On Apr 26, 2:48 pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> 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
>
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

I think you're probably right about the generational shift and the
move towards a softer style. I always thought of it as being driven
by Parker since he seems to have an affinity for plush, oaky fruit
bombs but now that you mentioned it WS seems to favor this style
also. I never noticed the oaky character of pre-1993 SS but I can't
recall tasting any SS on release prior to 1991 since it was over my
budget at the time. I'm still drinking the last of my 1990 regular
cuvee of Caymus and it's showing quite well with very little overt age.