Ain’t Life Grand? Cameron Hughes Lot 602, 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Sunday, May 21st, 2017 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cheap and Red, Napa | No Comments »I think the first contemporary vintages of Napa Valley cabernets I ever tasted were from the late 70s, likely 1978/79. I was just a wee barbarian, drinking at the table of my father, whose wine exploits and palette I aspire ...
Surprisingly Separate Syrah: 2014 Pedal To The Metal, Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
Wednesday, December 14th, 2016 Posted in but not outrageous, California, Central Coast, Expensive, Syrah | No Comments »This wine is outside the economic scope of this site, being a $75/bottle expense, but I thought I'd share because it caught me by surprise with how enjoyable it was to drink. I'm not a huge fan of the Syrah ...
Some Lunchtime Drinking: Cameron Hughes Lot 527 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 Posted in Alexander Valley, California, Cheap and Red, Pinot Noir | No Comments »I've had a lot of life changes over the past few years. Many of them were the cause of my lack of wine-blogging, some of them were the cause of me wine-blogging again. A move from one state to another. ...
Smart Bombs and Cellar Treasures: Cameron Hughes Lots 444 & 469
Wednesday, November 9th, 2016 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cellar Treasures, Cheap and Red, Merlot, Napa, Unknown! | 1 Comment »Twenty-some years ago we all watched astounded on CNN as a war halfway around the world displayed some shocking technology: The Smart Bomb. Our grandfathers dropped dumb bombs on each other, and it resulted in entire cities being destroyed when ...
Remembrances of Reckless Youth
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 Posted in Alexander Valley, California, Expensive, On Somebody Else's Tab | No Comments »I found this bottle in my recycling yesterday. I was making my quarterly trip to the dump to leave behind my collected bottles. The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution required my presence at the County Courthouse, and I figured I'd ...
Likely to live, or likely to die? Cameron Hughes Lot 513 “Triage” Red Blend
Monday, September 19th, 2016 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cheap and Red, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Unknown! | No Comments »An anonymous red blend from a negociant, with zero data on the label of what may lie within… what could possibly go wrong? Looking at the bottle you slip into your own form of triage… Buy? Discard? Run away? Buy my ...
Roads less traveled… Cameron Hughes Lot 524, 2013 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
Thursday, September 15th, 2016 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Central Coast, Cheap and Red | No Comments »I like to drive. A lot. Unless I have a tight schedule to keep, I actually drive for most of my trips, both business and pleasure. It's not that I'm afraid to fly... far from it. I grew up the son ...
Cheap wine, cheap hotels, what could possibly go wrong? Ghost Signs 2011 Central Coast Petite Sirah
Sunday, August 28th, 2016 Posted in California, Cheap and Red, Paso Robles, Petite Sirah | No Comments »Several of you may have noticed, your humble author changed jobs and moved a few years back. That job impacted my ability to write for this blog on a regular basis. In many ways it kept me so busy that ...
Cameron Hughes Lot 458, Paso Robles Petite Sirah
Monday, August 15th, 2016 Posted in California, Cheap and Red, Paso Robles, Petite Sirah | 1 Comment »As all of you know, I LOVE Petite Sirah. I also love that American négociant Cameron Hughes. He sells high-quality stuff at VERY reasonable prices. He doesn't do Petite Sirah very often, but when he does it is usually great (not ...
Cameron Hughes Lot 460, 2013 Oakville Napa Valley Merlot
Thursday, August 4th, 2016 Posted in California, Cellar Treasures, Cheap and Red, Merlot, Napa, Uncategorized | No Comments »Merlot may have suffered a bit sales ways from a single throw-away punchline in Sideways, but as a varietal it remains one of the Crown Jewels of Bordeaux, and it's North American outpost of Napa Valley. For a bargain-hunting gourmand ...
