On the move: Wagner Family of Wine

When Chuck Wagner was growing up in California’s Napa Valley during the 60’s, he scarcely imagined the changes that would unfold.  Composed of mostly orchards and ranches 40 years ago, Napa has now become dominated by the grape.

From the valley floor to the benches, it’s now vineyards that you see.  The orchards and ranches are almost gone.  It’s sweet progress for a world-class wine industry.

Now Chuck runs a thriving wine business that really is His Family. He manages the day-to-day tasks of this diverse winery operation that he built, literally from the ground up.  And the Wagner Family of Wine produces a wonderful variety of wines, enough to get lost in.

With a great lineup of Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernets, The Wagner Family offers an excellent variety of tastes to experience.  They also produce the popular Conundrum white wine blend that is simply pleasing anytime.  But the oldest and most well known of their offerings is the Caymus label.

Chuck favors wines that are consumed young and this is reflected in their relatively short time from harvest to bottle, even for the Caymus Cabernet.  But wait, just close your eyes and take a sniff.  This is a big wine, a positive omen for how Caymus handled the 2010 vintage.

It’s bouquet is laced with dark fruit, smoke, vanilla, and of course a little “Rutherford Dust”.  The mid-palate has more dark fruit, a nicely balanced acidity, and nice tannic finish.  Caymus picked the bottling and distribution time right.  This one is ready!

If you want a variation on a theme, you can try their 2010 Special Selection Cabernet.  It has a softer bouquet with a little less fruit, but its body and tannic structure are more pronounced.  It’s definitely a wine for longer aging, but both Cabs should take to the rack for many years to come.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

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