Cabernet Sauvignon

Food pairings: Grilled or braised beef, ribeye, lamb, mushroom dishes and aged cheeses.

Winemaking: Introduced with the 2021 vintage, Caymus California is a California-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon that carries the hallmarks of the Caymus style: ripe fruit and luxurious tannins, drinkable upon release yet able to age. It is bottled by Caymus Vineyards in Fairfield, California, and is a separate wine from the family's Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Special Selection.

Vineyards and terroir: The wine grew out of the family's excitement over California's diverse vineyard land, often in lesser-known areas that can produce exceptional Cabernet. The team searches for sites whose climate, soils and topography suit the variety, from Paso Robles to lesser-known areas of Lake, San Benito and Monterey Counties. The cold Pacific runs the length of the state and the climate warms with each step inland; stony soils, south-facing slopes and moderately warm conditions are the keys to dark, rich Cabernet.

Family and history: Chuck Wagner and his parents, Lorna and Charlie Wagner Sr., opened Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley, in 1972, starting with 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. The family's roots in Napa Valley reach back to the 1880s, when Lorna's grandparents homesteaded on Howell Mountain. Caymus remains family-owned and run, and Chuck's children Charlie and Jenny Wagner now carry on the farming and winemaking traditions.

In the pictures: Charlie and Jenny Wagner, the next generation of the Caymus family, in the vineyard; and a California Cabernet vineyard featured by Caymus for this wine (photos courtesy of Caymus Vineyards).