Ladera Napa and Trentadue ‘La Storia’ Alexander Valley would probably fit the bill. The former costs about half the Caymus tariff and the second about a third.
Chris – If you’re new to this, I would highly recommend tasting some wines side by side, possibly even blind. That’s what first got me interested in wine – comparing glasses next to each other.
If you can find an organized tasting to attend, great. Otherwise, go to a store you trust that has a good selection and tell them you like Caymus. As them to recommend a half dozen (or more) other cabs. Then have a dinner with friends and compare the bottlings.
If you don’t have a lot of tasting experience, I think you’ll have a hard time forming the best judgment tasting individual wines in isolation. Plus, comparative tastings are fun and I think you’ll be really surprised in some way or other: You may prefer the cheap ones, or you may decide it’s worth paying up. Or maybe some Sonoma cabs or Santa Cruz Mountains will turn out to be your favorites.
You’d be surprised how talking wines with other like-minded folk while you are tasting them adds to the overall appreciation. Sometimes people point something out that is not obvious and you sit up and say—yes, I find that too! WOWSA! I’m having fun! 
I had asked this same exact question maybe nine months ago.
I’m still hooked on caymus but have found that these were good suggestions. I think Jones family. The sisters was best but it appears that the price is going up as we speak.
great suggestions here Chris…but again seek out crossbarn
How about get a bottle of Shafer’s HSS to experience the pinnacle of Napa cab?
Would concur on the lack of sweetness, but IMHOP, the Ridge does have that ‘brown’ taste profile that the OP is looking for, and would make a very good tangent to pursue.
St. Clement Oroppas around $40 (even cheaper at Costco).
Another good option… look above. Jean Edwards.
A lot of the suggestions so far are just good quality Cabernets that are cheaper than Caymus, but aren’t necessarily the same in style. A suggestion that hasn’t been made that comes from the same appellation, Rutherford, and very similar in style is Round Pond Rutherford Cab Sauv. Because it is from Rutherford it has many of the same characteristics of Caymus in terms of weight and flavor. Seriously good stuff.
OP, you may well need to change your retailer, but I respect the fact that the guy didn’t just start praising something that he liked to curry favor with you. I imagine 90% of the people on here would agree with the retailer. Now if he’s condescending about it – yeah, change. But if he is willing to introduce you to other things that might cost less and have additional complexity, etc., then he might well be invaluable.
And if he pushes Silver Oak, run for zee hills…
Finding a retailer/saleperson who is dialed into what you like could be a bit of worth, but really fantastic when you do.
I have had some great ones when I went in for such a thing.
Take a look at Avalon. This is a wine that very much approximates the Silver Oak/Caymus oaky/chocolate/vanilla style and it costs around $10 per bottle.
I have seen some good suggestions and don’t let the Napa haters sway you! I also like Caymus a lot! I would group the answer into 2 categories:
Around the same price and absolutely worth trying (some of these are winery direct):
Myriad Napa and Three twins ($50-65), Chappellet Signature ($45ish), Chimney Rock ($45), Quivet Kenefick Ranch ($65), Jones The Sisters ($60), Lewelling ($50), and Larkmead ($60)
Cost less and very comparable: Honig ($30), Provenance ($30), Paul Hobbs Crossbarn ($30), Whitehall Lane Cab. ($30), Grath ($40), Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepagnes ($45ish), Robert Craig Affinity ($40), Neal ($40), and Frank Family Cab. ($40)
Humberto: coincidentally I just received a bottle of vineyard 29 cru today. Ordered it from winelibrary.com a couple weeks ago based on price/description/score. Looking forward to it!
Chris
Another one came to mind, the Arrowood Sonoma Cab. I think that runs $25 to $30. It’s not massive as far as I recall, but definitely is substantial and modern (15% ABV, cassis dominant profile).
My previous caymus thread.
Chris… Good to have you here. Live down the street in Ojai. You are in a great place to try amazing wines… Do you enjoy Syrah? Have you tasted at Grassini downtown? They make a very nice cab… Also check out Jaffurs, Sanguis and Margerum tasting rooms. They make great wine that might float your boat.
I have gone through a couple of cases of CRU through the years and think it is a good QPR, but I wouldn’t put it in the Caymus camp. CRU reminds me more of a Stags Leap Wine Cellars Fay or Dunn
Mineral, dark fruit, fine cigar, firm tannins
That was my first thought. If this person is telling you your taste is wrong, shop somewhere else. Wine preferences are personal and subjective. There are quite a few good suggestions here for you, but keep in mind that some people tend to suggest things that they like rather than what you will probably like. You like more oak in your cab than most people here. The things you say you like about Caymus all come from oak. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. With the options I would think are available in your area, you should easily be able to find a good retailer who will honor your preferences and help you rather than judging you or saying you are wrong.
Keep in mind that high quality barrels such as those used by Caymus are expensive, so you might not like cheaper, heavily oaked cab as much, but I’m sure you will find some other options that you do enjoy.