What CAM X wine are you drinking tonight?

WINE TALK
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Tried some Lot 35 pinot noir. Lovely deep ruby color. Initially something a bit yeasty on the nose but that quickly blew off and is replaced with red berries. So much fruit! So much red! Cranberries and dried strawberries. A little bit of vanilla from the barrels but nothing overpowering, and it goes well with the fruit. Good acidity and a bit of freshness on the palette. Not very complex, but very pleasurable to drink, this tastes like a $40 wine, not an $8 one. The next day, cold from the fridge, the temp toned down the fruit party a bit and it was actually very nice as a chilled red.

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447

CAM X Lot 31 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023

Pours a very youthful ruby. The nose is complex with black tea, cranberry, a bit of greenness, and light woodiness. Good typicity for Sonoma Coast. The palate is a bit tight between the fruit and immature tannin. Finishes with Earl Grey tea.

Slightly reminiscent of a recent bottle of Littorai, which is about the highest praise a Sonoma Coast Pinot can receive. Nearly into a good drinking window, maybe another 6 months? Looks like I’m going in for more Lot 11 and 31…

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I had ChatGPT try to synthesize the thread. Hopefully some people find it valuable as the wine arrives. And if not, hope it’s easy to skip.

Lot 1 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley)

Tasting notes (highlights): Raspberry compote, candied cherry, violet, light oak; some heat at first; later shifts darker (black cherry/plum). Good acidity; smooth tannin; a touch thin/short finish for some.
Thread consensus: Solid QPR; drinks red-fruited/bright early, improves notably with long air and on days 2–4; many plan to hold 1–3 years.
Representative notes: “So young…tasty but lacked depth at this point; will revisit in a year.” / “Seductive black cherry & plum after 5 hrs; silky; great value.”

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Lot 2 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville; 2022)

Cam (pertinent): Called out as one of the two 2022s “drinking great” now; vineyard farming described as world-class.
Tasting notes (highlights): Caramel & blueberry on nose; blue/black fruit; silky medium+ body; integrated tannins; “turned earth”; graphite/moss; spices, pomegranate, leather; pretty tannic but delicious.
Thread consensus: Widely liked already; classic, fresh style with structure to age; multiple “buy more” reactions and top-of-flight rankings even vs newer vintages.

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Lot 3 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley; 2023)

Tasting notes (highlights): Dark in glass; blackberry/cherry, cocoa, vineyard soil; more tannin than first bottle; shows better with air and a few weeks in bottle.
Thread consensus: Crowd-pleaser early; several prefer it to Lot 1; “awesome off the truck,” improves with time; easy re-buy for many.

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Lot 4 — Chardonnay

Cam (pertinent): Among the Chards he said are “good to go” (with Lot 9 & 11; Lot 30 still young).
Tasting notes (highlights): Honeysuckle, lemon, “sponge candy”; racy acidity; warms to salted-caramel/sea-air notes; classy oak; mineral streak; “very crushable.”
Thread consensus: Beloved QPR white; balanced between freshness and richness; some find day-2 even better.

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Lot 5 — Meritage (Bordeaux blend)

Cam (pertinent): Bottled 8/15; may read “behind” due to late bottling; should come around quickly.
Tasting notes (highlights): Rich/concentrated; “grainy Meritage richness”; early tasters excited, plan to revisit day-2.
Thread consensus: Early enthusiasm + “bottle shock” caveat; optimism to age a bit; several happy to have deeper stash.

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Lot 6 — Rosé

Tasting notes (highlights): Plush, smooth, less tart style; “crystalline, nectar”; immediate crowd-pleaser; first bottle finished at a party.
Thread consensus: One of the best non-red QPRs; multiple case re-orders.

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Lot 7 — (Red; not enough detail on style in-thread)

Tasting notes (highlights): Framed as a decent $25–$50-quality bottle; some preferred over Lot 15 right now.
Thread consensus: Solid but not a headliner; people expecting improvement with time.

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Lot 8 — Pinot Noir

Cam (pertinent): Listed as one of the two best Pinots to drink now (with Lot 18).
Tasting notes (highlights): Bright and tasty but “a bit one-note” early; holds up well on day-2.
Thread consensus: Easy, early drinker; not the most complex yet.

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Lot 9 — Chardonnay

Cam (pertinent): “Good to go” now (with 4 & 11).
Thread consensus: Not many detailed notes yet in this thread; treated as ready to drink.

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Lot 10 — (Cabernet; district not stated in thread)

Thread consensus: Asked about among “which is best: 10, 24, 25?” but little direct note content yet.

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Lot 11 — Chardonnay (Russian River Valley; 2023)

Cam (pertinent): In his “GTG” Chard group.
Tasting notes (highlights): White flowers, honeysuckle, citrus; sour apple/white peach; elegant orchard fruit, light marzipan; “key lime pie”; oak present but within preference for some.
Thread consensus: Very well-liked; oaky style but balanced; multiple “best ~$14 Chard I’ve had”-type remarks.

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Lot 12 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Pritchard Hill; 2023)

Tasting notes (highlights): Polarizing right now. Camp A: bright/tart red fruits (cranberry/sour cherry), high acid, grippy tannins, some heat; lighter color than expected; feels shut down. Camp B: blue-to-black fruit (blueberry/blackberry), oak spice, chocolate notes; still primary; needs long air (hours to day-plus) to show.
Thread consensus: Very young/shocky and divisive; many recommend 12+ hours of air or holding years; several remain confident it will blossom; others are skeptical of how it aligns with early barrel notes.
Representative notes: “Tannic red-fruited monster—no amount of air right now will do.” / “After big air, the ‘Wonka’s factory’ profile emerges; quality juice; let it sleep.”

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Lot 15 — Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting notes (highlights): Dark cherry, vanilla; “a little hot,” tasty, way young; side-by-side against a well-known Oakville cab showed different style and less fruit now; lay down a year and revisit.
Thread consensus: Hopeful hold. Good value at case price; not showing its best yet.

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Lot 16 — Syrah (Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa)

Cam (pertinent): “Absolute monster… hugely structured… meatiness is there; takes a couple days to open.”
Tasting notes (highlights): “Palate-staining”; pencil shavings/slate/tobacco; huge wall of tannins; chocolate & cinnamon on finish; later gains red fruit and bacon fat; another taster: blackberry pie profile, great driving acidity, tannin from oak presently, very little game yet.
Thread consensus: Big, powerful bruiser; adored by those who like structure; needs multiple years (or multi-day decant) to unwind.

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Lot 17 — (Cabernet; no region in thread)

Thread consensus: Bought on early case deal; few/no tasting notes posted yet.

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Lot 18 — Pinot Noir

Cam (pertinent): With Lot 8, one of the best Pinots to drink now.
Thread consensus: Minimal tasting content in this thread; positioned as ready.

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Lot 19 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford; 2023)

Tasting notes (highlights): “Pretty F’n awesome.”
Thread consensus: Early love; scant detail yet.

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Lot 20 — Pinot Noir (Petaluma Gap)

Tasting notes (highlights): Shy at first, then very floral black cherry; lighter-medium body; bright cherry nose; li hing mui dried plum on palate; long (30+ sec) tart, mouthwatering finish.
Thread consensus: Beloved already and expected to improve; multiple “stock up” comments; great cellar-defender Pinot.

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Lot 21 — Cabernet Franc

Tasting notes (highlights): Blackberries, earth, vanilla, tomato leaf; soft/approachable tannins; cocoa finish; “ethereal” style; roasted blueberry mocha & wet earth; nice acidity; long life ahead.
Thread consensus: Big hit in CF lane—shockingly ready now yet ageworthy; first “second-case” buy for at least one poster.

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Lot 22 — Malbec (Rutherford; 2022)

Cam (pertinent): The 2022 Malbec is one of the two ‘22s “drinking great” now.
Tasting notes (highlights): Plum/purple fruit; silky texture; depth with air; beats a 2023 comparator in depth; “great everyday wine”; cellar-defender.
Thread consensus: Beloved and ready; excellent QPR; lots of bottles already consumed and re-orders flowing.

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Lot 23 — (Red; style not clearly stated in thread)

Tasting notes (highlights): Appears in rankings but often flagged “not properly decanted.”
Thread consensus: Too little data; wait for more notes.

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Lot 24 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain District)

Tasting notes (highlights): Needs long decant; initially mute nose; mocha/raspberry; lead pencil; serious stuffing; tannins pronounced; some find tart cherry on finish now; “big mountain cab” structure.
Thread consensus: Hope + patience. Quality is clear; many advise years of rest. Considerable early grip; expected to turn “killer” with time.

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Lot 25 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Calistoga District; 2023)

Tasting notes (highlights): Dark fruit (blackberry/blueberry/black currant), dark chocolate, mint, black pepper; velvety; day-2 cedar/spice/plum; “OMFG delicious,” “boom-boom” style; chocolate cake/toffee/vanilla (ripe).
Thread consensus: Runaway crowd-favorite among the big cabs; opulent but balanced; drinks now with air and promises more; numerous re-buys.

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Lot 27 — Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting notes (highlights): Smooth, fine tannins; plum, raspberry, olallieberry; holds its own next to 2021 Cardinale & Mt. Brave (Mt. Veeder); perfectly drinkable now; some wish for a bit more grip.
Thread consensus: Beloved—best of several cab lots for some; immediate re-buy after tasting.

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Lot 28 — Gewürztraminer (Anderson Valley)

Tasting notes (highlights): Big lychee/rambutan, peach rings → bubblegum → honey; balanced (not flabby), not super-zippy; some detect bitterness on finish (others call it minerality); pineapple & lychee aromatics; palate enjoyable but “a little flat” to one taster; dry.
Thread consensus: Mixed-positive. Great value aromatic white; style preferences (acidity/finish) drive polarization.

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Lot 29 — Cabernet Franc

Tasting notes (highlights): Plush CF; compared with Lot 21 as a touch richer; both considered “ridiculous values.”
Thread consensus: Very positive; CF fans enthused.

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Lot 30 — Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)

Cam (pertinent): Said it’s “still pretty young but coming out nicely.”
Thread consensus: Minimal direct notes in this thread; treated as improving with a little time.

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Lot 31 — Pinot Noir

Tasting notes (highlights): Floral, red-cherry nose; raspberry/boysenberry undertones; light vanilla bean; palate of underripe strawberry, ripe cherry, white pepper; more acid than tannin; balanced.
Thread consensus: Promising and food-friendly; not many data points yet.

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Lot 32 — Cabernet Sauvignon (Stags Leap District; 2023)

Tasting notes (highlights): After 3-hr decant still a bit closed; floral nose; blackberry/black cherry, graphite, vanilla; ripe fruit; raspberry & chocolate; powdery, balanced tannins; “no heat.” Another taster: mixed red/black fruits; darker fruit & tannin emerged over hours—likely still shocky; hold.
Thread consensus: Positive with patience. Good bones, needs time; currently behind Lot 25 for many.

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Lot 35 — Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast blend)

Tasting notes (highlights): Fresh strawberries/cranberry; some green notes; supple tannin; medium+ acidity; oak lightly integrated; another taster: style akin to Lot 20 but a hair fresher; “can’t believe the case price.”
Thread consensus: Value darling among Pinots; delicious already; a few plan to re-check in ~6 months.

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Quick scoreboard (vibes)
• Already beloved: 2 (Oakville CS), 3 (Napa CS), 4 (Chard), 11 (RRV Chard), 20 (Petaluma Gap Pinot), 21 & 29 (Cab Francs), 22 (Rutherford Malbec), 25 (Calistoga CS), 27 (CS), 35 (Pinot).
• Hope with patience / structured bruisers: 12 (PH Cab), 16 (Stagecoach Syrah), 24 (Diamond Mountain CS), 32 (SLD CS), 15 (CS).
• Polarizing now (style or stage): 12 (split red-vs-blue fruit camps; shock), 28 (Gewürz finish/acid debates), 16 (massive style not for everyone).
• Light coverage so far: 7, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 23, 30, 31.

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449

Charlie - Thanks for the extensive notes. I’ve updated my drinking windows based on them. Will patiently wait until this time in 2027 to drink the bruisers.

5 Cam X cases arrived at work yesterday and another 2 scheduled for today. The shipping clerk must think I’m an alkie. I’ve ordered 12 cases in total and have room for 9. A difficult 1st world problem.

Wait - forgot about the 2 cases I’ve had for awhile, so will have 14 in total. No more Cam X buys for a long time (except for BUTT deals or 24 hour only deals).

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450

The receiving Clerk at my office used to call my deliveries “juice boxes”.

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451

Lot 22, 2022 Malbec, wow. Ordered 2 additional cases after one sip. I need some $11.00 wines in stock.

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453

Busted open the Lot 28 Gewurztraminer straight out of the fridge with some Costco chicken red curry. I have fancy schmancy taste

13.5% ABV

Very pale silvery yellow in the glass. Quick, thick, clear tears

Nose is moderately strong with lychee, honeydew melon and notable hints of honey

Palate is dry with a moderate amount of acidity. Lots of honeydew melon and lychee in the glass. Light finish

This could be left to age for a little bit to develop some more balance with the acid. But really good straight out of the bottle.

92 pts. Best 2025-2030, IMO

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454

Lot 22 Malbec - Yummy! Some red and black fruit, a bit of dusty earth, well integrated oak. Nice acidity and fresh on the palette, surprisingly so given the vintage. Tannins are present but either well integrated or were medium/low all along. Smooth is the descriptor I’d use. Enjoyable to drink. I think any friend who comes over and says they like ‘red wine’ could be served this and be happy. Showed best immediately after pouring, nose got quieter, then showed up again after about 4 hours in the decanter. This is an enjoyable wine that I’m happy to have another 5 bottles of, but given my current oversupply of CamX reds I’m not buying anymore.

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455

Day 4 in the decanter for lot 16. Not even remotely tired yet. The smoked meat and olive brine have arrived. The wall of tannin is starting to crumble. This is good.

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456

Lot 27…garrigue and flowers, cinnamon spice, cherry kirsch on the nose. wide open knit purple elivette (can feel a kinship in the terroir here) with a little more mineral dust on the palate. really great wine. Surprisingly approachable.

Lot 32…was a quick pour and then walked out the door with my friend. is a bit plain red berry on the nose and palate. a lot simpler but in a nice linear way. honestly, i didn’t get a great read on it and let it walk with a friend to take home to sample more because I liked the 27 a lot more. Not to say i won’t be happy to drink 32, it’s nice.

The more I test 25, the more I want a hat that says “mocha milkshake wine guy”

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457

My lot 27 arrives on Friday, Super excited to pop that 1st bottle after all the positive reviews.
“Milkshake” :smirk:
Cheers!

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Very similar notes here. Needs some air to shed the baby fat but definitely some freshness to the purple fruit here. Very surprised how approachable this wine is. Was hoping for more structure.

If memory serves the hints on this was Bergman. While I could see some similarities, I’ve found their wine to show more structure and intensity.

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459

Never had a Bergman, so i can’t compare. Who knows, could be barrel/lot selection. Perhaps some barrels just don’t meet their intensity and those get bulked out like this. Tastes pretty terrific to me. Or it simply isn’t Bergman and it’s SMV reborn as a wine that doesn’t need 15 years to present itself. I think 2023 is a pretty unique vintage year. I’m guessing part of the reason the Calistoga Cab is so amazing is it’s just so different than other vintages. I bet there was a lot to contend with in 2023 including higher yields.

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See my post above yours, my wife and I tasted it and immediately ordered more. Great wine/

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461

Popped 27, took a sip, put the cork back in until tomorrow, it was delicious.

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Lot 28 gewurtz—a few hours off the truck. Unmistakably gewurtztraminer with rose petal and lychee. Tasty.
I’m not doing a side by side, but this doesn’t come off as as rich or complete as a Navarro Gewurtztraminer. Who knows—could be label bias, but this strikes me as merely okay.
Having said that it was $99 a case, and I will have zero trouble working my through it, with enjoyment, as a weeknight spicy food complement, and I certainly don’t regret the purchase.

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463

Encouraging. Did the Syrah remain ‘aired’ at all times whilst in your decanter for 4 days or sealed at times? And did the body thin-out or fill-out overtime? Curious as I have bought a lot of this Lot and am keen to hear / learn from others’ feedback.

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Could be any number of things. I will say though (having tasted out of a number of barrels), it is reasonably obvious which barrels should and should not make the cut.

As the evening has gone on the wine has improved. There’s structure here that was not apparent earlier.

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  • 2023 Cam X Lot 27 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (11/5/2025)
    Supposedly from Bergman Estate. Needs 2h to open up, recommend decant for 60-90min then follow over an evening.

    70% CS, 20% CF, 7% PV, 3% Merlot. 80% new french oak.

    Nose shows some deep red fruits, forest shrub, good amount of freshness. Palate is medium body with good acidity and tannins that have a bit of grip to them. Think proper currant with a bit of spice on the backend met by fresh acidity and good tannic structure. Feels purple and floral in a way. Finish has solid length and elevates the structure more.

    I've consumed a good number of deNegoce wines, and was cautiously optimistic about this venture. You will not find $25 Napa wine anywhere that competes with this.

    91-92+, should age nicely over the coming 5-8 years at minimum. (92 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

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