Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark garnet color. On the nose: perfumed notes of red fruit, herbaceous, eucalyptus, mushroom, smoked meat, ripe olives, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, velvety full wine with brambly dark cherry/plum, coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, and a peppery- dried herbs- gamey long finish. YUM! A nicely aged and elegant wine with soft tannins and good acidity!! — 2 days ago

with Brenda

Jason Phillips

9.0

Deep ruby color and great nose. Velvety on palate with rich dark fruits. Soft tannins and a lasting finish. Good blend of Zin, Cab, Petite Syrah, and Syrah. — 18 days ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Last had this vintage a couple years ago. These obviously have a long life ahead of them. With some nice air, this does open up. Wonderful dark fruit and earth aromas. Tannins are quite present and a bit bitter (not in a bad way at all). Excellent acid on the finish. Delicious pairing with kinderhook pork chops with tutto porchetta seasoning. — 23 days ago

Jason Phillips

9.0

Dark ruby. Aged in American Oak. Full bodied on the palate with mild tannins. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

From 375ml.

A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.

At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.

Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml. — 15 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

A powerhouse Napa classic showing its age with grace and density. The 2012 vintage leans fully into Caymus’ signature fruit-forward opulence, offering a deeply concentrated and aromatic experience.

👃 Bursting with overripe black cherries, baked blueberries, and fig compote, layered over leather, toasted oak, and a warm touch of vanilla spice. Aromas are rich, seductive, and unmistakably bold.

👄 On the palate, it’s full-bodied, plush, and multi-layered, with flavors of cooked dark berries, espresso, and unsweetened dark chocolate. The tannins have softened beautifully, giving way to a silky texture and a dry, gently fading finish that still echoes with flavor.

Mouthfeel overall: Velvety, dense, and evolving, the age is starting to mellow the edges, but the wine still holds depth, richness, and a long tail of flavor. Caymus lovers, this vintage hits all the lush, hedonistic notes.

Drink now, or enjoy watching the last stretch of its maturity unfold over the next 2–3 years. 🍇🍫🖤 — 13 days ago

Harrison Mills

10

Rich dark fruit, blackberry/raspberry tone with no tannins. Full bodied. Expensive, but worth the price. A special occasion wine — 23 days ago

Inseon Hwang

9.4

Always drinks well. Robust without being overpowering. Dark purple, blackberries, graphite and pencil lead. Fine minerals. A little pepper. — 9 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Pretty deep garnet ruby , garnet rim . This is pretty open and aromatic, with smoky creme de cassis , grafite , blackberry and cedar , light herbal touches , really quite classic and noble . On the palate this has good balance and density , good freshness also . Ripe , very fine but perceptible tannins . Dark fruits , grafite , tobacco , long and detailed slightly mineral notes on the good length finish . Really elegant , though quite serious and traditional, not easy to pull off. This is drinking perfectly now (Coravin might have helped here , I would certainly decant if I had a full bottle) , though still quite fruit driven with some tertiary complexity coming through . Really harmonious and complex . From now and over the next 15 years, maybe more . At Doppo Restaurant, Soho . — 9 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Opened a few hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of an hour. This bottle of the 1986 was re-corked at the chateau in 2011. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and some dried dark and red fruits: black currants, brambles, black plum, tobacco, pencil shavings, some dried flowers, green pepper, leather, some earth and a gentle mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This seemed evergreen and this bottle spending most of its life in the cellars of the chateau likely has a lot to do with that. Fabulous stuff. Drink now through 2046. — a month ago