My first Cameron Hughes wine and it definitely won't be my last.
52% Syrah, 44% Grenache, 2% Mourvèdre, 2% Carignane. $9.99 at Costco.
From the bottle:
"2009 Red Wine
Arroyo Seco, Monterey CountyCameron Hughes is an international négociant, sourcing and producing small lots of high quality wine from the world's best regions. Cameron offers a diverse range of wines uniquely represented by the Lot number on this label.
Lot 241 integrates cocoa covered rum raisinette with pure black fruit. Silken tannins thrum in a harmonious chorus. Glorious.
14.3% alcohol"
While I hadn't tried a Cameron Hughes wine before this, plenty of other people have, and they love them. Exhibit A: A local Costco brought in 56 cases of this wine and sold through all of it in one day. Lucky for me my brother just happened to be shopping at said Costco that day and was kind enough to share a bottle from his stash.
The Cameron Hughes business model is one we've heard before, and is similar to the reasons I like trying the Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe's brand wines: high quality wines at low prices. Mr. Hughes sources wine from high end wineries who are oversupplied and need cash. He gets the wine at a great deal (accompanied by very strict non-disclosure agreements) and then sells this wine at stores like Costco and Sam's Club at a fraction of the original cost. Not necessarily a model that can sustain itself forever as it is based on oversupply, but it is working well currently.
The 2009 Cameron Hughes Lot 241 exhibits aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon, and black pepper. It tastes delightfully good with notes of plum and blackberry. The Lot 241 is surprisingly smooth, even though it's a bit on the thick and chewy side (in a good way). The finish has a little bit of spice with some prominent but pleasing tannins on the finish. If it's a bit too much on day 1, it did mellow out quite a bit on day 2 (for the worse I thought, but some may like it better). Highly recommended.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 8.0
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