Lot Overview
- Region: 100% Carneros, Napa Valley (estate grown and produced)
- Vintage: 2024
- Varietal: 65% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 2% Mourvèdre
- Oak Aging: ~50% new French oak
- Alcohol: 15.0%
- Cases Available: ~113 (remainder to wholesale)
- Cam Price: ~$10.75/bottle ($129/case)
- Retail Estimate: $75–80/bottle (estimated, debut program)
- Claude’s Source Guess: Hudson Ranch & Vineyards — Carneros Estate Syrah-Grenache-Mourvèdre (same producer as Lot 42; Christopher Vandendriessche, winemaker)
- Wine Berserkers Guess:
- Drink Window: 2026–2034 (peak 2027–2032)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Lot 76 is the same base wine as Lot 42, the only difference being 2% Mourvèdre added to Lot 76. The producer is a high-end house known primarily for $75-80/bottle estate and single-vineyard designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also offers small lots of estate grown Merlot and Syrah. In 2021 they grafted a portion of their Syrah over to Grenache to create a new Syrah-Grenache program. Lot 42 is simply a small portion of the bottling blend for the debut of their new estate 2024 Syrah-Grenache program — another no-expense-spared production where the producer is just looking to right-size inventories.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple edges but opaque core. At once meaty and boisterous, the bouquet is remarkably complex — perfectly ripe and beautifully attenuated featuring cherry liqueur, crushed lilacs and new leather ensconced in meaty blueberry, dark chocolate and cracked black pepper. Warm and supple on entry with notes of ripe black cherry and raspberry wrapped around a robust core of silky tannins that unfurl a mélange of meaty black and blue fruit underpinned with dark chocolate in a long, sensuous finish. Beautifully balanced and lush.
✅ Bottle Shock Status: Drinking well now — 3 months in bottle per Cam.
Claude’s Source Guess: Hudson Ranch & Vineyards — Carneros Estate Syrah-Grenache-Mourvèdre (same producer as Lot 42)
Confirmed same producer as Lot 42 — Hudson Ranch & Vineyards. The additional detail Cam provides in this release actually strengthens the Hudson identification considerably. Hudson is known primarily for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay programs (their Pick Up Sticks, estate Pinot, and various Chardonnay programs all retail at $75-80+), alongside small estate lots of Syrah and Merlot — exactly the portfolio description Cam gives. The grafting narrative (2021 Syrah grafted to Grenache for a debut 2024 program) is entirely consistent with Hudson’s experimental, multi-varietal approach to their 2,000-acre Carneros estate, where winemaker Christopher Vandendriessche has been developing new programs including their “Pick Up Sticks” Grenache-led blend.
The 2% Mourvèdre addition distinguishes Lot 76 from Lot 42 — a minor tweak that pushes the blend toward a more complete GSM profile while keeping the same Carneros estate character. At 113 cases with the remainder going to wholesale, this represents the tail end of Hudson’s debut Syrah-Grenache program inventory finding its way to Cam’s list.
✅ Confidence: Confirmed via same-producer link to Lot 42; additional portfolio description (Pinot/Chardonnay primary, small Merlot/Syrah lots, 2021 Syrah-to-Grenache graft) further strengthens Hudson identification.
Drink Window
Early: 2026 — drinking well already per Cam.
Peak: 2027–2032. Carneros Rhône blend at 15% alc peaks 3–8 years from vintage.
Hold: 2034. The structure and 50% new oak give this solid medium-term aging potential.
My Call: ✅ Drink window: 2026–2034 (peak 2027–2032)