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Mark Lipton[_1_] Mark Lipton[_1_] is offline
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Default Caymus Special Selection 1988 - 1997

Bi!! wrote:

> Thanks for the very engaging notes! SS has long been a favorite of
> mine. I do believe that there was a directional change in 1993 giving
> the wine much more concentration, body and oak.


I find it hard to believe that it could have increased its reliance on
oak, since even those SSs from the late '70s/early '80s were
*incredibly* oaky upon release. Tasters with more experience (and
patience) than I noted that the oak did integrate with time, but I must
admit to having always preferred the regular cuvée (fortunate for me
since I couldn't afford SS), which alas did change around '93, to a more
forward, softer (aka "WS") style. I haven't bought one since.

Rightly or wrongly, I associated the stylistic shift at Caymus with the
generational change from Charlie to Chuck Wagner, which occured more or
less at that time. Having once tasted Caymus's wines with Charlie
pouring, I have to say that those early Caymus cabs were like him:
earthy and tough, but with a deceptive refinement to them.

Mark Lipton



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