Caymus Vineyards

This one of, if not my favorite, wineries in the Napa Valley. The wine is phenomenal and the location is gorgeous. I strongly recommend making a reservation which will help you in getting seated in one of many beautiful locations. Caymus plays soft music in the background and is set up so that each tasting area feels exclusive.
Lindsey was our tasting guide; if you call ahead you should request her. She was extremely knowledgeable about the wines, both the notes in the wines and how they are produced. Our party bought three wines, most of which are only sold on the property. We particularly enjoyed the 2013 Zinfandel. We were there for two hours, but it didn’t seem that long at all.

After a few days of tours and tasting in both Napa and Sonoma, Caymus stood out to my group as the clear front runner for best overall experience. The wines were great and the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite. However, I should preface this review by saying I am not a wine expert, and I am not comparing the quality of their wines to any other winery, though they certainly did not disappoint.
That being said, the outside patio area at Caymus is beautiful, with some of the best landscaping and scenery that we saw during the trip. It was particularly nice that your party could sit in relative privacy and enjoy each other’s company without a wine educator staring you in the face, asking you a thousand questions, and then giving you the hard sell about wine clubs (Caymus doesn’t have a wine club because of their extensive level of distribution… a clear positive in my book). Literally none of that happened at Caymus. We sat in the garden enjoying the company, and our educator would stop in when we were empty, pour the next taste, give us a little background on the wine and family ownership (all very interesting, by the way), and be gone. It felt a lot more like drinks on a nice day with friends, than a rigid tasting format.
As someone who enjoys wine strictly as an amateur, and who places more priority on the experience of the surroundings and the people I’m with than the actual wine tasting process (the wines were great, don’t get me wrong), Caymus was my clear favorite after three days in the trenches. It would be an absolute shame to visit Napa and pass this one by. Cheers.

Beautiful but odd.
Drove up to an empty parking lot, but forced to use «complimentary» valet, which means $ 3-​$ 5 tipping.
After paying the $ 50 per person tasting fee, we were seated in a side area, surrounded by shrubs. We asked to be moved to a table in the beautiful garden out front, but were told all the empty tables were reserved, but we could take our tasting if we stood. So we stood, surrounded by empty tables.
The hostess lacked the knowledge we had grown accustomed to at other wineries. When asked about the makeup of a particular bottle she served us, she said, «that’s a proprietary secret». At the end of our tasting we were offered a wine glass, «complimentary» of course, and to my horror she began wrapping our dirty glass. She must have seen the look on my face as she tissue wrapped my glass which still had remnants of wine in it, to which she said, «it’s your glass, not someone else’s».
Going out to the still empty parking lot, we didn’t see our rental car, a brand new Camry. The valet asked us to follow us down the walkway, to a secondary parking lot. Our car was parked, hidden away in a far away lot.
I must say, the gardens are beautiful and quite unusual considering the California drought. When asked about watering the lush grass and endless flower beds, we were told they have their own creek and aquifer so water wasn’t a problem. Too bad she didn’t use some of this water to wash our glass.
Maire Antoinette must run this place.

Tom in the tasting room was amazing ! Caymus Special selection is by far my favorite Cabernet. So visiting the tasting room was a must for me while in Napa, and especially on my birthday ! We tried the Zinfandel, which is offered only at the Winery. It was magnificent. Needless to say, I left with 3 bottles of Zin, 6 bottles of special selection and 3 bottles of the Mer Soleil Chardonnay (which is so tropical, i couldn’t resist). My only complaint is that you can’t become a wine member. other than that I am a fan for life! keep up the good work Wagner Family !

This was probably my favorite of the 7 or so wineries we visited in Napa, as it combined great wines (with a souvenir glass included in the tasting) with an awesome place to drink the wines. We went here only because I had heard Caymus had great cabs, and did not make a reservation. We parked in the lot and walked up to the host stand in the front courtyard, which had tables and chairs littered amongst the plants, ivy, and beautiful gardens. People were lounging on the furniture and enjoying the wines, and we were told by the hostess it was a $ 50 tasting for five wines that included a signature Caymus wine glass to keep. The wines were all good, but the last two cabs really stood out. There were three bars to get them from, two outside and one inside. There’s nowhere to really sit inside, but the outside garden is awesome, we found a nice bench and later moved to a table. Each time you are done with a glass, you go up to the bar where they pour your next and give you a brief explanation of the wine. This was great, could drink at your own pace and not have to be involved in a conversation with the server the whole time. I now look for a good deal on caymus cab everywhere we go, and am a devoted pupil of chuck wagners wines going forward. Highly highly recommend, don’t even need a reservation. Even the shop is nice, has bottles and other merchandise.

Consistently good wine. Beautiful trip to the countryside will be worth the trip. Some of the best all around wine from California.

This 1 star is for the price increase of the tasting. You pay $ 50 for 5 tastings (in the past you only had to pay $ 35) on top of that. you had to purchase 6 bottles (price range $ 50 and up) to have them wipe your tasting. In the past you only had to purchase 3 bottles for the wiping of the tasting. A 6 bottle required purchase seems WAY over the top (especially when they are high priced). The customer service from checking in to our person who poured (Eddie) was very polite and friendly. This review is based strictly on the price increase of the winery.

Disappointing and rather insensitive service for an expensive tasting and established wine maker. Your service behaved as if you’re a winery that caters to the older crowd of Napa and judges and pours based on spending ability that is almost entirely based on appearances and the staff guessing someone’s age.
Word of advice, making jokes about how the winery was founded on the property before we were born is probably not the best way to start off with your customers. Telling another in the group to «do the math» when we asked what % of wine was made in Napa vs. your other growing estates down south is also not a great call.
When one person in your group customer asks if they could try a few wines off menu if the bottle is open, because she at least plans on buying, then you should bring a glass to each purchased tasting in the party — not just a small pour for only me and expect 6 of us all to share it.
I’m in my mid-​30s, not 20s and have been going to Napa for wine tastings since I was 2 years old — not to mention, the last 2 days every winery we stopped at I’d purchased 6 bottles and could obviously have been a bigger customer for you. I’m not your generational type who’s into wine because of hype. It was an incredibly offensive comment.
Our $ 50 tasting for 5 wines (the highest priced one we ran into all day, beating out Robert Sinskey who let us taste over 10 wines and gives you a plate of food for $ 45) was on the outside patio on a fairly moderate trafficked day. It took almost 2 hours with multiple servers switching out to bring us your wines. A group the same size, but in their late 60s, sat down at the table next to us and within 20 minutes had gone through half of their tasting with consistent service… while that same server walked right by our table without checking in on us.
The check in and payment at the hostess stand before sitting down is really off-​putting and an unclassy way of telling customers they can’t afford you.
And to wrap, going into the wine store, when the guy checking us out asked how our tasting was and we said «the service was rather lackluster», didn’t trigger any call to action. I alone was buying 8 bottles of wine; maybe you should call your manager or offer to refund us a tasting as apology. Not just shrug it off with a «sorry to hear».
It seems you took the feedback from past Unilocal reviews to serve more Caymus wines and not your other vineyards — we had plenty of those on the list of 5. Here’s to hoping that you coach your staff how to treat every customer as their best customer and respond more effectively and appropriately to even the most subtle and polite of customer complaints.
I won’t be visiting you again and I certainly won’t tell anyone in my circles to make the stop.

Our tasting here was at my insistence, as the Caymus Cab is one of my favorite wines, but all of us were delighted by the beautiful garden and wonderful service. We had a reservation, but were able to seat ourselves on the patio and have the tasting room staff come to us. They were knowledgeable and patient, taking the time to answer our questions and give us the history of the vineyard. The flowers were blooming, the sun was shining, and there was complimentary water (a huge must for tasting rooms in my book). Although our group all had differing opinions on the wine, we agreed that we would happily stay on the patio forever. As an added bonus, we got to keep our Reidel tasting glass-​a perfect momento.
The only thing keeping Caymus from 5 stars? The music!!! It was terrible-​not a good playlist for such a pleasant slice of the world. Give us some jazz or classical, and do away with sweet home Alabama!

What a disappointment. I have purchased several «special selection» bottles over the years as gifts. But no longer.
I understand that maybe the other «Wagners» may not be as prestigious as Caymus, but when I went into the Caymus vineyard and paid $ 30 for a 4 flight tasting and only 1 way the Caymus brand. That was very disappointing. Like I said before. It’s understandable that that other brands are not a popular, but they don’t need to be 75% of the tasting. For that the tasting should be only $ 15 or so.
Lastly I felt like my wife and I didn’t get yet the whole package. I saw a bottle of the Special selection opened with a pour spout and heard one of the other employees tell another guest that there was a special surprise and they will be tasting the special selection. When we were done tasting, he just asked if we were purchasing anything and then excused himself to lunch.
Lastly, this my be just the way they do it here but they make you pay before you get your first glass, may just be how they do it but just kind of awkward.

What a location! E was such a great host and winery. Very welcoming to our group of military members. Thank you your wines were fantastic!

Beautiful entrance and greenery, even in November!
Had a great expletive just walking around and seeing their cellar. Only stopped here for pictures. I know they have wine tasting, but I don’t know if they allow people in their cellar; for was locked and it didn’t look like they do.

Visited Caymus Vineyard a few weeks ago. It was absolutely amazing. Dennis was our host and was so kind and very funny as well as knowledgable.
We met Chuck Wagner at a dinner held at Ruth Chris. Chuck invited us to the winery and even though he was on a well deserved trip, he made us feel very special by leaving word that we where coming to visit. Hands down one of the nicest guys around. We had a chance to taste and learn about all the wines his children are producing now. They are obviously took after Dad and Grand Dad. Every wine they produce is amazing. Looking toward to returning every year to taste another vintage. May favorite so far are the 2009 Special Select and the 40^th Anniversary Cab. Thank you Chuck and Dennis!

My parents and I came here for a quick visit since we were in Napa. The garden in the front is very beautiful. I love the atmosphere here, it’s a very comfortable place. Tastings are only $ 30 each, which isn’t bad for all the great wine they have here. I don’t drink that much so my Mom and I split a glass. It was cold and drizzling the day we came so we sat inside. Every wine we tasted was really good. our server was great. She was very informative when my Mom asked which wines they carry here that you can’t find anywhere else. The wine that they only sell here is their Zinfandel, so of course we bought one of those. We bought a total of six wines for ourselves and to share. If you buy six wines you can get a free tasting. It was a nice quick little get away.

I enjoy caymus wines and the experience is good. The tasting room does not have much of an ambiance and I am not sure if there are other areas that we just missed.
The wines though are exceptional. We enjoy some of their Pinot Noirs, especially Las Alturas and Clark and Telephone. Both are more full bodied than a regular Pinot and probably appeals to Cabernet lovers more. We definitely are more Cabernet lovers.
We did end up buying 6 bottles of their 2013 Cabernet and 6 bottles of their Clark and Telephone Pinot.
I do recommend this place if you have never been!

Our visit to Caymus was awkward. It was like crashing a party you were neither invited to or welcomed.
We rolled up with a reservation late on a Saturday and the tasting room area was packed. It was cold and rainy outside so that wasn’t an option. So there was nowhere at the bar to stand and the room was super noisy. Fortunately, one of the staff was nice enough to try to accommodate us and pour our four tastings. He also described each of the wines. He continually left to do something else but at least he was trying to make lemonade out of lemons.
The hostess came at one point when we were miserable and had nowhere to be in the tasting room to offer a private room. That room had a long banquet table with people sitting there looking miserable and waiting to leave. There were also many parents with children. Didn’t seem like a good option so we went back to being nomads.
As the staff felt sorry for us, we were led into the barrel room for a quick picture. That was a nice option considering we didn’t feel wanted.
Their wine room is long and narrow (and cold) but it’s a good way to look over their wines. Their silver bottle wine is unique.
We came to Caymus at the wrong time when there may have been a bus visiting. But it was the end of the day and we stayed at least an hour without things improving.
This visit just felt super awkward and we were glad to hit the road.

LOVE LOVE LOVE their wines…
NOT quite a fan of their tasting room.
Maybe it’s a hit or miss type of deal… understandably but if someone is asking about being a wine club member (like yours truly…) don’t rush them out. That’s just rude.
What’s even more rude is rushing the whole group… it’s the weekend… I know you want to accommodate every visitor but please treat them with respect like what other wineries in the area does.
To all you visitors planning… just be warned. They’re not the warm and fuzzy kind of wineries.

We came. We left. And we miss it already.
Caymus a/​k/​a the Wagner Family of Wine is unlike any other winery in wine country. It is an experience which exceeds any tasting you will ever have.
When you pull in to this gorgeous well manicured place there are valet attendants and a greeting stand. Once you inform the greeter of any reservation or plan, you are told the pricing and guided to the main desk. At the main desk, you pay any charges and are offered three locations to enjoy your tasting.
Each area has comfy seating, nice shade and a full staff who were ready to provide your first pour. After your first pour, you are told the rest will be brought to you. And it is. You are also offered complimentary Fiji water to cleanse your palette and hydrate.
Our host was great. He engaged us the entire time and made sure we received our pours and shared any characteristics he believed distinguished the particular pour from its predecessors or other wines of its type. Of most interest was learning that the various wine types are made by different members of the Wagner family. Each have their own winemaker and complete autonomy of their line. Some are sold at retailers. Others are not.
As an added bonuses this already incredible experience, we were able to taste the 2013 Caymus Vineyard Zinfandel ($ 38) which is only sold at their vineyard. We also shared a pour of their 2012 Special Selection Cab which retails and it $ 160 for a 750 ML. Both were very memorable.
The tasting flight is $ 30 and includes the following pours:
2013 Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands — Mer Soliel
2014 Pinot Noir, Clark and Telephone (Santa Barbara region) — Belle Glos
2012 Merlot, Napa Valley — Emmolo
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley — Caymus Vineyard
I could have visited this place every day for the experience alone. But after visiting here, there’s no other place that can measure up. It is a extremely tough act to follow… Coming with a large group. Caymus is not for you. From what I am told, they are unlikely to cater to large groups (tour buses) and are not on AAA maps by choice. You seriously have to look for it but once you find it, you will be more than glad you did.

This was our second stop of our wine tour. Our Emily, our private driver and tour guide, recommended this winery for one of my gfs who loves a good Cabernet Sauvignon. Their $ 25 tasting flight didn’t disappoint.
First one was Mer Soleil Chardonnay buttery indeed. Second was Belle Glos Pinot Noir — a common fav we were told. Definitely rich in flavor. Third was Caymus Zinfandel, an oldie fav of the late Charlie Wagner. I particularly didn’t like it. And lastly, Caymus Cab. Deep color with some brown spice. My gf loved it and I enjoyed it myself. I drank it all.
The property had several cute little patios with chairs and tables to sip your wine. And all the landscape were beautifully manicured with amazing lush courtyards fit for a wedding ceremony.
The staff were friendly and helfpul. I think Emily knew we were getting a little buzz from our first tour at Cakebread Cellars because we sort of parked our behind in one of the patios. So she volunteered to bring us our wine glasses for the tasting. Isnt she amazing? !!!
Too bad they don’t allow picnics on their grounds. This is definitely a must see and do when in Napa!
#thankful#for#wine#tasting#all#day

We stopped by on a dreary winter’s day an hour before they closed and was awarded with some excellent wines. Their tasting room/​bar was a bit crowded, so we brought our wine glasses outside to enjoy them at their delightful outdoor seating.
There was a water bar outside and they had complimentary Fiji bottled water which we welcomed since it was our last stop of the day. (FYI, their tasting glasses are also complimentary if you want a souvenir from the place) Staff were friendly and «looked in» on us despite the crowd. I can’t imagine how busy this place must get during the summer!
I couldn’t leave without a bottle of Merlot and Cabernet!