And to that end, one of my favorite sources of these kinds of values are the wines from Cameron Hughes. This guy does a fantastic job, and today I’m going to talk about his “Lot 111″, which is still available in some of the Sam’s Clubs (and probably other locations) around the country. Lot 111 is a 2005 Paso Robles Zinfandel.

If some of Cameron’s stuff shows up at my local Sam’s Club, I automatically buy at least 2 bottles, just due to his track record with wines. And like I mentioned — Lot 111 is long gone in a lot of the store locations, but there are a couple where I’ve seen a few bottles left.

I don’t remember exactly how much this one cost, but I’m pretty sure it was around 11 or 12 dollars a bottle, which is tremendous value for what you get. And what you get is a classic California Zinfandel, with a lot of dark fruit, smokiness, and really nice balance. Very solid. I like to have this with a thick steak or a fat burger off the grill.

Definitely pick up a bottle or two of this if you see any more laying around in your local Sam’s Club. Other California Zinfandel’s I’ve had of this quality typically sell in the $20 – $30 range, and here you’re paying around half that.

My rating: 88 points.

Lot 111