My order of - Lot 302 Lanquidoc Petite Sirah & Rioja Alavesa ‘Pionero’ was described as ‘destroyed’ a month ago by UPS (I reported this to dNé & supposedly UPS did the same). Thank you to the dNé staff for replacing this yesterday via FedEx 6-day ground delivery shipment to the East coast. / As for packaging, I did prefer the vertical cases from years past, especially the half-case boxes to accommodate easy storage (without the insolation stuffing, each box can handle up to 18 bottles).
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I brought the no. 50. I did do the Cam slo-ox, but for 48 hours. I agree, it was glorious, but it looks like we’re in the minority here.
We drank some great wines at the DC event, but for me 50, 200, and the 190 (each of which I own) were the standouts. I wonder the extent to which the 200 and 190 were decanted.
I don’t know if we are still on for May 13th, but it’s marked on our calendar.
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It will always be de (day) Negoshey to me and nobody can change that.
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Last night I had the pleasure of drinking 3 bottles of excellent wine and thought I’d put together some tasting notes of each, for another installment of pitting a de Negoce wine against other well-regarded wines. Last night we drank the following and I’ve notated the prices paid for each:
2012 Groth Cabernet Reserve ($135)
2016 Axios Cabernet Sauvignon ($129)
de Negoce N.158 Cabernet Sauvignon ($20)
Note, the Groth and Axios were able to be decanted for about 4-hours each in standard decanters, while we were only able to decant the de Negoce for about 90-minutes in a standard decanter, then an additional hour in bottle where the wine did not come up over the shoulder.
2012 Groth Cabernet Reserve:
The 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout wine that exhibits a beautiful combination of blue fruit and menthol notes on the nose. The palate follows with rich blue and black fruit flavors, including blackberries, blueberries, and black currants, intermingled with subtle hints of vanilla, spice, and especially cinnamon. The wine also exhibits notes of graphite and pencil shavings and gobs of complexity. The wine balances power and finesse, for a perfect combination. The finish is long and lingering. (96-points)
2016 Axios Cabernet Sauvignon
This Cabernet Sauvignon is a lighter, Bordeaux-style wine that packs a lot of flavor. It has red and black fruit, mint, cherry compote, and a long, lingering finish. It drinks almost like a mountain cab, with perfectly integrated tannin and acidity. The wine is well balanced, but lithe. I thought the wine was delicious and chewy, but lacked some of the power that I would have equated with a $125/bottle of wine.
The Axios vineyard’s location provides a unique combination of soil and climate that influences the wine’s flavor profile. The vineyard is known for its well-drained alluvial soils that produce grapes with great depth and complexity. The climate is warm and sunny during the day, but the temperature drops significantly at night, which helps the grapes to maintain their acidity and freshness. (91-points)
2018 de Negoce N.158 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma
This cabernet is an outstanding example of the varietal. On the nose, there are notes of ripe red fruits, particularly red raspberry, along with a refreshing hint of mint. As the wine opens up, black raspberry syrup and a hint of blueberry emerge, adding depth and complexity to the bouquet.
On the palate, this wine is bursting with acidity, which provides a fresh and lively sensation that quickly leads into a mid-palate full of powdery tannins. These tannins are mouth-coating and delicious, showcasing the wine’s full-bodied and rich structure. The finish is long and lingering, with the acidity and tannins perfectly balancing each other out. Graphite is present and the wine is chewy. (93-points)
Final Thoughts:
This is a better example of how a de Negoce Cabernet might “compete” with other well-known wine. Just like last time, there was no care taken into matching up wines of specific terroirs or vintages, but rather, we were going to drink a Groth and an Axios, and had a de Negoce cab lying around, so the idea was to try that one as well.
As you can tell, the de Negoce cabernet hung tough with these much more expensive wines (although the de Negoce is said to come from a $200/bottle program). The 2012 Groth Reserve was clearly the wine of the night, a very special cabernet and vintage indeed. I really enjoyed that and it was an absolute knockout. I was disappointed with the Axios. It was excellent, but not for $129. Some folks online note that they were able to buy it on sale at one point for $60, I wouldn’t pay a cent more than that. The de Negoce performed more than adequately and was excellent. I rated it a 93-point score, though I preferred (slightly) n.173 Cabernet, which I tried a previous night. Both are outstanding.
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Brian,
Really enjoy all of these de Negoce vs. the elite wines of the world. Really glad I loaded up on 173, bummed I missed 158.
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Brian, thanks again for the great notes and for posting both here and on CT.
I should do the same.
Cheers
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My first official Wine Berserkers post is to proclaim that n.50 is not undrinkable. Quite the opposite, I found it to be amazing. Will absolutely get better with time, but for the $22 or so that I paid on sale, I say drink with reckless abandon (and some air)!!!
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It’s been a while since I opened a n.50. I might have to pop one to chime in as well. Welcome, JDutko.
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i’m with you on this one. Lovely wine and i am thankful to have some in reserve.
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Has anyone mixed futures and bottle shop in an order if you’re going to have it put in LTS? Was gonna order 392 and a case of 141 but don’t really need any of it until at least the fall.
Cam added a new note on the 392… “their icon-level Bordeaux Blend sells for over $350/bottle.”
Anderson Conn has a $400ish Bordeaux and the 18 Reserve Cab was 14.9%. This would eliminate a lot of the other guesses I’ve seen. Not saying that is it but it does remove some wineries.
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Their regular cab is well below $100 though. Feel like the hints should help, but I got nothing.
When Cam mentions pricing like in tasting rooms, I always assume that there is a slight bit of hyperbole in his comments, so that the source winery is not so easy to guess…
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I totally get it and have seen the same, but the winery website is showing roughly $58 for an ‘18. That just doesn’t seem to add up.
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The Anderson Conn estate reserve retail price is $125. The 16 and 18 were both listed at 14.9%. I think they also use less new French oak than most.
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I think 392 could be Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet.
Phelps is based in St Helena, Insignia is $365, their NVCS is $110 and is a blend of AVAs, has 40ish% new oak depending on the vintage.
Doesn’t look like Phelps owns a vineyard on Diamond Mountain, but maybe it just isn’t published on the site.
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Pretty sure the Joseph Phelps isn’t 100% cabernet.
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Phelps website says it is 97% cab for the '18, maybe a few percent difference was part of the NDA deal 
Any other guesses?
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Wallis family? Denali? Not sure about the legendary part.