Table of Contents
The Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 is a Nogociant wine, you should be able to find it for around $19. A negociant is a French wine company that goes to wineries and makes a deal to buy excess wine. It is all very hush-hush, nobody is to know who the winery was since the negociant purchased the excess wine at a discount and is passing the savings on to their customers. If you knew the same wine was six feet down the store shelf at twice the price nobody would buy the original wine.
Cameron Hughes Wine Company says the Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 came from a winery that may discontinue its premier Pinot Noir program. Or maybe that isn’t the real story, like I said everything is very hush-hush. The original wine, with the first winery label, is said to have sold for $60, while this bottle is 1/3 the cost.
Why would a winery discontinue its Pinot Noir program? There could be several reasons, new ownership, a new winemaker if it were part of a wine group could be reorganizing their portfolio, and there are several real-world reasons.
The Russian River Valley AVA (especially the southern half) is a top Pinot Noir destination in Sonoma County. There are many top Pinot Producers and maybe one of them made this wine. The Pinot Noir is a 2018 vintage, a typically value-priced Pinot Noir should be a 2021 vintage, so the Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 has some age which is something rarely found in value Pinot Noir.
Production notes would give away the winery so we do not know the details, that come with the negociant experience. The wineries have to trust the negociant the negociant customers have to trust them, otherwise, this system will not work.
This is a small production of Pinot Noir with only about 11,600 bottles available. Negociant wines are rarely high-volume wines so you will not find them at every wine shop, so you may have to search for the right shop. The alcohol content is 14.5%.
The Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 Tasting Notes
The color is see-through garnet red. The nose is complex, there are red berries, tart, black pepper, several types of spice, mushrooms, a savory note, smoke, and herbs, you get your money’s worth with all various scents. The Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 needs time to fully open, maybe think about decanting.
This Pinot Noir tastes like black cherry, tea, astringent spice, and a hint of vanilla, plum, herbs, and cooling slightly sweet blueberry. The mid-palate adds raspberry, tar, orange zest, and pomegranate. This Pinot Noir has flavors that on paper look like a trainwreck, but in your glass is mysterious and enticing. The acidity does its job well.
The Summary
- The Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 Lot 947 is a wine that has been aging in a barrel and in the bottle for 5 years, it will not taste exactly like value-priced Pinot Noir
- You can not simply pop the top and pour a glass, this is a wine that will take some time to open.
- But if you want a wine that will challenge you and give you an experience equal to wine selling for 3 times the price, then seek this wine out.
- Who doesn’t love a bargain?
