1960s, the vineyard was established using Nathan Fay's clone of Cabernet Sauvignon.<ref name=CalWineries> Nathan Fay was also a grape supplier for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

In 1975, Randy Dunn joined as winemaker and introduced the inaugural vintage of the top-tier Caymus Special Selection.<ref name=CalWineries> This distinguished Cabernet Sauvignon is produced exclusively in favorable vintages (with no release since 1996). The 1984 Special Selection earned Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” title in 1989; similarly, the 1990 vintage received this accolade in 1994, making Caymus unique as a two-time recipient.<ref name="Wine Spectator"> Additionally, the winery offers an annual release of their standard Cabernet.<ref name=Forbes>

In 2015, Chuck Wagner, son of founder Charles Wagner, took over winemaking responsibilities and continues to lead this role.

Wines

In addition to their signature Cabernet wines, the Wagners produce limited editions of Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc under the Caymus brand. Their larger collection, known as the "Wagner Family of Wine," features labels such as Mer Soleil, Conundrum, and Belle Glos, which emphasize varietals other than Cabernet. Mer Soleil, created by Charlie Wagner—Chuck Wagner's eldest son—includes two Chardonnay expressions: an unoaked "Silver" and a barrel-fermented style. Belle Glos, developed by Joseph Wagner (Chuck’s other son), offers five Pinot noir wines comprising four single-vineyard bottlings and a blended wine called "Meiomi." Conundrum specializes in blended white and red wines that are non-varietal.