Cameron Hughes Lot 125

Last week Pris and I were looking for a mellow red to go with a nice light dinner of flank steak, brown rice, and a light salad.  Pris selected Cameron Hughes' Lot 125 a 2007 Pinot Noir from Napa and Carneros.  This was the last of our Cameron Hughes Pinots, and one of our few remaining Cameron Hughes wines.

We were looking for a lighter wine, and Pinot is usually a fairly safe bet for this, but Lot 125 was not a light wine.  The nose was full of deep rich red berry and spice.  On the palate, this wine was full of rich ripe fruit with cherry, strawberry, and raspberry all making an appearance.  The rich fruit is underlined by subtle oak, spice, and earthy notes on the mid-palate.  Soft tannins allow for a gentle and earthy finish.

Definitely let this wine breathe for a bit or decant it prior to drinking, as it needs time to breathe and open up.  On a similar note, this wine needs to be finished in two days tops.  I don't know if it was the age of the wine, or the ravages of shipping it during the summer but on the third day, it turned on us.  Alas, it went before its time.  Fortunately there was only about a glass let, but its still a shame to let perfectly good wine go to waste.

Unfortunately Lot 125 is sold out online at Cameron Hughes website (www.chwine.com), but you may still find a bottle somewhere in circulation.  If you find it and you're looking for a good richer Pinot, this is your wine. It went exceedingly well with the flank steak, and is heavy enough to pair well with richer meals.  If you do find it, enjoy it and finish it off expediently.