In 1972, Chuck Wagner started Caymus Vineyards with his parents, Charlie and Lorna, with a bold plan and an uncharted future. They were a family of farmers with deep roots in the Napa Valley – in 1857, Chuck's great-great grandfather captained a wagon train to California from Bible Grove, Missouri. Working together for decades, Chuck and his parents established the family's work ethic, appetite for innovation, down-to-earth sensibility, and deep appreciation of the pleasures of good food and wine enjoyed with family and friends.
Today, Caymus Cabernet is one of the region's most celebrated wines. Made from grapes farmed in 8 of Napa Valley's 16 appellations, it has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins – as approachable in youth as it is in maturity. Chuck Wagner continues to make two world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignons – Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection. Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is the only wine in the world to be honored twice as Wine Spectator magazine's “Wine of the Year” for the 1984 and 1990 vintages.
Charlie and Chuck Wagner were elected to Wine Spectator's “Hall of Fame” in 2001, and in 2007, Chuck received the magazine's “Distinguished Service Award,” bestowed on individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the wine business.
While Caymus has grown over the years, it remains in many ways a small business – decidedly not corporate and entirely family-run. Two of Chuck's children, Charlie and Jenny Wagner, now work alongside him. They all feel extremely fortunate to be spending their days in pursuit of making extraordinary wine, year after year and generation after generation.
