Community Tasting Note

rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote:

Monday, April 19, 2010 - One of the greatest things for me about going to Costco is trying to guess what item I'm going home with that I didn't expect. I usually go for staples, food items, some meat, maybe some canned goods, etc., but, invariably, something ends up in my basket that I didn't know I would buy. I'm sure Costco knows this and makes millions every year off impulse purchases like mine, but I still like that element of surprise. Kind of a guy thing, I guess...

In the past, Cameron Hughes wines often fell into the surprise category, but now, I consider it a bit of a staple - as in, when I see a new Cameron Hughes blend on the shelves, I buy it. I find the negociant model interesting because I'm never quite sure what I'm getting and I like buying it at Costco because it's about 20 - 25% cheaper than buying it on the CH website.

To be honest, I'm about 50/50 so far with CH wines, but those results are good enough to keep trying. This time, it turned out to be a good one - The Cameron Hughes Lot 95 2007 Meritage, Valle Central, Chile - at a great price of $7.99.

For me, the nose was dark cherry, mint, ripe blackberry, espresso and licorice - maybe even a little cedar right at the end. The taste - bright bing cherry, blackberry, raspberry...there's a lot of good fresh fruit on this one, but not overbearing and more on the refreshing side than a fruit-bomb. Strong mid-palate and a long finish, even though it's still a little hot, but I can see that going away over time or with the help of an aerator or decanter.

The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 15% Carmenere (a bourdeaux variety used for blending that I plan to write about in the near future...).

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