Lot 139
2007 Alexander Valley Meritage

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

American Bordeaux Meritage is just like Bordeaux, since it's made with the same grapes!! There's a rich, full aroma to it. Depending on the particular blend, it can be blackberry, black cherry, spices, chocolate, and vanilla. Most Meritages have the Bordeaux signature flavors - cigar box, rich fruits, with a hefty feel. It's great with a steak, or with game meats - venison, pheasant. A classic example of an American Bordeaux, eh, Meritage is Joseph Phelps's "Insigna". Phelps has been producing this huge hunk of love for years and constantly ranks up there with the best juice produced in America. Another great way to enjoy a Meritage at a terrific price is to purchase from American Negociants such as Cameron Hughes. I represent Cameron Hughes Wines in in-store demonstrations; he has put together a great collection of wines that he has bottled with his own lot numbers. I especially enjoy his Meritage lot 139, at around $10 a bottle it represents a terrific value for a dynamic wine, so much so that you actually will have to decant this wine. A great price and terrific example of an inexpensive Meritage at retail but with a big boy mouth feel. But remember, if you store your Bordeaux's or Meritage's in a nice wine rack in your living room you might as well get ready for a vinegar salad dressing. Room temperature refers to the climate in French Caves which hovers around 57-64 degrees. So do you and your wine a favor and purchase a nice 30-50 bottle temperature controlled wine storage unit. Now go out there and enjoy your picnic.

2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 139 Alexander Valley Meritage In France, a Negociant is someone who purchases excess wine from local vineyards and sells the excess under their own label. Sometimes they bottled the wine exactly as it came from the barrel, other times they blend grapes from different vineyards to create their own unique wine blend. But where exactly and from whom they purchased the wine is kept in strict confidence. Cameron Hughes is the American version of the French Negociant. By carefully choosing his sources, he can bring wines of outstanding quality to the market at exceptional prices. Of course, he can not disclose exactly who made the wine, only general information, in this case the wine was produced in Alexander Valley in Sonoma, California and the wine came pre-blended and ready for bottling. There is a bottle of wine on some store shelf right now with a different label, but the exact same wine inside and a price tag at least three times more expensive than the Cameron Hughes Lot 139 Meritage. Fun Fact: In California to be designated a Meritage wine, the blend most consist of a least two Bordeaux grapes. For a red wine blend the Bordeaux grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Gros Verdot and St, Macaire. The color is strawberry red with black cherry highlights. The nose is plums, a touch of vanilla, light menthol along with black and blueberries. An interesting flavor, chocolate covered cherries, Frango Mints, I am using candy as descriptors, but this is not sweet, the Lot 139 has the lush, rich candy taste, minus the sugary sweetness, now to make things confusing the oak and the tannins do add a touch of sweetness. The finish is soft red berry, it is light in taste, but it lingers for a reasonably long time. A medium bodied, tasty red wine blend. Drinks very well, when pairing with food, you will want to stay away from dishes with heavy sauces or strong flavors. But when pairing wine with food, delicious always goes with delicious.