Thanks for these notes Chris. Exciting to hear the recent bottlings are tasting good, especially for drinking young, and reassuring for those of us with several cases on the way 
3 Likes
Lot 34 opened before the UPS had got through the gate. Double decanted.
Great body and texture. Plenty of full fruit taste. Pleasantly surprised for something so young
5 Likes
Thanks! We also gave Lot 49 a try last night. On first pass, this appears to have the making of a really enjoyable bottle. That said, for my palate, it was still a wall of tannins after a double decant and two hours of air, much more so than Lots 33 and 34, which we also sampled this week.
In terms of approachability, Iād rank Lot 33 > Lot 34 > Lot 49. Same rank in terms of the amount of fruit we tasted. Reverse order for my optimistic view of where the wines end up.
Iām planning to put these to bed (Lot 33 for 1 year, Lot 34 for 2, and Lot 49 for 3) before we sample again.
1 Like
On the subject of when to drink lot 34, itās worth noting that the wine Chris thinks tastes somewhat similar just released their 2021. But who am I kidding, I doubt more than 3 bottles will survive 2026 in my household.
1 Like
The 22ās release in 2-3 weeks. I tasted the 22 and it was fantastic.
1 Like
Lot 44 2023 Dry Creek Zinfandel was delivered to my workplace this morning and I got 1 bottle into the decanter a little after 2 when I got home. Iām now drinking the 1st glass starting at 2:15. Very muted nose, almost non-existent. Somewhat acidic in taste, though maybe that is effected by what I ate at lunch. The aroma is now starting to open up, faintly like berry pie. The taste is also starting to smooth out. Iāll take a break from this for a few hours and check in again around dinner.
1 Like
Now tasting Lot 44 at 6 pm with tacos. Aromas of berry pie and cobbler have grown stronger since decanting. The flavor when drinking is starting to smooth out but nothing specific jumping out yet. Just a very youthful balanced taste. There arenāt the typical pronounced cherry and vanilla flavors when drinking this wine at such a young age which appeals to me a lot. This wine seem s good to drink with a long decant now but will improve a lot with age.
3 Likes
Double decanted Lot 44, then put it back into the decanted for another hour. Notes of berry, cherry, tobacco, and some chocolate. I think Norm is spot on that this needs some time, but my wife proclaimed that it was the best zin sheās had, which gave me more than enough cover to get another case. And isnāt that the whole point?
So @NormPB, similar flavor profiles to your experience, but not as muted. Young and recently bottledā¦ so an irregular drinking experience it seems.
Vs āthe other zinā
I liked 33, but 44 is more balanced and complex and will likely age better.
4 Likes
Not really a structured note but finished the remaining third of a bottle of Lot 02 that I opened last Thursday, and had been sitting corked in the fridge since.
I was half expecting to have to throw it out, but the nose was still very expressive and the palate was much smoother without losing much fruit. It has also taken on some nice tones of tobacco and cedar.
Just such great quality wine!
6 Likes
That has been my experience with Lot 2 as well, I think I liked it best on days 3 and 4, but it was pleasant for a couple days afterā¦great mid-week drinkerā¦
2 Likes
Where would you put Lot 2 in your Cam X rankings?
I didnāt buy it and Iām looking to put in another mixed case order soon.
I liked my bottle I had last week, but itās not so cheap anymore at $22.50/bottle shipped. When I got it in the fall sale, it was $12. At $22 Iād much rather have whatever WTSO is selling for that price.
1 Like
Probably something like:
- Lot 25 (by a lot)
- Lot 21
- Lot 02
- Lot 35
- Lot 11
- Lot 01 (may need to revisit this soon, was in a weird phase last I had this)
- Lot 31
- Lot 28 (just not my jam, has been a big hit with my wife / at dinners)
- Lot 17 (needs more time)
Other than the above, I am still exercising self-control on Lots 27, 24, 05, and 20. I am also waiting on 37, 39, 50, and 56.
1 Like
Iād agree with this - probably nicer than anything that usually retails at $30 or less, but itās going to lose out against good deals on more robust wines.
1 Like
Cracked a lot 17 to revisit for the āmonsterā sampler. I like lot 10 and lot 7 (which I think has improved a lot since my first tasting).
Lot 17 is my least favorite of the three. The nose is still somewhat closed and has a slight artificial note (slightly acetone). I thought purple fruit at PnP but now more red, very drying tannins.
Lot 17 was last of 12 in the tasting I did with my family. (That was 24 hr decant, but was better after 72 hours).
1 Like
Lot 17 Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon
$249 ($23.16 ea) vs $1620 ($135 ea) (24 hour special 7/29/25- $149 - $12.49 ea)
1 Like
Had Lot 1, 2023 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon w/ some other grapesā¦over 3 days.
Not my bag manā¦
On Pop-n-pour and into 2nd day, too much acid. Iād describe it as a Pinot drinkerās Cab.
On 3rd day it had settled down, but much of the fruit was gone, so better, but still not good.
Iāll be waiting years to try another one of these.
PS This is the wine I found at a local wine store in Central NY, and they appeared to have a lot of it. There had to be tankers full of this wine! I donāt think this one is a good representation of what Cameron Hughes generally offers, and that is unfortunate.
OTOHā¦Bottle variation. My particular tastes. ???
3 Likes
I had 1 glass left of lot 44 2023 Dry Creek Zinfandel on day 2 and it was not quite as aromatic or fresh. Based on my 1st day tasting, I would recommend this lot as a good one for drinking now but I will age mine at least for a year or 2.
4 Likes
When I did a blind tasting of the cab sampler, lot 1 was my least favorite of the 12 wines. The group had it 11th (with lot 17 last).
1 Like
Lot 31 was singing last night. Red fruit, tea, showing some spice and darker fruit. Nice weight and moderate acidity. This bottle puts lot 31 on the same level as lot 35 in terms of my favorite CAM X pinot noir.
5 Likes