Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker, moved his wine production to the Suisun Valley from Rutherford in the Napa Valley due to the unique soil and understated vibe of the region. Chuck took a chance and planted Durif, which grew spectacularly well in the Suisun soil.
Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif When we started Caymus Vineyards 45 years ago, our little town of Rutherford – the center point of the Napa Valley – was a very different place than it is today. Inglenook and Beaulieu were always here, or so it seemed. And we came along just six years after Robert Mondavi started his Oakville winery in 1966. We were a podunk, mom, pop, and son operation that had once been written up as a winery with a “Sanford and Son” appearance. The 1970’s brought about the planting of grapes instead of more traditional crops like prunes, walnuts, and grains. The valley had no famed restaurants luring people to visit, and traffic on the roads was light. Everyone seemed to know everyone else. With all its natural gifts – from its climate to its farmland to its quiet beauty – “Napa” was still largely undiscovered and felt full of possibility.
The same look and feel back in 1972 exists today in a place that is only a 40-minute drive from Rutherford. Suisun (su-soon) Valley lies to the southeast, separated from its more famous neighbor only by a county line. It, too, has a maritime climate, with warm days and cool nights, due to its proximity to the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. At about one-and-a-half times the size of Rutherford AVA, the Suisun AVA has rich soils and historically is known for growing stone fruit. The domain is also ideally suited to growing certain varieties of grapes.
There are a few key reasons why the Suisun Valley is not widely known today. First, the 12 wineries that exist are small in size and sell their wine consumer-direct. Second, the land has been planted to fruit trees for more than a century – delicious stone fruits that are highly sought after by many Napa restaurants. Fruit in Suisun is being replanted by vines much like prunes were replaced by grapes in Napa decades ago.
We first ventured into the Suisun to relocate much of our wine production (and bottling) from Rutherford– which brought the side benefit of contributing to the reduction of car and truck traffic in Napa Valley. From the start, I was drawn in by the beauty of the area. Quiet country roads, diversity of farming, and the best peaches I’ve ever eaten – literally, the charming little valley left me with an exceptional and memorable taste. The local farmers and vintners welcomed us, as we could relate so well to their generations of family living off the land.
Caymus – Suisun Grand Durif – we began an in-depth search of “ Suisun” in early 2014 and identified a few top-quality Durif vineyards in the hidden corners of this small, picturesque place (Durif is synonymous with Petite Sirah). We found ourselves working with Howard Babcock, a grower with a most positive attitude. “I want to do whatever it takes in the vineyard for you to make the very best wine that you can,” he exclaimed. His words meant a lot and helped set the stage for us.
As we set our sights on producing a Caymus-style wine from one of the world’s heavyweight varieties, we made a promise to ourselves that “a new wine bearing the old Caymus would have to be great – or it would not be bottled.” Tasting what had been produced by other area wineries, we determined that Durif planted on the local soils appeared to be exceptional and was the best choice in varietal. While the Suisun climate is like Napa, the Suisun soils are different.
We are pleased that the wine we produced made grade and we bottled 843 cases for our first bottling (2014 vintage) – sold only from our retail room in Rutherford. In an effort to accurately define the wine in a name, we chose “Grand Durif.” After all, it is a grand style of wine – and anything but petite. We felt that it is only right to have a new and singular name as the wine is a new and singular style. I am hopeful that it turns a page in the history book of Petite Sirah – or at least sparks the fire of positive change in being rich and tannic, yet supple and totally enjoyable.
We hope that you will enjoy this third vintage and join us in the discovery of a hidden gem – the historical, yet not so well-known, Suisun Valley. We are now embarked on building a winery and tasting room in the heart of this beautiful place and hope you will visit and see for yourselves.
TASTING NOTES: A velvety purple with ruby-red highlights, the Grand Durif features an abundant nose of dark plums and baked blueberries, woven with scents of lavender, white rose petals, sweet smoke and brown spice. Entry on the palate is smooth, yielding a pop of rich, luxurious tannins that then sneak back, revealing lush fruit flavors of dark berry cobbler. What gives this wine its singular character are its tannins – strong yet supple, pronounced while being strikingly soft. The finish is long, with warm, evocative notes of unsweetened cocoa. Still quite young, this vintage can be enjoyed now and also has tremendous aging potential.
“SEE YOU SOON IN SUISUN!”