Review - Cameron Hughes - Hughes-Wellman & Lot Series - 52,66,68,71,73,79,91
The following are my tasting notes on the latest wines from Cameron Hughes. You can read more about Cameron and my past reviews here.
2006 Rockridge Chardonnay, $<10 - Magnum
Score: 82pts - Notes: Not a bad value - hints of melon, pear, and pineapple, beats 2 buck chuck anyday!
Full disclosure: The wines rated below were all press samples.
Lot 52 2006 Valle De Uco Malbec (Argentina), $13, 14.5% ABV
Score: 90 pts (A-) - Notes: Dark Fruit Characteristics, Food Friendly
Lot 66 2006 Veneto Pinot Grigio (Italy), $10, 12% ABV
Score: ? - Notes: Glycerin, Post Bottle Fermentation, Hot and Astringent. Bad Bottle, planning to retaste
Lot 68 2006 Margaret River Chardonnay (Australia), $13, 14.2% ABV
Score: 90pts (A-) - Notes: Citrus, Melon, Mineral, Rock
Lot 71 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $15, 14.5% ABV
Score: 82pts (B-) - Notes: Cherry Syrup, Tart, Raspberry, Medium Bodied
Lot 73 2006 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $16, 14.5% ABV
Score: 90pts (A-) - Notes: Tasted 2x’s, Inky Purple, Anise, Vanilla, Oak, Very tight, buy & hold.
Lot 79 2005 Napa Valley Merlot (California), $14
Score: 78pts (C+) - Notes: This is an overly extracted, Syrupy wine that just didn’t taste that good. (Off the website for a reason?)
Lot 91 2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, (California), $14, 13.9% ABV
Score: 86pts (B) - Notes: A Chardonnay for Sauvignon Blanc Lovers, Good Acidity, Citrus
2005 Hughes-Wellman Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $50, 14.5% ABV
Score: 90pts (A-) - Notes: A very pleasant first effort at a higher end offering from Cameron. This big Cab has a somewhat weak nose at the moment, but offers hints of black cherry and blueberry. I kept getting whiffs of bell pepper, which through me off a bit, but over time that could blow off. Usually it’s just a sign of grapes harvested from younger vines. The wine possesses good tannic structure with cranberry notes on the palate and a finish that lingers on the tongue. This monster could stand to mellow in the cellar for a bit. I’m excited to see how this wine develops in bottle and look forward to any future releases under this label as the potential for a bargain trophy wine is here. Drink 2010 - 2015
On a side note, I am proud of Cameron for using more screw cap closures. A few of the bottles sent that were sealed with the traditional cork were tainted.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:52 am
thanks for the reviews! you do not think that ch wines expanded a bit too much, and now this is why some lower quality stuff is coming through?
August 25th, 2008 at 11:19 am
That could be the case, however, all of the wines are sampled by Cameron and his team before the his label graces the bottle, so it makes one wonder where the discrepancy is. Could he be the victim of a bait and switch, tasting completely different wines than those actually bottled? Or could this be just a few bad bottles out of the bunch?
One thing is for certain, no one likes paying for a bad bottle of wine.