WTN: The Good, The Bad, and The Bad is Also Ugly

[David M. Bueker]

• 2012 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/1/2024)
  Served blind by the host at our monthly tasting group, this was the runaway wine of the night. Still very young, but also quite drinkable, with solid black fruit, firm tannin, a touch (just a touch) of wood framing, and a very long finish. Not the most aromatic wine of the night, but definitely the most complete, and with the longest runway for improvement. Drink now if you must, but better off not to, as it's going to get a lot better.
  
  
• 2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/1/2024)
  Served blind by the host at our monthly tasting group, this was far and away the last place wine of the night. It smelled pretty good, but on the palate was a distracting, cloying sweetness, and a caramel sugar flavor that was better suited to toddlers' ice cream toppings than fine wine. Oh how far the once mighty Caymus has fallen. Disgusting plus!

[Jenise]

Wow, from the best to the worst. Was 2012 Cal Cab the theme or was it merely an accident that both these '12s showed up?

In 2015 I wrote this about the Caymus: "Confected nose of vanilla bean and marshmallow. On the palate, lush and rich dark fruits and root beer float and an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream.... Horrifically sappy for this traditionalist, but sweet-toothed new world wine lovers at the table raved." Two and a half years later, another bottle fared no better. Which was really sad since I'd bought ten bottles--accidentally purchasing twice from two different vendors. I had a sentimental wave of deja vu when the anniversary bottling came out as the '89 Caymus was the first CalCab I ever bought a six pack of, way back when in Alaska. Hadn't had one in many years since. Anyway, turned out to be one of the best mistakes ever: I moved the rest off to auction where they fetched between $250 and $300 each.

[David M. Bueker]

It was not a 2012 theme, but each of the tasting pairs had a factor in common.

I used to enjoy the Caymus for what it was, an American pumped up Charles Atlas sort of wine that I didn't mind from time to time but wouldn't want to drink every day. Then they started ramping up the sweet concentrated fruit and I could no longer stomach it. Jenise and I attended a vertical tasting and exchanged glances when we saw people raving about the later wines while we wanted to dump them out.

I still have the Special Selection (90, 91, 92) that I ought to pull a cork on - my recollection is that they weren't as bad as the later wines. .

[David M. Bueker]

1997 or so is when Caymus lost their way. Thankfully 1998 and 1999 were not vintages for making outsized wines, as my dad had a bunch!

[Jenise]

I still have the Special Selection (90, 91, 92) that I ought to pull a cork on - my recollection is that they weren't as bad as the later wines. .

Haven't had any in years but I loved the 91 and 92 SS, as well as the 93 regular which had the de-classified SS fruit in it. Nothing since, though I maybe recall a 2006 that I thought was quite good. Another instance of a less-than stellar vintage by popular standards producing a wine that people like you and I can actually enjoy. I wouldn't risk an SS today.