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By Gabe Sasso (winereviews@bullz-eye.com)
05/01/2009
The Cameron Hughes Lot 95 Meritage is made from fruit sourced in Valle Central Chile. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon (50 percent), Merlot (35 percent), and Carmenere (15 percent). Carmenere, for those unfamiliar with the grape, is most often found in Chile and is starting to emerge there as a stand-alone varietal. The wines it produces are often big and distinct. There are 5,000 cases of this wine and the suggested retail price is $10.
The nose of this South American blend is loaded with black cherries. Toasty oak notes and eucalyptus play a subtler but present role. Once you take the first sip you’re hit with bright, slightly jam-laden, rich, berry fruit characteristics. What really shines brightly is the Carmenere. It adds dark, dank brooding fruit that carries from the mid-palate all the way to the finish, along with vanilla and white pepper. The wine has supple, approachable, yielding tannins and sufficient acidity.
Two things stand out most immediately about Lot 95. First is that for $10 this wine offers a lot of drinking pleasure and more than sufficient complexity. It’s basically a $20 blend with a $10 price tag. Second, it absolutely jumps out of the bottle, and is ready to go the second you pop the cork.