Several of our wine consultants just returned from a trip to Napa, so look for winery notes and travel memoirs coming up over the next several weeks.

We visited the beautiful understated Caymus tasting room where the emphasis is clearly focused on the wine. We sat outside in the picnic area with the warm Napa sunshine beaming down on us.

We had the pleasure of tasting four wines presented by Mike Pramuk, Wine Educator for Caymus (pictured here with our wine team and Alex Poreda of SWS).

Mer Soleil Silver 2011 Unoaked Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey; Belle Glos 2010 Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highland, Monterey; Caymus 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Caymus Special Selection 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley.

Caymus was founded by the Wagner Family in 1972. Today it is a one family operation with multiple wineries in some of the most outstanding vine land regions of California.

It is one of the world’s most respected Cabernet Sauvignon producers with the Special Selection leading the way. Caymus' annual production of Cabernet Sauvignon is circa 100,000 cases ,with 15,000 being the Special Selection.

Caymus draws their Cabernet Sauvignon from 800 acres of vines from eight Napa Valley AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) including Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Atlas Peak, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Oakville and Rutherford.

Of great interest to me was the core difference between the Caymus and the Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. From an instant taste point of view the Special Selection had amazing fruit concentration with silky smoothness whereas the regular Caymus had dusty tannins evident, perhaps given the vintage--it is still a little young.

The difference in the two Cabernets is Chuck Wagner, the winemaker of Caymus, and his selection of the top 10% of fruit from across all the vineyards that is used to make the Special Selection. The fruit comes from warmer regions, producing riper, smaller berries giving a slightly higher alcohol level.

Another difference is time spent on oak with the Special Selection Cabernet getting 18 months, and the regular Caymus 16 months. The Special Selection is usually 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; the 2009 bottling had 13% Merlot.

From the grapevine: Caymus may produce a Merlot in the future.

Laurence Phillips, Wine Consultant, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Store 017, Viera, Melbourne.