(Think a $100 bottle of wine for less than $20!) It’s perfect for moms who appreciate good wine but don’t have a huge budget to do so. The Lot Series of wines at Cameron Hughes preserves the ultra-premium quality of the original Lot by bottling it unadulterated and never “back-blended.”
The first wine I was sent was Lot 264 2009 Santa Barbara County Pinot Grigio, which retails for $12. It is super light, crisp, and fruity on the nose. What I like about this Pinot Grigio the best is the color. The color is nice and doesn’t look like water in a glass like a lot of Pinot Grigio.
I also tried the Lot 270 2010 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, retailing at $11, an excellent value. This Sauvignon Blanc is from the Russian River Valley, which means foggy mornings, warm days and cool evenings produce nice cool climate varietals. This Sauvignon Blanc is bright, crisp and refreshing. It is also fruity and bold on the nose, which I like over many other Sauvignon Blancs that don’t have a nice, strong nose.
The Lot 280 2009 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay is a rich, buttery big Chardonnay but still has some of that bright crispness that makes Chardonnay delicious as well. It has nice acidity but I wish the finish was slightly longer for a buttery chardonnay. You can purchase this wine for $12.
The Lot 265 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir retails for $18. It is bright, fruity and crisp on the nose with a hint of cinnamon. However, on the palate, I thought this pinot noir was a little thin. I like more full-bodied Pinot Noirs. However, I do think this Pinot is a great bridge wine for moving white wine loves over to the dark side.
My favorite wine that I received from Cameron Hughes was the Lot 251 2009 Arroyo Seco Syrah Grenache Mourvedre. It is full-bodied wine with that savory Syrah richness. I loved the super smooth finish. Retailing at only $13, this is a great weeknight dinner wine!
The last wine I tried was Lot 303 2009 Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for $28. The price is outstanding, as most cabernets from the Stag’s Leap district in Napa cost much more. It has a silky texture with dark black fruit notes. I personally like my cabernet sauvignons to be a little more full-bodied than this one but this is still an excellent value.
Cameron Hughes Wine is available at local retail locations like Costco, Sam’s Club, Cost Plus World Markets, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Vons and online at http://www.chwine.com.
{Disclosure: I was provided with the above wines from Cameron Hughes to write this review. All statements and opinions expressed in this article are my own.}
