Simply a Stunner: Cameron Hughes Lot 136 Cabernet Sauvignon

Last weekend was a good weekend for eating and wine drinking.  While the Franciscan Merlot was good, the Cameron Hughes 136 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the best wines Pris and I have had in quite some time.  This was one of the last of our Cameron Hughes stock and it was a good one. 

This was a great rich Cab.  The first hint of what was in store for us was the deep dark coloration of Lot 136.  On the nose, the Napa Cab was dark berry with subtle undertones of oak.  On the palate this wine exemplified everything that is great about Napa Cabs.  Deep rich fruit, blackberries, and cassis all melded together in perfect harmony.  Understated oak provided a nice backbone to the rich fruit.  Full tannins provided a great full bodied finish.  This Cab was superbly balanced and a joy to drink.

We opened the Cameron Hughes Lot 136 on a Sunday to go with our standard Sunday beef dish.  Initially I was just grilling up a sirloin, but the wine called for something a little grander.  In order to match the wine's sophistication I roasted some prosciutto wrapped fennel and prepared a bacon/blue cheese/butter for the steak.  The resulting meal was fantastic, and the wine was a perfect match.

Unfortunately Cameron Hughes' Lot 136 is now sold out and gone forever.  If you happen to find it at a Sam's or Costco buy it quickly.  If you're offered some at a dinner party, accept and enjoy.  You can find out more about Cameron Hughes wines and even get some suggestions on similar offerings at: www.chwine.com.

The Last Flight of the Flying Winemaker: 2007 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon

Pris and I have been trying to work through the last of our selection of Cameron Hughes wines.  As I stated in an earlier post they seem to be deteriorating on us.  Sunday when we arrived back home, Pris opened up our last Flying Winemaker bottle.  This happened to be a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva from Chile's Maipo Valley.

This was a great Cab.  It wasn't ready to go until it decanted in the glass for about 40 minutes, but once it did, it was very good.  The nose was a little rough with big dark fruits mixed with heavy earth and mineral undertones.  While the nose had some issues, on the palate this Cab was big bold fruit and ripe tannins. It was everything a good Cab should be.  Dark cherry and raspberry mixed with good oak undertones up front.  Big tannins provided a nice full finish that lingered well after the wine was finished.

The Flying Winemaker's Chilean Cab would have been great with a perfectly grilled NY Strip, but we didn't have that on hand.  Instead we paired it with a Cowboy Casserole from Central Market.  It wasn't the best of pairings, but the bold wine went well with the heavily spiced casserole.  The wine does appear to be sold out online, but you may find it somewhere.  It you do, pair it with a nice piece of beef, you shouldn't be disappointed.

 This particular Flying Winemaker offering was $9 a bottle.  It is sold out, but you can find similar offerings at Cameron Hughes' site: http://www.chwine.com/wine/flyingwinemaker/

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.

Cruising through our Cameron Hughes Stockpile with Lot 157

Sunday night a week ago (yes we've been lagging in the posting, but it was Christmas) Pris and I opened up a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from Cameron Hughes to go with a simple sirloin and mashed potato dinner.  Pris picked out Lot 157, which was a 2007 Cab from the Yountville region in Napa Valley.  So far, the Cameron Hughes wines have been excellent and diverse, and Lot 157 was no exception.

Lot 157 was a great deep dark wine with great garnet coloration.  On the nose this Cab was loaded with blackberry, cassis, and raspberry.  While the berry is powerful, it was not overwhelming.  When this wine hit the palate it was go time as rich fruits powered through the palate.  Ripe red fruits were dominant on the palate, but it was balanced with subtle tobacco notes.  Supple tannins round out this wine providing a smooth and mellow finish with none of the big bold dryness usually associated with Napa Cabs.  The finish lingers nicely and was very refreshing for a Cab.

We paired the Lot 157 Cab with a simple sirloin that was accompanied by mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with garlic and mascarpone cheese and salad with a simple red wine vinaigrette. The Cab was a solid performer with the steak and sides.  As usual, its hard to go wrong with the combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and steak.

Unfortunately Cameron Hughes' Lot 157 is now sold out.  If you search you can probably find some for sale on the internet.  However, you can also search Cameron Hughes' website and they will list similar Lots that they still have in stock.

Celebrating Post 100 with Hughes Wellman

When Pris and I started this blog a friend of ours told us to talk to him when we hit post 100.  Well here we are at 100 and going strong, in fact there are still 2 wines on deck to write up after this one.  Its been a lot of moderate wine drinking, and a few instances of wine drinking that resulted in some very unpleasant mornings after.

For this post Pris and I felt we needed an exceptional wine.  From there it was a matter of deciding if we go out and buy one or crack into one of the few specials we have saved up.  We opted to go for the latter and open up our last bottle of Cameron Hughes' superstar Hughes Wellman 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena.  This vintage is sold out now, but Pris and I ordered a couple bottles when we moved to Brownsville last year.  We tried our first one to celebrate our anniversary last year and decided to hold off on the second.

The Hughes Wellman Cab is subtle, complex, smooth, and full bodied.  Essentially the perfect Cab.  This opaque purple wine contained ripe red berries and cherry that assailed the nose right away.  While the aroma is great, wait for the first sip.  Full bodied, smooth, and incredibly balanced this wine is amazing.  Black cherries abound at the forefront, followed by just a tough of mineral and spice towards the end.  Silky smooth tannins complete the wine and create a lingering smooth finish.  This wine goes down effortlessly, and is one the easiest drinking wines Pris and I have had the pleasure of enjoying.

We actually paired the 2006 Cab with a pot roast and mashed potatoes.  Its not the grandest of dinners, but it was solid comfort food made with wine and many of the ingredients found in beef bourguignon.  The recipe actually recommended a merlot for the meal, but the Hughes Wellman paired perfectly with the tender beef and savory sauce.  This wine is so good and smooth that I'm fairly sure it will pair well with about anything.  That said, it really shines with rich beef dishes so look for a roast, braised beef, brisket, and of course a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak.

At $50 this wine was a steal, but its gone now.  The 2007 vintage is available at Cameron Hughes' website: http://www.chwine.com/.  I haven't tried it yet, or even ordered some, but Christmas is right around the corner so maybe a nice gift of wine from us to us is in order.

With Lot 169 you can "Go for Merlot"

The other night Pris opened up a bottle of Cameron Hughes' 169 2007 Napa Valley Merlot.  There wasn't any particular reason for it, she just wanted to get through a few more bottles this month since we were a little slow on our posting.  Sometimes its nice just to open a wine for no other reason than to drink it.

Lot 169 is a perfect example of what a good Merlot should be: fruity, rich , a little dry, and full of flavor.  On the nose this Merlot was loaded up with plum and currant, dark berry, and even hints of chocolate and espresso.  The rich fruit continued on the palate with the currant, plum, and berry dominating the palate.  It's hard to put into words, but even though these are some of the usual suspects found in most Merlots, the Lot 169 blends them in a way that is unique and sets it apart.  This complexity and layering of flavors provides a easily drinkable wine.

The Lot 169 2007 Merlot is a great wine to have on hand.  Its blending of mellow feel and complex flavors make it wine that can go with just about anything.  Or you can drink it all on its own on a cool autumn evening.  For more information on Lot 169, or to order your own, you can visit:  http://www.chwine.com/wine/lot/169

Zipping Along with Flying Wine Maker's Zinfandel

Several months ago, before we started this blog, Pris and I opened up a bottle of The Flying Wine Maker's 2007 Zinfandel from Cameron Hughes wines.  The Flying Winemaker label does the same thing Cameron Hughes does, just on an international scale.  Essentially, they find excess wine from various wineries, buy it cheap, label it under their own brand and sell it for less than the label price.  Its a good deal and they're usually pretty spot on.

The last time we tried the wine I wasn't overly thrilled with it.  I thought it was too sweet, and slightly gone by the wayside.  However, we decided that if this bottle was still good it might go with the Moroccan spiced chicken and pumpkin/cheddar grits.  It was a great call.

The Flying Wine Maker Zinfandel was sweet, but not so much as before.  I think it helped pouring through the aerator.  The wine had a good fruity nose with loads of very ripe dark fruit.  On the palate, the wine was smooth with a mix of sweetness and spice.  The wine finished with a great spicy bite that was a great compliment to the spicy chicken.  This wine went great with dinner, and I'd recommend it for anything spicy or savory.

We got this wine at the Cameron Hughes website over a year ago.  It doesn't appear that they're selling this vintage anymore.  One problem with Cameron Hughes is that their wines are good, and their lot sizes are small, so they tend to run out fairly quickly.  This one was about $10 a bottle and was a good wine if you're looking for a red that's not too dry.  There is a 2009 vintage out there, and if the 2007 is any guide, its definitely worth looking into.  For more information on the new vintage you can visit: http://www.chwine.com/