Lot 42
2005 Barossa Shiraz - 75 Years

Let me chirp in as a true wino, er, I mean oenophile. This is perhaps the greatest price/taste performance wine in CA. This Cameron guy is pretty smart. He doesn't own a winery, and he doesn't own a vineyard. He goes around to top Napa and Sonoma wineries and buys the remaining vats of wine that is not bottled. He then magically blends it, and then sells it for $10-13 a bottle. It tastes right up there in the normal $30-60/bottle range.

Cameron Hughes surprised his customers late last week, by selling his latest wines online only. The last Lot that was available exclusively at the Danville Costco (Lot 28) sold out in a few days, and left many customers abroad upset. So, to make it fare for all, Lots 33, 38, and 42 are available exclusively online, but not quite at the discounted price the Superstore offers. This distribution has it’s pros and cons, but the biggest problem for me, is that you can’t try the wine first before committing to a case or two. Following are my notes on the current release, which will hopefully help you avoid any mistakes when ordering. As always, these wines are tasted twice, once upon opening, and a second time with at least an hour or two of decanting. These wines are currently available online at CHwine.com Lot 33 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley 14.5% ABV $18 Burgundy color with cherry and blueberry notes, bell pepper and raspberry, a bit acidic and hot. Possibly a bad bottle, but cork didn’t display any signs of leakage or overheating since bottling, and no signs of TCA. Just seemed too acidic and out of balance. 500 cases Score: n/a Waiting to re-review Lot 36 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 13.8% ABV $14 Burgundy red, cloying nose with hints of green bell pepper and tar, a bit acidic, tart finish lacking much structure. Again, no sign of seepage at cork, but seemed overly acidic possibly from excessive heat somewhere in the process. 7,500 cases Score: n/a Waiting to re-review Lot 37 2006 Rosé of Garnacha Campo de Borja, Spain 14% ABV $10 Strawberry both in color and smell, minor post bottle fermentation upon opening, with a touch of glycerin that fades into a more balanced effort after 30 minutes. Decant and serve chilled about 10 minutes out of the fridge. Sealed with a Stelvin. 7,000 cases Score: 86 Pts Lot 38 2005 Shiraz Barossa Valley, Australia 100 Year Old Vines 15% ABV $20 Garnet red in color with a rich nose of blackberry, vanilla, anise, toasty oak, with gobs of fruit on the palate, a medium to full bodied mouthfeel and a rich lingering finish. Very good. (Twist cap used here as well.) 500 cases Score: 92 pts Lot 42 2005 Shiraz Barossa Valley, Australia 75 Year Old Vines 14.5% ABV $18 This beautiful red wine has a nice nose of strawberries, leather, and raspberry that lead into extracted notes of boysenberry and vanilla. A touch of glycerin, this wine is a bit off balance and hot, but that starts to dissipate with aeration. Still a fine effort. Stelvin closure used. 522 cases Score: 88 pts

If you check out the reviews on Cellar Tracker, that will give you a pretty decent idea of what the wine is like. From the first smell/sip, I was thinking THIS is what I was looking for - it just tasted "right" - I don't know how to explain it except I wouldn't change a thing in this wine.

The second wine tasted on my visit with Cameron Hughes in late May. This one is more in line with what you would expect in an Aussie Shiraz; rich, bold and powerful. One for the cellar. Dark purple in color with blackberry, white pepper and fennel aromas. Rich and bold in the mouth with blackberry jam, mint and licorice flavors finishing with firm tannins. I’d lay this one down for a few years to let the tannins soften a bit or decant for 2-3 hours before serving. Another stunning value.