2021 Caymus-Suisun Winery 'Walking Fool' Red Blend Suisun Valley
The latest red blend from winemaker Jenny Wagner is named for great-great grandfather Johannes Glos who arrived in Napa Valley in the 1800’s. and He soon earned the nickname “The Walking Fool” for his good-natured personality and easy grin as he walked down into the Valley from his homestead on Howell Mountain. This blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah is a silky red with an earthy bouquet of wood, cigar box and sweet spice. The palate is lively with juicy raspberry and tart cranberry over meaty, espresso notes. Mouthwatering acidity speaks to an easy pairing for a serious feast! This is a gem worth a mile walk, uphill both ways, and will have you grinning the whole time.
Few farming legacies in California, certainly when it comes to growing world-class wine grapes, can stand up to the Wagner family. Their story began quietly in the 1940's, when Napa Valley was largely considered a far flung wilderness of prune and walnut orchards with a mere smattering of grapevines. The late Charlie Wagner, a non-nonsense man of the land, was happily farming wheat and fruit trees on the same Rutherford property he had known since childhood. He had no grand visions of becoming one of Napa's vineyard gurus. Charlie was an old-school character not easily given to fad or fashion, and wasn't about to switch gears without a very compelling reason. Not until winemaking legend Andre Tchelistcheff commented on the remarkable quality of his home winemaking grapes did he begin to look at his land in a different way. After re-planting significant portions of their 73-acre property to grapes (most significantly to Cabernet clones from grower Nathan Fay), Charlie, his wife Lorna and his son Chuck officially founded Caymus in 1972. Having spent years learning the secrets of the property farming alongside his father, Chuck took the helm as winemaker in 1984. The only wine ever named Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" twice has the Caymus name on it: the vaunted "Special Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon.