Range: 1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Comfortable, casual tasting room with an emphasis on simple elegance. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
http://www.caymus.com/
My first (successful) stop of the day was at Caymus Vineyards. Having already been frustrated by so many unavailable wineries that day, I wanted a “sure thing”. Since I had already spent a good deal of time driving, I wanted something nearby. Being the next winery down the road fit the bill. And being familiar with the quality of wines produced there, I knew I had an enjoyable tasting ahead of me.
As you drive into the parking lot of the winery, you notice a sort of simple elegance. The parking area is surfaced with pea gravel rather than asphalt. The winery building is surrounded by vineyards, and a stone wall isolates the parking area from the street. The landscaping was well groomed and dormant for the season, and there was a lot of freshly prepared dirt. I got the impression that the front was in a sort of transition as they were preparing to set up a more elaborate outside environment for tastings and events, but I did not confirm this with the winery.
I had visited Caymus Vineyards back in 2008 and enjoyed the experience. At that time, they offered a sit-down tasting with an intimate lecture, where they pour you the wines at a dining table and discuss attributes of each wine, add some historical notes about the winery owners, and answer any questions you may have. They typically accommodate four to eight people at these sit-down tastings, so expect to meet some new people if you are alone or traveling as a couple. A reservation is required for this experience.
On this visit, my only choice for tasting was the stand-up counter which they added recently. There is no reservation required to taste at the counter. This is a much more relaxed environment than the sit-down tasting. While the sit-down tasting includes four wines, including their winery-only offerings (a Zinfandel and an age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc) and their flagship Special Selection Cabernet, the tasting counter offers just three wines, including their Napa Valley Cabernet blend. The other wines offered were a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from their Belle Glos label. (It is not uncommon for a tasting room to feature wines from other winery labels owned by the same parent company.) The red wines I tasted had a rich intensity on the palette and featured sweet black fruits primarily. The wines were all complex, nicely styled, and intense, but clearly are very young and in need of a few years in the cellar. Te tasting fee was $15.
The tasting room was richly appointed using casual materials. The counter is done in a broad-grained wood with a dark stain. The floor is done in tile that creates an earthy, old-world feeling. The walls are painted a muted beige color that nicely integrates all of the elements. There are windows looking out into the garden area in front of the winery. And, if you peek past the doorway behind the counter, you can catch a glimpse of a storage area for some of the wine barrels. In addition to the wines, there is some branded merchandise available for sale. The tasting area is a fun place for adults, so bring a friend or two.
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as a 6. As I recall from my previous visit, the sit-down tasting was much more enjoyable and worth the extra cost. (It didn’t hurt that they were pouring wines from the fantastic 2005 vintage.)
(As a note, I have yet to visit a winery where I have scored the wines a 9, and I scored the sit-down tasting a 7 during my previous visit to Caymus.)
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