What de Négoce wine are you drinking tonight?

[R Scott Hughes]

Popped a bottle of 43 Cabernet for dinner, very nice. Big but not over the top. My wife who might be considered to be AFWS in her preferences enjoyed it as well but said that it was at her limits. I like forward to enjoying these over the next 3-5 years.

[Tom Chen]

Great to hear all the positive reviews.

I've only had the 1, 5, 7, and 17, and for cabs, 17 was my favorite for drinking now. The 7 pinot was very good and well worth the price paid. I liked 5 better than 1, and I think 1 needed more time when I had it.

Going to give the higher number OGs a bit more time.

Overall, very happy with the purchases, although that sure is a lot of wine.

[C. Heinsen]

I have had a couple bottles of the 21, and agree. The frustrating part for me is, I specifically chose dN selections it seemed would drink well now, without having to wait 2-5 years.

I chose #21 because Cam's note said, "...its already showing well and should be drinking nicely by mid-August. Of course, the best of this wine is still to come and I think its will be wonderfully approachable by this Fall." It does not seem approachable yet to me.

I am going to try to hold off at least a few months to drink more of these, but (unlike other dN purchases) I am not terribly thrilled with this one.

I had a similar experience with Cab 25. I opened knowing it was young, but wanted to check to see if I should add more during the sale given it probably has the highest number of good reviews and Cam's description that it drinks well now with a good decant. Decanted two hours and served blind to three fellow wineauxs to get their opinion. All identified it as a very young cab/bordeaux blend with a moderate floral nose. On the palate it is light bodied with some crisp red fruit, a little thin and tart, and more cherry than raspberry (the latter from Cam's note). All agreed it was a well-made wine, no flaws, but nothing in the glass even whispered this is a "well north of $75/btl" wine. Before I revealed the wine, I said I paid $75 and they said I was robbed; however, to be fair, $75 is an expensive wine for us. No real change in the glass the first night, but I saved half in a 375 and revisited the next night. This made a nice transformation that is comforting given 11 more bottles in the cellar. This now has more red/cassis/cherry on the nose with secondary floral notes. Much better integrated with deeper red/cassis/cherry fruit along with some green/bell pepper notes and tart young tannin. I don't have a lot of experience with mountain cabs, but don't get big/brawny structure, much more elegant. Also not sure the fruit will last 20 yrs, but easily 10.

While confirming my decision not to buy more, I think this will develop into a very good cab with time in the cellar. At this stage, it fits the narrative of a great buy at the purchase price, but I would be sorely disappointed if I paid $75+. I will hold off on drinking any more for at least a year.

My thoughts on N.25 are:
Night 1: Well, not bad
Night 2: I'd buy another case

vs

My thoughts on N.21
Nights 1-4: I hope this shit gets better.

Same sentiment for the 58 McDowell Petite Syrah, expect first night I learned what you all mean by disjointed. Second night, I was hoping that one goes back up. Loved it!

[Michael Feldman]

Opened OGs 39 and 40 for a belated Thanksgiving celebration.
39 was very good, not complex, bright fruit, smooth, very pleasant to drink.
40 was my style of wine. A well balanced wine; nice fruit , bright acidity, tannins that were not overwhelming. Just a great wine! Would rate at least a 92 (cellar tracker) but will wait a few months before I try another.

[Peter C.]

Great to hear all the positive reviews.

17 was my favorite for drinking now.

Has Cam mentioned if all of a certain offering were bottled the exact same date, or if there are various bottling dates?

I don't understand the 'thin' comments about N.25 at all, unless people were looking for a modern, oaky milkshake cab. Similarly, N.17 was anything but drinkable now when I had it about a month ago. Not a bad wine but was disjointed and really tough to tell what its future may hold.

I also really liked #1 when I tried it, it had been open a few days though when I tasted it.

All this to say unless palates on this board are that diverse, seems like there may be different bottling dates to explain the discrepancies in experiences of the same bottle.

[Max S.]

Great to hear all the positive reviews.

17 was my favorite for drinking now.

Has Cam mentioned if all of a certain offering were bottled the exact same date, or if there are various bottling dates?

I don't understand the 'thin' comments about N.25 at all, unless people were looking for a modern, oaky milkshake cab. Similarly, N.17 was anything but drinkable now when I had it about a month ago. Not a bad wine but was disjointed and really tough to tell what its future may hold.

I also really liked #1 when I tried it, it had been open a few days though when I tasted it.

All this to say unless palates on this board are that diverse, seems like there may be different bottling dates to explain the discrepancies in experiences of the same bottle.

I will say N.25 felt thinNER on night 1 then night 2

[Michael Feldman]

Great to hear all the positive reviews.

17 was my favorite for drinking now.

Has Cam mentioned if all of a certain offering were bottled the exact same date, or if there are various bottling dates?

I don't understand the 'thin' comments about N.25 at all, unless people were looking for a modern, oaky milkshake cab. Similarly, N.17 was anything but drinkable now when I had it about a month ago. Not a bad wine but was disjointed and really tough to tell what its future may hold.

I also really liked #1 when I tried it, it had been open a few days though when I tasted it.

All this to say unless palates on this board are that diverse, seems like there may be different bottling dates to explain the discrepancies in experiences of the same bottle.

I do believe there is a fair amount of bottle variation in these wines. Not so much diversification in palates.

[Rich K0rz€nk0]

Just popped No. 31, Dry Creek Zinfandel - I haven't had a Pedroncelli in years, so I cannot speak to how accurate our guess is, but this is exactly what I was looking for/expecting. Dark in color and very clear, with aromas of spice, pepper, bramble. Bright, spicy, and "dusty" (not sure how else to describe this, but it's meant as a positive) on the palate, rich, no heat, just a classic Zin. It actually reminds me of some of the Cline/Jacuzzi Zins I've had in the past. Pretty happy with this one.

Had this tonight with Gumbo, stellar. Great value.

[C. Heinsen]

So I decided to commit infanticide tonight and pop open a 50 Walla Walla Cab. I think it’s mostly past bottle shock but super young. Any recommendations for a decanting or oxidation method that works best in this situation?

[Kevin Patrick]

CellarTracker review from Nov 21 went with a four hour decant.

Personally I would pour one hearty glass and leave the bottle uncorked to the side. Sample ~2oz every hour until it reached a good place and then pour.

My case arrives this Friday so I appreciate your taking one for the team. Any notes or follow-up are appreciated.

[Cameron Hughes]

Great to hear all the positive reviews.

17 was my favorite for drinking now.

Has Cam mentioned if all of a certain offering were bottled the exact same date, or if there are various bottling dates?

I don't understand the 'thin' comments about N.25 at all, unless people were looking for a modern, oaky milkshake cab. Similarly, N.17 was anything but drinkable now when I had it about a month ago. Not a bad wine but was disjointed and really tough to tell what its future may hold.

I also really liked #1 when I tried it, it had been open a few days though when I tasted it.

All this to say unless palates on this board are that diverse, seems like there may be different bottling dates to explain the discrepancies in experiences of the same bottle.

I do believe there is a fair amount of bottle variation in these wines. Not so much diversification in palates.

Cannot disagree with this more. Our palates, your palate, changes constantly depending on how hungry you are, what you had for dinner or lunch, even barometric pressure and very dry weather as we transition into winter.

Our bottling facilities, glass and "cork" suppliers are all ISO certified. First cases and last cases off the line are set aside and held back from inventory. IN short, I guarantee there is no bottle variation here. Also, as I have articulated previously, I suspect that large temp swings will shock the wines. However, the culprit here is most likely us.

[Cameron Hughes]

So I decided to commit infanticide tonight and pop open a 50 Walla Walla Cab. I think it’s mostly past bottle shock but super young. Any recommendations for a decanting or oxidation method that works best in this situation?

Yeah, its largely through shock but, as you noted, its very very young and it will be for years to come. No amount of ox is going to change that. However, for best results in the near term, I would decant the wine for an hour or two the day before and then funnel back into the bottle to let it sit until next day...24-hour micro-ox decant likely best way to go. Or, throw it in a blender.

[C. Heinsen]

Thanks Cameron! Is there a particular blender setting or blending time you would recommend? Haha.

Seriously, thanks for the tips! Excited to try it and report back.

[MatthewT]

So I decided to commit infanticide tonight and pop open a 50 Walla Walla Cab. I think it’s mostly past bottle shock but super young. Any recommendations for a decanting or oxidation method that works best in this situation?

Yeah, its largely through shock but, as you noted, its very very young and it will be for years to come. No amount of ox is going to change that. However, for best results in the near term, I would decant the wine for an hour or two the day before and then funnel back into the bottle to let it sit until next day...24-hour micro-ox decant likely best way to go. Or, throw it in a blender.

Cameron is that how you'd do it for all your 2018 cabs?

[Cameron Hughes]

So I decided to commit infanticide tonight and pop open a 50 Walla Walla Cab. I think it’s mostly past bottle shock but super young. Any recommendations for a decanting or oxidation method that works best in this situation?

Yeah, its largely through shock but, as you noted, its very very young and it will be for years to come. No amount of ox is going to change that. However, for best results in the near term, I would decant the wine for an hour or two the day before and then funnel back into the bottle to let it sit until next day...24-hour micro-ox decant likely best way to go. Or, throw it in a blender.

Cameron is that how you'd do it for all your 2018 cabs?

yes, minus the blender part.

[jond]

Cameron, glad to hear you don't expect significant bottle variation within a single wine (though obviously some level of variation is a thing, no matter the winemaker).

There certainly is a pretty wide variation between the wines, though. At this point, I find maybe half to 2/3 of the wines really punch above their weight, with the remainder being at least supermarket quality. Recently tried and loved N.25 and N.61. So far, N.37 is the only one I'll struggle to drink. A bunch of notes:

• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.25 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (12/1/2020)
  Another winner. You never know what you're going to get with De Negoce, but this one was enjoyable. No notes, unfortunately, but I remember a complex nose, tasty black/purple fruit, nice acid, and a peppery finish. High tannins - probably better in a year or two. (91 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Zinfandel OG N.61 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (11/29/2020)
  This is why we buy these wines. An elegant, structured, lovely Zinfandel for $9. Silky fruit and pepper. Nuanced - more a claret than a fruit bomb. (92 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.08 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/27/2020)
  Deep purple color. Ripe blackberry, sour black cherry, white pepper, salt, cola. The finish is a little short at first, but after an hour gets noticeably longer. Balanced and enjoyable. This is a strong wine for $15/bottle or whatever. (92 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.27 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/23/2020)
  Oak, vanilla, ripe blue and red fruit. Cinnamon and spice. Nice up front (though quite ripe), but the finish drops pretty quickly, at least at this young age. (89 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.13 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/20/2020)
  At least a weeknight wine, and has potential to be more. Started pretty closed, but better after 30-60 minutes. (89 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Zinfandel OG N.31 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (11/10/2020)
  This is just fine as a supermarket wine. Heat and simple fruit; not a lot of complexity and not that interesting. But drinkable, so it could be worse. (87 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Viognier OG N.37 - USA, California, Sonoma County (12/5/2020)
  Not good. Nose of fresh tennis balls and skunk; flat lemony flavor. I'm generally a fan of Viognier, but this bottle didn't cut it. (82 pts.)
• 2017 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.06 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/8/2020)
  Nice nose of ripe purple fruit, graphite, and pepper. On the palate, leads with the bright fruit - juicy baked plum and blackberry. Young tannins and nice finish. A bit of of black pepper and green pepper, but balanced. This is a very nice wine; not a 5-star blockbuster, but solid. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[jordan jacobs]

2017 Pinot # 7
Really impressed. Every bit of a 90+ point young domestic Pinot. Drank well above a $30 price point.

[Rich K0rz€nk0]

N0 14 Rose was the lead in to my night, front porch and guitar territory. PnP, just a glass, was closed and tight, not worth speculating. Had me happy and as it was spot on for the moment.

Hours later, not formal notes taken down, but pale see-through perfume-vial pink. I'm winding down the night and its very plush, not what I thought. I was expecting more acidic and its not that. It has weight in the glass. Nose is floral and pink citrus. Plump Grapefruit. white peach on the front. Flabby in the middle however the acid shows up in the tail end tot save it. Its a drink now to me, and catch it at the right time.

[DavidR]

Opened a bottle of both #22 and #73 over the weekend.

The #22 Napa Cab was a bit tight first night but had opened pretty significantly by day 3.

#73 (RRV Chard) was very impressive. A little reductive and thin at the moment but clearly well made juice with nice balance and oak integration. I expect this will pick up some weight and become more expressive over the next couple years. There was an interesting stone fruit note here that I normally associate with Rieslings which was very nice.

[Jay $$ Winton]

Anyone tried a 108? Mine arrives tomorrow.

[Eric White]

Anyone tried a 108? Mine arrives tomorrow.

recveived 108 and 109 late last week, but planned to hold off at least a little bit, we'll see how that goes

[Tyler F.]

Tried the OG N.37 Viogner tonight because I was skeptical of all the negative reviews on it. I let it air out for 30 mins and poured myself a glass. While I would not call it offensive, even if it was free, I would certainly pass. Quite a disappointment with this one and to think I have 11 remaining bottles. I guess this one gets relegated to cooking wine (I'll apologize to the pasta and chicken in advance).

[Michael Martin]

N.11 Cab. Evolving nicely.

[MatthewT]

Nice reviews from the cyclist on 46 and 48

[Timothy B a l l a r d]

Matthew,
Saw that, purchased both along with the AP 47, which from Cameron's description might appear to be the ringer for the AP Cabs he sourced. Cheers.

[Kevin B]

Had my first DN get here today. 16, 31, 43, 108 and 109. I figured I'd give them a few days rest. Got here well chilled, with temps in the low 40s.

[C. Heinsen]

Hey all,

So thanks to Cam and others for decanting tips on the Walla Walla 50 Cab. I wish I had opened this guy up the night before as Cam suggested, but I did do about a 3 hr decant before putting back in bottle. It was drank around hours 4-5 or so by a couple friends blind with some other wines (not worth noting which wines...).

This wine is absolutely amazing. Great noise of dark berries and earthy undertones. A medium to high level of acid and enough tannins to tell you it shouldn’t be opened yet. The best way I can describe this is it was a great mistake. I will probably regret opening this a year+ from now, but it was a great experiment and definitely was showing a small view of what is to come from this one. This definitely stirred a lot of conversation amongst the group and a lot of interest in de Negoce once bags were pulled off. To conclude, I’d can only concur with other statements on this board. Everyone was truly amazed at the price point and believed it to be worth way more than that. Worth $120? Too early to tell. But can easily say this wine compares with other $80+ wines I have also committed infanticide to =)

[David Buck]

The cyclist is a cult member now...nice...Great review on 48 which I have. He has small error on pricing though. I read that and knew I never jumped on offers unless winery bottle pricing high...He says $40 comparable from winery. Actual Cam words $60 comparable from winery. Small little detail.

Retailing for well north of $60/bottle at the winery, its first tranche pricing is exceptional at $13/bottle when purchased by the case.

[Cameron Hughes]

Tried the OG N.37 Viogner tonight because I was skeptical of all the negative reviews on it. I let it air out for 30 mins and poured myself a glass. While I would not call it offensive, even if it was free, I would certainly pass. Quite a disappointment with this one and to think I have 11 remaining bottles. I guess this one gets relegated to cooking wine (I'll apologize to the pasta and chicken in advance).

This wine is going to be the DN sleeper. I cracked one an hour or so ago and, sure enough, its reductive as hell. Here's what you do...pour out about 3 or 4 ounces, re-cork and give it a good shake. Take the cork out, blow in the bottle and then re-cork and shake again. Do this a couple times and then re-cork and let it sit for an hour. It'll still have plenty of baby fat on it (as do all the wines from the top of the Mayacamas) but you'll see the beauty start to emerge. Orange marmalade and pretty minerality are there...just largely hidden away for now. I'll report back what I see in the morning too...

[Cameron Hughes]

Cameron, glad to hear you don't expect significant bottle variation within a single wine (though obviously some level of variation is a thing, no matter the winemaker).

There certainly is a pretty wide variation between the wines, though. At this point, I find maybe half to 2/3 of the wines really punch above their weight, with the remainder being at least supermarket quality. Recently tried and loved N.25 and N.61. So far, N.37 is the only one I'll struggle to drink. A bunch of notes:

• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.25 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (12/1/2020)
  Another winner. You never know what you're going to get with De Negoce, but this one was enjoyable. No notes, unfortunately, but I remember a complex nose, tasty black/purple fruit, nice acid, and a peppery finish. High tannins - probably better in a year or two. (91 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Zinfandel OG N.61 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (11/29/2020)
  This is why we buy these wines. An elegant, structured, lovely Zinfandel for $9. Silky fruit and pepper. Nuanced - more a claret than a fruit bomb. (92 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.08 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/27/2020)
  Deep purple color. Ripe blackberry, sour black cherry, white pepper, salt, cola. The finish is a little short at first, but after an hour gets noticeably longer. Balanced and enjoyable. This is a strong wine for $15/bottle or whatever. (92 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.27 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/23/2020)
  Oak, vanilla, ripe blue and red fruit. Cinnamon and spice. Nice up front (though quite ripe), but the finish drops pretty quickly, at least at this young age. (89 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.13 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/20/2020)
  At least a weeknight wine, and has potential to be more. Started pretty closed, but better after 30-60 minutes. (89 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Zinfandel OG N.31 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (11/10/2020)
  This is just fine as a supermarket wine. Heat and simple fruit; not a lot of complexity and not that interesting. But drinkable, so it could be worse. (87 pts.)
• 2018 de Négoce Viognier OG N.37 - USA, California, Sonoma County (12/5/2020)
  Not good. Nose of fresh tennis balls and skunk; flat lemony flavor. I'm generally a fan of Viognier, but this bottle didn't cut it. (82 pts.)
• 2017 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.06 - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/8/2020)
  Nice nose of ripe purple fruit, graphite, and pepper. On the palate, leads with the bright fruit - juicy baked plum and blackberry. Young tannins and nice finish. A bit of of black pepper and green pepper, but balanced. This is a very nice wine; not a 5-star blockbuster, but solid. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Thanks for the notes...see above for my thoughts on the Viognier...it'll come around.

[Timothy B a l l a r d]

Cameron,
"I'll report back what I see in the morning too..."

Viognier with your Starbucks? Hmmm, never tried that.

Really all these wines should wait in bottle for quite a few more months to open up- even the whites. But understand people want to "kick the tires" so to speak.
Cheers. Tim

[L Harris]

The cyclist is a cult member now...nice...Great review on 48 which I have. He has small error on pricing though. I read that and knew I never jumped on offers unless winery bottle pricing high...He says $40 comparable from winery. Actual Cam words $60 comparable from winery. Small little detail.

Retailing for well north of $60/bottle at the winery, its first tranche pricing is exceptional at $13/bottle when purchased by the case.

Have had 2 bottles of 48 so far (made comments on them earlier in the thread) - when it came back up today jumped on a 2nd case. Lovely wine.

[Nate Simon]

Can confirm the Viognier is wrapped up tight. Won't touch for another 3-6 months. It does give hints that there's a good wine in there, though.

[David Buck]

The cyclist is a cult member now...nice...Great review on 48 which I have. He has small error on pricing though. I read that and knew I never jumped on offers unless winery bottle pricing high...He says $40 comparable from winery. Actual Cam words $60 comparable from winery. Small little detail.

Retailing for well north of $60/bottle at the winery, its first tranche pricing is exceptional at $13/bottle when purchased by the case.

Have had 2 bottles of 48 so far (made comments on them earlier in the thread) - when it came back up today jumped on a 2nd case. Lovely wine.

Any thoughts on when to drink? Good to go now or needs more time? (heard that before )

[Eric White]

sittin' here drinking another No. 48 RRV Pinot. Like others are noting, this is just a beautiful bottle of wine, I'm sitting here trying to talk myself out of a 2nd case since it just came up again.
@ David Buck, my 2 cents: no reason to wait, this is drinking really great right now.

[R Scott Hughes]

I don't like being the outlier here but my first impression of the 48 RRV Pinot is underwhelming. Admittedly, it was a hectic Wednesday in my household so I just went PnP - but that was almost 3-hours ago and as I sit here sipping on the end of my second glass and think of some of the recent PN that I have been drinking from Scherrer and Sandler and I would much rather be drinking them. That being said, I am more than happy to give it some time to see if it comes around. I have been pleased with pretty much every other OG i have opened which includes: 17, 27, 43, and 50.

[MatthewT]

I don't like being the outlier here but my first impression of the 48 RRV Pinot is underwhelming. Admittedly, it was a hectic Wednesday in my household so I just went PnP - but that was almost 3-hours ago and as I sit here sipping on the end of my second glass and think of some of the recent PN that I have been drinking from Scherrer and Sandler and I would much rather be drinking them. That being said, I am more than happy to give it some time to see if it comes around. I have been pleased with pretty much every other OG i have opened which includes: 17, 27, 43, and 50.

Bottle shock aside, this is actually helpful as it keeps addicts like myself from instantly buying a 2nd case. My wife drinks a lot of Pinot and the vast vast majority of my dN cases were Cabs so when I get confirmation a dN Pinot is solid and under $20 shipped it's hard to now load up. Our house wine is Loring which is $25-$28/bottle/shipped.

[Greg Smith]

Opened my first de Negoce last night--#17. Both the wife and I agreed that it's pretty much a house cab at a restaurant. Not a whole lot there and doesn't seem to be built for any long-term storage. I'm really not complaining as I paid $15/bottle. So far I'm getting what I paid for. Hopefully others are better.

[Chris Crutchfield]

It's really wild the different perspectives people have on #17. Do we chalk this up to bottle variation or what? Because from my perspective it's of course not a world-beater wine, but it's certainly built in a more classical restrained style, and will probably age far better than your usual over-oaked fruit-bomb Parker style wines.

[MatthewT]

It's really wild the different perspectives people have on #17. Do we chalk this up to bottle variation or what? Because from my perspective it's of course not a world-beater wine, but it's certainly built in a more classical restrained style, and will probably age far better than your usual over-oaked fruit-bomb Parker style wines.

I think it's funny that #17 is amongst the most reviewed yet it's also the cheapest cab offering and the only cab offering he didn't provide a "retails at" price and we think the retail price is ~$30

It's hardly representative of the typical dN Cab offerings from a price perspective.

[Allen Z]

sittin' here drinking another No. 48 RRV Pinot. Like others are noting, this is just a beautiful bottle of wine, I'm sitting here trying to talk myself out of a 2nd case since it just came up again.
@ David Buck, my 2 cents: no reason to wait, this is drinking really great right now.

Jumped on a second case as soon as I received the email, really enjoyed the two bottles I've had thus far

[Jay $$ Winton]

Opened a 108. Taking one for the team.

[Peter C.]

sittin' here drinking another No. 48 RRV Pinot. Like others are noting, this is just a beautiful bottle of wine, I'm sitting here trying to talk myself out of a 2nd case since it just came up again.
@ David Buck, my 2 cents: no reason to wait, this is drinking really great right now.

Jumped on a second case as soon as I received the email, really enjoyed the two bottles I've had thus far

Is it very 'cola'ey?

[Hank Victor]

38 syrah was a huge disappointment.

[R Scott Hughes]

38 syrah was a huge disappointment.

Hank - not second guessing your judgement but can you expand a little bit as to why you are disappointed?

[Allen Z]

sittin' here drinking another No. 48 RRV Pinot. Like others are noting, this is just a beautiful bottle of wine, I'm sitting here trying to talk myself out of a 2nd case since it just came up again.
@ David Buck, my 2 cents: no reason to wait, this is drinking really great right now.

Jumped on a second case as soon as I received the email, really enjoyed the two bottles I've had thus far

Is it very 'cola'ey?

I would say jammy/berry upfront, with a nice tea finish

[Cameron Hughes]

38 syrah was a huge disappointment.

Hi Hank - the wine bottled on 11/19...way behind the other's from the same producer (mid-August) and even those wines are just starting to come round (see my note son the Viognier...it has as much baby fat on it as a mountain cab). I would wait until next March before cracking another one.

Cameron

[Michael Singsen]

Over two nights, despite all the warnings to wait, since it was one of the earliest bottlings of the DeN Cabs we've bought, we polished off a #39 Cab, rumored to be Montelena. I'm no somm, and won't try to pretend, but we liked it even if we weren't overwhelmed by any of it. For me, the oak (or is it the tannins?) were front and center combined with a leathery dark fruity but not fruit bombish presentation. Delicious, in a word. It really didn't have much aroma, maybe that is something that develops over time. The finish lingered but not for long. Not hot. Not peppery or spicy. Good for sipping, nice with a steak on the first night, not so much with the stir fry on night two. Since I'm not at all clear on what to expect will happen with a cab like this over the next few years, I cannot predict the future. What should I expect?

[P Intag]

It's really wild the different perspectives people have on #17. Do we chalk this up to bottle variation or what? Because from my perspective it's of course not a world-beater wine, but it's certainly built in a more classical restrained style, and will probably age far better than your usual over-oaked fruit-bomb Parker style wines.

I think it's funny that #17 is amongst the most reviewed yet it's also the cheapest cab offering and the only cab offering he didn't provide a "retails at" price and we think the retail price is ~$30

It's hardly representative of the typical dN Cab offerings from a price perspective.

I think it's because it was one of the first wines shipped - I had my case in early July before the problems with summer shipping popped up.

[matt d]

It's really wild the different perspectives people have on #17. Do we chalk this up to bottle variation or what? Because from my perspective it's of course not a world-beater wine, but it's certainly built in a more classical restrained style, and will probably age far better than your usual over-oaked fruit-bomb Parker style wines.

I think it's funny that #17 is amongst the most reviewed yet it's also the cheapest cab offering and the only cab offering he didn't provide a "retails at" price and we think the retail price is ~$30

It's hardly representative of the typical dN Cab offerings from a price perspective.

I think it's because it was one of the first wines shipped - I had my case in early July before the problems with summer shipping popped up.

It also in in the top 5 for cellartracker holdings and was bottled 6/26 so can be consumed and people can make determination on quality