Welcome to a few days ago Todd 
Can find a link and an embedded version of the article in the posts above.
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Investigate what? Shipping in hot weather? That’s a big universe of culprits there.
From people crying they aren’t getting a big enough discount, free shipping, unlimited returns,
a personal response from Cam, mad he didn’t tell everyone all the details of his plans, etc., I don’t blame him for ghosting.
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I just received notice of it - sorry
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I have now learned that I want to visit Napa with Conan.
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I had always thought Cameron had sold but what puzzled me was that I attended the party at Martin Ray’s winery in Spring 2023, met Cameron’s fiance, and heard how excited he was about all the new projects he had in the pipeline with their help. Then he disappeared. The article in the SF Chronicle has the answers:
The community felt such a personal connection to Hughes that when he stopped communicating early this year, many felt betrayed. “To this day we have no idea why,” Turk said. “I can’t imagine why he just went silent.”
"Behind the scenes, Hughes had been shopping De Negoce around. “There were plenty of interested parties looking to buy it,” he said. When a broker presented the opportunity to Benham, he was “immediately intrigued,” he said. “And next thing I know, I’m in business with Cameron.”
…
“In early 2023, Benham bought a 51% stake in De Negoce, he said, and kept Hughes around. In January, he bought the remainder of the company. Hughes left.”
IOW, Benham changed his mind about projects like Eleveur (which Cameron was excited about in S[ring 2023 and let us taste some) and simply took over the entire company.
The article also says that Cam remarried, and is happy focusing on his other ventures… Not surprising, given that like many start up founders, he spent working 80+ hours a week for several years to get the company established.
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Really the only part that to this day makes no sense, is Cameron just vanishing. He can have an NDA but it helps both parties to have him involved and transparent with what is going on. Yet - poof!
Anyway will always be grateful for how fun this experiment has been. I do think the new wines have been fantastic. More expensive, for sure, more like Wine Access. But they are good. But it’s not the same thing it was and will never be. Need the cult leader.
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No, Cam vanishing makes complete sense to me now. The new owners have clearly pulled back on the source clues and information. If that is their operating procedure, then having Cam involved here, even in a much more limited capacity than he was previously would only be detrimental and a liability.
Remember, Cam essentially began working for Courtney early in 2023. That is what it means when you become majority owner, you become the boss! What would you do if your boss said “stay off the message boards!”
Cam verified for us that the last wine he was involved in was 403, roughly around the July 2023 timeframe, same time that he went silent here. Maybe he didn’t even know anything about the new wines being offered, and therefore had nothing useful to say!
But I do agree, has not been the same without Cam’s involvement here and him popping his head up a few weeks ago probably made all of our days!
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Maybe Courtney fired the dogs, sure hope Cameron did not, my dogs are always hired.
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As someone who went through a sale of majority interest in a company I helped found, I 100% get why he left. Doesn’t matter if it was control issue, not fun anymore, or just didn’t want to stick with the grind.
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I think if you can sell your company and not be handcuffed to it for years afterwards you are lucky. Seems like usually they want the founder to stick around 3-5 years. From what I’ve seen they are happy to get paid at first then miserable as the company is changing and they are no longer the owner but an employee who doesn’t get full payout until the end of the term.
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So, what are people doing about 513, 514 & 515? Has anyone had the suspected source wines? I have certainly enjoyed 25 & paid about $216 plus shipping. I have also bought several of the dN cab francs & red blends (from other sources) and found them impressive. Any insights would be welcome.
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Marie,
I had sleuthed Spring Mountain Vineyards (SMV) which recently sold to a PE group. Certainly agree with Lot 25 being enoyable- at least the single bottle Ive tried. That Prop Red used to be named “Elivette” before new ownership. Highly regarded/rated.
All full of Cabs for the moment. You get some 513/ 514/ 515 and share with the board in next coming years.
Cheers, Tim
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John,
Mutli Generation and Valley floor winery makes me think Charles Krug at first. Lo and behold, they have a “Limited Release” Malbec from estate vineyard in Yountville, but sells for $85. Next.
Cheers, Tim
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Love me some Malbec! Here are the clues that we have: multi generational winery, valley floor, sold by the winery for just UNDER $60, Reserva style, about 12 months in barrel, 14.3% alc.
Most Napa wineries really oak their Malbecs, like 18-22 months in oak that results in bigger wines, like 14.8% alc. I’m wondering if this is one of those wines that was just pulled from barrel a year early.
Sterling, Stags Leap and Conn Creek all come to mind, Conn Creek recently closed down (or sold) and they sold off most of their bottled inventory to Last Bottle. This wine would have still been in barrel, but Conn Creek uses 100% NEW oak on their Malbec!
Also, the last Napa Malbec offer, could it have really been n.18?!?! If so, that one was guessed to be Stags Leap Winery and that write up mentions “reserve level quality.”
N.18
Its Reserve-level quality with 35% new French oak and mixture of one- and two-year old barrels. Inky black in the glass with an electric magenta rim. Beguiling nose of deep plum, blackberry and sensuously meaty dark cocoa halo’d with powdered pink flower with hints of iodine/oregano spice. Fleshy and juicy on the palate with soft tannins, mouth watering acidity, and fine french oak tannins on the finish. This a captivating and sensuous wine made with a deft hand. 300 cases available 35 new French oak, remainder 1- and 2-year old French oak Open Fall 2020 14.4% Alc."
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n.428 was a sonoma malbec. Ah, i see you specified napa. nvm then.
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I bought that one, it was very good.
N.18 was not good, spent 3 years trying to see if it developed, dumped my remaining 6-7 bottles. N.142 was a Malbec as well, it is pretty good. WA sourced if I recall correctly
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