How much did the food/service count in your "best all-around" award and how recently had you visited before this? Without context, what I found puzzling with your review is that it made it sound like there was this sudden and drastic drop in quality. Hasn't it always been about the view?
CA Grill isn't the resto it could/should be but that's been the case for a while and that also applies to just about every other place at WDW. I've never been super-impressed with CA Grill, especially with its inconsistency, so maybe any post-refurb dips in quality were not as obvious to me; it seemed pretty much like its usual state of overrated with a potential for awesome. My experience has been limited to the past 3+ years and does not include the near-mythical pre-DDP golden age that is mentioned on the boards every so often.
The view and WDW's walled garden guarantee that the food/service need not be that good for it to be packed every night.
I have visited CA Grill no fewer than twice each year since 2010 when I purchased my Vacation Club membership at Bay Lake Tower; likely 8-10 times since 2010.
The recent changes are quite public and stated in my review - CA Grill closed for renovations and reopened in Summer 2013.
In no uncertain terms, CA Grill is the most expensive Signature (beside V&A) at Disney and offers a reserve wine list. Neither of these facts would indicate that CA is not about food; it's difficult selling a $300 of Opus One to accompany hamburgers. Further, if CA Grill was all about the view, then nobody should ever be seated in the back room or the back part of dining room that lacks a view of the Magic Kingdom.
**I'd like to point out something to folks - many fine dining restaurants have two wine lists. The first one is of the lesser priced wines and is often designed to be less intimidating. The second wine list, the Reserve List, is given to folks with seemingly more knowledge about wines and/or who simply want a more expensive bottle.