The Walking Fool

Perhaps it was because I had just walked eighteen holes of golf, with far more than my fair share of errant shots and lost balls, but when I saw a bottle of wine labeled The Walking Fool it spoke to me.  After all, misery loves company. As a certified wine geek and with my last shred of pride, however, I convinced myself that my real motive was to try a new wine made by a great producer in a relatively unknown, but up-and-coming, California appellation.

• Why would someone pick such a name for a wine? The Wagner family owns Caymus Vineyards, and back in the 1880s one of their ancestors named Johannes lived on Napa’s Howell Mountain and always walked from his home to the vineyards in the valley below. That earned him the affectionate nickname of “the walking fool.” Johannes is pictured on the label carrying water buckets with a wooden yoke (I would have pictured him with a 5-iron).
• It turns out that a surprising amount of wine purchase decisions are made based on intriguing names, or label artwork, rather than what’s in the bottle. 19 Crimes, anyone?

The wine is made from grapes grown in Caymus’ Suisun Valley vineyard. This obscure California appellation is located adjacent to Napa Valley, and it shares many of the same characteristics, such as topography and climate, that allow Napa to make world class wines. The appellation is a bountiful producer of excellent grapes, but thus far few wineries have been based there.

• It’s hard to shine when your neighbor is Napa Valley, but Suisun Valley is gaining traction, particularly now that a major producer such as Caymus has put down its vinous roots there.
• Unfortunately, Suisun Valley still lacks an identity, such as Napa and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its signature grape is “Durif” (Petite Sirah), which hardly stirs passion in a wine drinker, although Caymus-Suisun produces a varietal called Grand Duriff. The appellation is also becoming known for excellent Zinfandel.

We tasted the 2021 Caymus-Suisun The Walking Fool (about $38 retail). It’s a red blend, based on Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, with a few other local red grapes thrown in for good measure. The wine spends 18 months in French and American oak. It’s a powerful wine, one that you’ll want to enjoy with a robust food. It’s deep purple in color, and has aromas of ripe dark fruit, such as plum and blackberry, a hint of cranberry, along with spice and an earthiness. On the palate, The Walking Fool is full bodied, fruit forward, with dark fruit and spice, sandy but pleasant tannins, and a nice medium length finish.

• It paired nicely with a meaty pizza, but I expect that it would shine with a Texas-style BBQ brisket or a nice juicy cheeseburger.
• Although the label indicates that the wine is 13.8 percent alcohol, that seems improbably low – I’d guess it to be closer to 14.5. Even at that, the alcohol isn’t overpowering.
• My guess is that the wine will improve over the next several years as its powerful fruit fades a bit and it becomes more balanced.
• Overall, we enjoyed the wine and would have it again with BBQ or a burger.

Cheers!