TN: Cameron Hughes Lot 74: 2006 Oak Knoll District Napa Cabernet

WINE TALK
#1

The nose borders on interesting, but kind of peters out with air and smells like any no-name Cabernet out there, like Mondavi Private Selection let’s say. (it’s not, since it’s from Oak Knoll) For example, you get a tease of eucalyptus/mint and then away it goes. You get a tease of barrel spice, but then, well, not much in the way of aromatics.

Light to medium body which I like, but again just very simple on the palate and maybe a little too acidic.

Basically you get lots of cherries.

The upside is that this isn’t an oaky milkshake, quite the opposite and despite it’s listed 14.9% alcohol, I can’t detect any heat. Seems well-made for what it is, in the same way Jack Daniels black is well-made. That’s not a knock, but an apt observation. Tastes generic and characterless, but it works if you’re jonesing for a whiskey n coke. Or in this case, a glass of red wine.

For $15, I’ll buy a few to share with non-winos and I’m not dumping it down the drain, but definitely nothing to seek out.

#2

Brutal. Finding drinkable fifteen dollar Cabs seems more difficult than was once believed.
For a few dollars more, you can do well. On WineBid right now there is some…



[cheers.gif]

#3

Yup - I’ve got a bunch of sub-$25 Cali Cab en route. Hopefully no one hijacks my WineBid truck! [pillow-fight.gif]

Hoping the 03 Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas toasts the CH.

#4

The only time I’ve ever had the opportunity to purchase CH wines is over the Internet, as we are BJ’s members and not Costco or Sam’s. Going down the wine isle today at BJs, with the pants on the other side of the isle, my three year old excitedly exclaims “Look daddy, your wines!” Being in the wine isle, I shouldn’t have been surprised. But my son was pointing to the side of the isle the pants were on. And sure enough, on the floor beneath the pants were a case each of Lots 130, 134 and 139. All for $8.99. So, I picked up a bottle of each to try.

I doubt Cameron would approve of the method in which this BJs is showcasing his wines. But had them been in with the grocery wines I probably would have missed them completely.

Now if I could just get rid of this head cold.