In 1975, Chuck and his dad noticed that there were a few barrels that tasted better than the rest, so they decided to separate them from the batch and bottle them under a new label called “Special Selection.” In 1989, Wine Spectator awarded the prestigious “Wine of the Year Award” for their 1984 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, and again five years later for their 1990 vintage. While it’s true that Caymus Vineyards is the only winery in the world to have twice earned Wine Spectator’s highest accolade, the Wagners did not stop there – it motivated them to keep striving to make better and better wines each and every year.
It’s been over 45 years since the Wagners founded Caymus Vineyards, and today they are proud to showcase a collection of wines that have a reputation for quality and consistency, produced from premier winegrowing regions of California and beyond. Charlie Wagner died at his Rutherford home in February 2002, in his 90th year. Son Chuck Wagner continues to oversee the making of world-renowned Caymus Cabernets. More recently he introduced Bonanza, a California-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon that celebrates the discovery of vineyard land throughout our great state as well as the simple pleasure of enjoying a good glass of wine.
Chuck is thankful to have two of his four children, Charlie and Jenny, farming the land alongside him and carrying on the family legacy.
One of the family’s fond memories is of Chuck’s dad, Charlie Sr., sitting at the dinner table at the end of each work day, blending wines from one glass into another to create the perfect pairing for his meal. It didn’t matter what the varietals were, he would just blend, taste and explore. It was this unique approach that inspired Chuck to break the norm and start making a blended white wine, which the family named “Conundrum.” From the very first vintage in 1989, they were determined to make a wine that was uniquely Californian and would seamlessly pair with a wide array of cuisines and dishes.
