Caymus 'Special Selection' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018
Caymus 'Special Selection' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 is Napa luxury at its most famous: a 15.7% ABV, 750mL 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made only from the finest barrels of the vintage, set aside each year by the Wagner family in Rutherford. The 2018 — 94 points, Wine Spectator — is a warm-vintage wine of notable concentration and balance, distinguished by the extremely fine, velvety tannins that made Special Selection the only wine in history to earn Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year twice (1984 and 1990). Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 15.7%
- Size: 750mL
- Vintage: 2018 — 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, warm and consistent Napa growing season
- Producer: Caymus Vineyards, Wagner family, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California
- Selection: only the most exceptional barrels of the vintage, set aside for extended hang-time fruit
- Ratings: 94 pts Wine Spectator; the only two-time Wine Spectator Wine of the Year (1984, 1990)
The Finest Barrels of the Vintage
Every year the Wagner family tastes through its Napa Valley Cabernet and sets aside the most exceptional barrels — that selection, and only that selection, becomes Special Selection. The 2018 comes from fruit left hanging unusually long on the vine (Caymus's signature "hang time" technique), developing deeper color, suppler texture, and fully resolved tannins. The result is the wine's calling card: intense concentration of supple dark-fruit flavors wrapped in tannins "soft as velvet," enjoyable on release and built to age. See more Caymus Vineyards wines and our Cabernet Sauvignon collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose: waves of cassis and blackberry compote, deep layers of espresso crema and roasted vanilla bean, dark undertones of chocolate and sweet tobacco. Palate: immediately lush — plum sauce and blackberry preserves, licorice and dark chocolate carried by extremely fine, velvety tannins; oak seamless, structure without weight. Finish: powerful and lasting, sweet tobacco and warm earth, polished and almost creamy.
How to Enjoy
Decant 1–2 hours to open the aromatics; serve at 60–65°F. Pair with a perfectly seared ribeye, braised short ribs, or aged cheddar — or cellar a decade for the tannins to fully resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Caymus Cabernet and Special Selection?
Special Selection is made only from the finest barrels of the vintage — a stricter selection than the flagship Napa Cabernet — with finer tannins and greater concentration.
What does "Wine of the Year twice" mean?
Special Selection is the only wine in history honored twice as Wine Spectator magazine's Wine of the Year — in 1984 and 1990.
Can I drink the 2018 now or should I age it?
Both — it's distinguished by velvety tannins that make it enjoyable on release, with the structure to reward a decade in the cellar.
Napa's most famous Cabernet awaits — order Caymus Special Selection 2018 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.