Lot 143
2007 Howell Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awards the following medals to Cameron Hughes Wine: Double Gold Lot 116, 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Lot 143, 2007 Howell Mountain Cabernet Gold The Flying Winemaker, 2008 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay Silver Lot 121, 2006 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Lot 140, 2007 Sonoma County Cabernet

Cameron Hughes Lot 143, 2007 Howell Mountain District, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Technicals: - 90% Cabernet, 6% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah - Alcohol 14.9% $22 online only (only 10 cases left as of January 13th, 2010) ya I bought it with my own money. From the company literature: “Rich mulberry color with the fragerance of violets and Cassis. The nose quickly opens to aromas of ripe plums and savory roasts with a subtle background of cigar box. On the palate are juicy and penetrating flavors of currants, rose petal and earth layered with an opulence of wild dark fruit.” I like to first taste the wines and then read the company literature to compare the two. Firstly, is that not an awesome description? Yes it is Tim. It is an awesome description because it is extremely accurate. Do ever wonder what kind of psychedelics wine description writers were on when they come up with their descriptions? Well not to worry with Lot 143. It’s bang on. It is another one of Cameron Hughes’ mind-blowing steals, coming from a $95 bottle program that consistently scored in the mid 90’s! So yes, Violets on the nose and Cassis, ripe fruit on the palate and a little bit of earth on the back-end, not a lot, just a nice little bit. Complex, multi layered, beautiful knock your socks off wine. I paired it with Filet Mignon and the Arizona Cardinals playoff victory over Green Bay, followed by a late night viewing of The Big Lebowski. Dude, if I hadn’t already blown The Weekly Wine Journal’s budget for wine this quarter I would be buying a case of Lot 143.

Cameron Hughes '07 Cabs I had these over the last couple of weeks. They were all excellent to outstanding, and IMO, easily worth 2 - 3 times the price. They all have great, powerful fruit, without being at all overly ripe, and great structure to back it up. For me, the Lot 116 and Lot 149 were the more accessible now, I think Lot 143 and Lot 164 would benefit from some more time. 2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 149 - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/22/2010) Dark, dark ruby red. The nose has sweet raspberry, cassis, leather, and a little chalk. This is another big '07 Cameron Hughes, and a little riper than the other '07 Cameron Hughes Cabs that I've had, but still very well balanced, not overly ripe by any means. The tannins are firm, but not too drying. Nice acidity. Great overall structure holding everything up. Very athletic build, powerful but sleek. Drinking nicely now, may develop over the next few years. (91 pts.) 2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 143 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (2/20/2010) Medium-dark purple color. The nose has charcoal, cassis, and leather. If I tasted this blind, I'd peg it for a left bank Bordeaux. The fruit has a big presence, but it's not overly ripe at all. The tannins are very drying at this point. The oak is present, but it's nicely integrated. Very masculine and assertive. Great balance. Very nice now, although a little rough around the edges, I think this will develop into an outstanding wine. (92 pts.) 2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 116 - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/3/2010) Dark ruby color. The nose has plum, cassis, leather, smoke, and a hint of loam. Nice, clean fruit. Gorgeous, smooth texture. The tannins are present, but smooth. There's some oak underneath, but it's nicely integrated. Perfect balance. Not an in-your-face wine at all, it has a nice character that's very likable. Moderate length, enjoyable finish. May improve with age, but it's drinking beautifully now. (91 pts.) 2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 164 Rutherford - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (1/28/2010) Dark, purple-red in the glass. The nose has dusty plum, tobacco, as well as a little brighter raspberry and a bit of pencil eraser. The palate is medium-full, with clean, juicy fruit. The tannins are moderate and still very grippy. There's a nice acidic brightness as well. Not a big, bold wine, but very attractive and well proportioned. The finish is long and enjoyable. Very good now, and I think if the tannins settle down a little more, it'll be outstanding. (89 pts.) Posted from CellarTracker