Lot 876 2021 Lodi Albarino
At long last, Lodi Albarino is back! Spain’s Albariño grape kissed by California terroir!
We snagged this delicious, crisp beauty from a well-known, multi-generational family winery in the heart of Lodi. Located at the head of numerous tributaries that feed the San Pablo Bay, Lodi boasts a fantastic wine-growing climate due to the natural influx of cool, mineral ocean air that allows temps to cool off at night, preserving the fruit.
Lot 876 is the perfect wine to sip on during this late summer heat wave, offering relief from both the heat and the pocketbook at just $13/bottle.
Lot 876 2021 Lodi Albarińo pours like golden nectar in the glass with bright hints of fresh clementines and lemon zest. On the palate, stone fruits, honeysuckle, and floral elements abound, while the medium acidity allows the saline & ocean notes to come forward. A great expression that melds California terroir with this refreshing Spanish varietal.
Watch as Zach Long, winemaker for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting of this Lodi Albarino wine.
Lot 874 2020 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo
Lot 874 2020 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, according to Wine Spectator, has had plenty of praise (and excellent scores) for the boutique, family-run winery behind it—going so far as to call them out as a “recommended” Italian producer. After tasting this 2020 Abruzzo red, we’re in total agreement (in fact, if anything Spectator might have undersold this producer!)
Montepulciano from Southern Italy should be bold before all else, and this red fits that bill perfectly. For all of its boldness, however, this red stays almost effortless on the palate, inviting sip after sip, and glass after glass (you’re going to want more than one bottle; an open bottle of Lot 874 won’t stay full for very long). The producer also had extensive experience creating big reds in northeastern Italy, and that experience pays off in spades here.
Lot 874 was carefully crafted from the source family’s 100% Montepulciano grapes and offers a robust, warm-hearted glassful of black fruit, all topped off with a mineral-richness like crushed graphite complemented by smoky clove and toasty oak. If you’re planning on putting a roast in the oven, Lot 874 is your wine!
Dark ruby red in color, this is a quintessential Italian red wine with classic aromas of cherry, cranberry, wild herbs, loads of graphite, dried rose petals, cedar, and clove. Fresh and energetic with a medium-bodied palate feel, leading with juicy blackberry, vanilla-kissed cherry, and notes of flaky milk chocolate. There’s ample acidity here balanced by fine, satiny tannins and a long mineral-driven finish. Tremendously enjoyable and perhaps a bit too easy to drink.
Watch as Katy Smith, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.
Lot 872 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
In the realm of sophisticated, quaffable Cabernet you’ll not find a better deal anywhere than Lot 872 2020 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.
Produced by a Sonoma Valley winery directly south of Knight’s Valley, this wine is an absolute standout, not only holding its own, but outperforming Chalk Hill and Russian River offerings from the same winery sold at 4x the price!
Lot 872’s lengthy journey begins with a richly styled dark fruit nose of brambly blueberry and blackberry confit on the nose and palate. Next up, hints of crème de cassis perfectly underscore the soft, supple tannins. The journey then takes you to the beguiling aromatics of tonka bean, and toasted oak with just a soft kiss of earth to coat the palate with a mouthwatering lingering feeling. This Cabernet is a cool-weather beauty that is just pure enjoyment and comes directly from a $65/bottle program. Like chocolate, it will leave you wanting more. Good news, you can have more at only $18/bottle.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.
Lot 738 Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
Lot 738 Italian Prosecco comes to us from beautiful hillside vineyards in Valdobbiadene, a little growing region in northeastern Italy that produces the finest Prosecco grapes in the world (thanks to a unique microclimate and some very talented growers). This is cream of the crop, first-class Prosecco that you are going to love popping bottle after bottle on any occasion. A brut-styled spumante from a top-of-the-line winery, it also picked up a Gold Medal and 92 pt score from IWSC under its original label.
This Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG is a recent award-winner and top-reviewed Cameron Hughes Wine, too! Most recently it took home the Gold Medal and was awarded 93 Points in the 2023 San Diego Wine Challenge
Pouring a crystalline pale straw color with very active tiny bubbles in this Prosecco, the nose greets you with green apple, pear, and fresh peeled lemon rinds. The entry is very active, with melon and apples lifting up gardenias and honey alongside perfect acidity. The dry finish starts with a fresh cream note, leading into aromatic lemon oils and citrus blossoms. Besides being a fantastic aperitif (or the foundation for an apex mimosa), this is also an awesome food pairing with everything from charcuterie boards and raw shellfish to spicy Asian dishes or fried chicken.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting pf this Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG.
Lot 900 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
A Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from multiple pedigreed vineyards (Tenma, To Kalon, Wallis Vineyards to name a few) that are decorated with 95+ scores a mile long from the usual leading critics. The wine spent 26 months in new French Oak and evolved with perfect calibration. It is without question – this is a Cab-lover’s dream with supremely intense fruit, yet perfectly refined structure. Balanced and delineated with every sip while the velvety tannins are simply sublime. We acquired this jewel of wine in barrel from a pedigreed program that will not sell a Cab for less than $150/bottle.
Lot 900 is our centennial release from fall of 2022, given the coveted Black Label treatment. We hope you enjoy it! We always save our best Cabernet of the year for our centennial release — one we feel showcases what we do best, delivering exceptional quality at an extraordinary value.
Lot 900 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark, inky color in the glass. Immediate aromatics are generous with rich notes of black fruit, crème de cassis, dark chocolate, and red clay dust. On the palate, blackcurrant, Santa Rosa plum, Star anise with a touch of minerality give way to a powerfully balanced, lengthy, velvety finish. Just. Wow.
This is an incredible standalone wine, but will also pair beautifully with anything you choose to put on your holiday table this season.
Watch as Zach Long, winemaker for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting of this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
CAM Collection 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
This Russian River Valley Chardonnay is classic, archetypal offering.
The CAM Collection series was created to deliver terrific quality and value for customers that prefer to keep returning to a handful of favorite wines (vs the “here today, gone tomorrow” nature of the Lot program). We recognize that there are plenty of folks that just want to enjoy “old reliable”, so we source larger lots from some of our favorite producers for this project.
CAM Collection 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay continues to come to us from a blue-chip Russian River Valley estate, made with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top name in wine country with generations of history and a reputation for quality. As with its predecessor vintages, it just might still be the best go-to Chardonnay value on the market.
Perfectly golden on the pour, the nose is a beautiful blend of citrus, butter, cream, and white florals. The entry is expertly weighted with notes of warm spice, butterscotch, and vanilla, all sliced through by citrus blossoms and lemon acidity. The finish is long and barrel-kissed with further vanilla, fresh churned butter, and uplifted white florals. Just excellently archetypal in every way.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting of Cam Collection 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay.
Lot 870 2021 Mendoza Malbec
Here at CH Wine, we don’t just search to find the best hidden wine gems in California, we cast our net out to the best regions on earth — like the one-and-only Malbec capital of the world: Argentina. We’ve dialed in Lot 870 2021 Mendoza Malbec, a terroir-ific stunner, from the high plateaus of the Uco Valley outside of Mendoza proper. This area is considered one of the top growing regions of Argentina, known for its high elevation, rich, alluvial soils, abundant water supply from the nearby Andes Mountains, and long growing season. All these elements combine to cultivate grapes rich in character and depth, with a unique, mineral-laden palate.
Lot 870 is a radiant violet-purple color in the glass tinged with mesmerizing fuschia edges. On the nose, you’re led into ripe round fruit notes: black cherry, blackberry and that juicy plum which is quickly enhanced with earthy vanilla, cloves, and a rich spiced cinnamon toast. Structured tannins with an uplifting dried herb and oak finish make this a fully integrated powerhouse capable of standing up with the heartiest fare you choose to pair alongside it. At only $13 per bottle this is a perfect everyday drinker to add to your fall dinner rotation.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting.