Caymus buys vineyard in Solano County

Napa Valley estate Caymus Vineyards has acquired a 72-hectare vineyard site near Fairfield in Solano County, California.

Chuck Wagner (centre) with his winemaker sons Charlie (far left) and Joe (far right)

According to the Napa Valley Register, Caymus’ owner Chuck Wagner plans to build a winery and warehouse facility on the site.

If planning permission is approved, the winery will be constructed in phases, with completion scheduled for 2016.

While Caymus’ flagship Cabernets will continue to be made from 100% Napa Valley fruit at its base in Rutherford, the new site will be used to expand the production of company’s other labels: Mer Soleil, Belle Glos, Meiomi and Conundrum.

Belle Glos Pinot Noir

Mer Soleil is currently made from Chardonnay grown the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, while Belle Glos’ single vineyard Pinot Noirs are sourced from three coastal appellations of California.

“Our family has been farming in the Napa Valley for more than 100 years and we’re very proud that we’ve worked hard to be great stewards of the vineyards and valley we call home,” Chuck Wagner told the Napa Valley Register.

“This purchase is an additional step in that process, removing traffic from our extremely busy roads to a location with the infrastructure in place to accommodate our production,” he added.

Wagner comes from a long line of winemakers in the Napa Valley, with a farming legacy that stretches back over 150 years.

Caymus Vineyards was founded by Chuck’s father Charles Wagner in 1972.

The estate currently produces 65,000 cases a year, though production across the company’s entire range is set to top 500,000 cases this year.