Lot 125
2007 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir

Cameron Hughes Wine wins multiple medals at the 2009 Long Beach Grand Cru international wine competition. GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNERS: 2005 Merlot, Lot 112, Napa 2007 Chardonnay, Lot 124, Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir, Lot 125, Carneros 2007 Tempranillo, The Flying Winemaker, Campo de Borja Other award winners include Lot 100, Lot 110, Lot 114, Lot 115, Lot 119, Lot 122, Lot 126, The Flying Winemaker Chardonnay, and The Flying Winemaker Zinfandel.

Pinot Noir for Every Palate and Pocketbook Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a celebration of togetherness and sharing that has only one purpose, to give thanks. Thanks for the bounty on our table, thanks for the company we get to keep, and thanks for the time we spend together. As a wine lover though, it can be a difficult holiday, as I am sure many of you know. The traditional sides, those delicious yams, and the sweet and sour tang of cranberry sauce can make wine pairings a challenge. Fortunately for me, I am very forgiving if the wine doesn’t sing with every element of my meal, and besides that, for me it’s all about the bird, thigh please. Nonetheless, a lot of thought goes into selecting wines for these types of celebrations. While other wines might be better matches, I’m thinking of Lambrusco and Loire Valley Chenin Blanc for example, those can be geeky and intimidating choices. So what wine is a good choice, will work well with the food, and make a thousand palates sing? Pinot Noir of course. To help you make your thanksgiving Pinot Noir choices I tasted through three dozen wines searching for examples that will make your holiday table a success. I was very pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the wines tasted. There were a few wines that struck me as over the top in one way or another, but as a group, these wines exhibited purity, balance, and acidity that many New World, and even some old world, Pinot Noir have not exhibited for years. Cameron Hughes Lot 125 Carneros Pinot Noir 2007 Classic nose of cola, coriander, baked red berries, and mocha, spice, oak spice. Citrussy up front with a rich yet transparent feel this offers up very nice sappy and wild red berry fruit tones in a style that is a little hard and taut, in a good way and finishes with a refreshing, transparent, slightly jammy raspberry tone. Still youthful this could use another year in bottle to soften but I like it now for it’s strict mouthfeel and fine balance. 91pts

Cameron Hughes Wine wins multiple medals at the 2010 San Antonio Wine Competition, including a Gold for the Lot 140 Chalk Hill Cabernet. Gold - Lot Lot 140 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Silver - Lot 125 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir - Lot 135 Central Coast Syrah - Lot 139 Alexander Valley Meritage - Lot 144 Los Carneros Syrah - Lot 145 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

14 California Red Values Lake County Cabernet and Napa Pinot lead this list of widely available California reds priced at $20 or less by James Laube This week’s Tasting Highlights features very good California reds that represent excellent value from the Golden State. The quality of these wines, highlighted by the rather amazing 2006 Cameron Hughes Lake County Red Hills Cabernet Lot 168, reflects both some producers’ sustained emphasis on value and others downshifting a bit to sync with the market. The Cameron Hughes Cabernet is also a reminder of how the quality of Lake County reds are on the rise. You see the Lake County appellation on more wines these days (it’s due north of Napa Valley, with lots of affordable land and increasingly good vineyards), but also disguised within the broader North Coast appellation (which takes in Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties). Hughes’ 2007 Pinot Noir is also an excellent value, ditto for B.R. Cohn’s North Coast Cabernet. Also here is a rare California Dolcetto, this one a 2007 from Enotria in Mendocino, and an $8 Petite Sirah from Oak Grove, perfect for everyday drinking. CAMERON HUGHES Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County Lot 168 2006 Score: 89 | $12 Combines ripe, rich flavors with finesse and grace. Full-bodied, with spicy red currant, black licorice, creamy oak and spice, ending with a long, full, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015. 1,700 cases made. —J.L. CAMERON HUGHES Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Lot 125 2007 Score: 89 | $18 Distinctive for its soft, creamy texture, with detailed plum, spice, tobacco and pleasant earth flavors. Firms up on the finish, with more mineral and mushroom notes. Drink now through 2016. 2,100 cases made. —M.W.

10 New American Value Reds Faced with a surplus of grapes and wine, more top U.S. vineyards and wineries are selling to négociants, who release wines under their own labels at value prices. 2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 125 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir ($18) Hughes purchased this juicy, strawberry-inflected Pinot Noir from a top Napa winery (he won't name it) that was concerned it wouldn't be able to sell all of its wines at full price.

MY READERS RESPOND..TRY CAMERON HUGHES WINE!" Part of the joy in writing this blog is learning from others responses. Although the audience is small, the general wine knowledge is pretty impressive. I've had a number of readers ask me if I have tried any of the Cameron Hughes wines and to be honest, I've never heard of him. However, as I've learned from my days working on the exchange floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, if you hear something from more than one person, its worth checking out! This month I'll review three reds and one white from Cameron Hughes. Given that the last few years have been a struggle for many wine producers, the Hughes model has worked to perfection. The only risk is that he has no control over his sources and if times change, he may be forced to pay higher prices for his fruit or maybe not even get it at all. Another drawback is that the number of cases of a particular wine may be limited. Remember, most of the time he is buying grapes that a grower or winemaker believes he can’t sell, and in some cases, the seller is taking an economic loss selling his excess to Hughes. At any rate, the wines are available at Costco or from their website. I purchased mine off of the website and it was at my doorstep the next day. Overall, I was impressed with his product and the price. It’s worth taking a look at his website www.chwine.com for additional information. Lot 125-2007 Carneros Pinot Noir: This was by far the most surprising find. To be fair, Pinot Noir to me is like tabasco sauce; I like it around the house but I don’t drink it all the time. This award winning wine offered good depth and balance. Once it opened up, I picked up hints of plum and strawberry along with a vanilla oak like finish. At $19.00 a bottle, lot 125 is a steal. Lot 172-2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet: This double gold medal winner at the San Francisco International Wine Competition was simply delicious. At $22 bucks a bottle, it is a stand up triple. Alcohol level was 14.9 % and like the two wines above, decanting made a difference in the taste. Lot 172 is the classic Napa Cab; rich dark color, delicate, yet enough punch to get you excited. I picked up a touch of vanilla bean on the bouquet and ripe berry on the finish. Although 4000 cases were produced, it won’t last long. Lot 159-2008 Santa Barbara Chardonnay: This wine offers good balance structure and is well worth the $14.00 price tag. Rich tropical fruit was noticed and although it was not overpowering, I did detect a creamy oak like flavor. Although it’s hard for me to get too excited about Chardonnay, I would say it’s a great everyday wine and good enough to bring to friend.

Mini Pinot Shootout It's summer time. Salmon is smoking on the grill and family is around the table. What to open, what to open? A handful of Pinots get cracked. Different vintners, different appellations, different vintages. How'd they do? The answer may surprise you. The 2007 Cameron Hughes Pinot Noir Carneros Lot 125 ($19) is one we've reviewed here before. We liked it then, but the thing is, it's gotten better. Smooth as hell, sumptuous, and giving. And all around winner with finesse, body, softness, and character. The first bottle to get drained, which speaks volumes about the wine - especially when these others were all within arm's reach. If forced to pick a winner, it'd have to be the Cameron Hughes. It's just mind boggling to think how much wine you get for the money with this one. It's hard to believe we only paid $20 - and that it's not completely sold out.