Anybody have concerns here about the heat issues of 2022?
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Bruce,
September that year California had a âheat domeâ that couldâve cooked some grapes, whites were likely picked, but later ripening reds not of course. Higher elevations and careful leaf thinning by vineyard managers lessened the heat effect I suppose. Good producers will make good wines, suspect overall, that excess '22 reds maybe a product of excess supply on lowered demand/traffic in tasting rooms.
Cheers, Tim
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Yes that 2022 heat wave/dome has been a concern/consideration.
Yet, I would still buy #527, if I needed it. I definitely trust dN, stillâŚ
Got plenty of the 2022 CSâs. Still even havenât tried #420 (the 2021 Mt. Weeder). Better vintage?
This #527 costs less too! 
Mainly: 2023 is beckoning me double super extra strongly! (sp?)
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Has anyone had a bottle of lot 490 Napa Cab yet? Back up at T1 pricing right now.
PS - Go Bills!!!
John,
Super Bowl could be featuring some outstanding California quarterbacks Josh vs Jared. With my 9ers out Iâm rooting one of âour guysâ to get their 1st SB win.
490 never bought any, full of great 2017/18/19 Cabs still.
Cheers, Tim
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No notes on Cellartracker I donât think. And a FWIW there are 4-5 naming conventions for de Negoce wines used on Cellartracker. Iâm too lazy to report it for a clean-up and itâs a 4-5 year old mess affecting hundreds of wines. I donât know if there is a âright wayâ. Just a heads up when adding wines or new bottles that there are various nomenclatures in use.
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I used to be an active particpant in this chat, but took some time off when I stopped buying DN wines. Question for the group⌠is anyone finding N.82 to be very drinkable? Every time I pop one and decant it I have high hopes but they always end up being overly tannic and very disjointed in my opinion. Anyone else having a similar experience?
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Well, it took a few months, butâŚ
âAs a result of our investigation, we have credited your account. This adjustment can be found on an upcoming statement.â
I disputed a transaction when dN sent wine in the middle of the summer, and then claimed they wonât guarantee a thing after a first delivery attempt (which isnât in the T&Cs). All corks were leaking and it was clear they were cooked. Amex sided with me and credited me the purchase. dN tried to argue semantics, thankfully Amex saw straight through it.
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Mikko,
That is fantastic to hear!! Your persistence paid off. Sorry about your âCookedâ delivery 
.
Good for you & good for AMEX (AXP)!!
Someone kindly mentioned on this thread that the Amex Cash Card gives you a 2% rebate on all online purchases! 
x2%
I have used that Amex Cash card ever since for dN & Amazon, etc! 
Well, its kind of an hollow victory. I never do chargebacks, but dN was happy to come up with a term that doesnt exist in the T&Cs to save them 6 bottles of wine, and to save those 6 bottles they were happy to piss off a 5-figure spend customer.
Post-Cam its not the same company any more.
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Mikko,
How did dN get out of replacing 6 bottles?
I agree that it is not the same company which is why 401 was my last purchase.
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They simply refused to do anything about it. All 6 corks were leaking. They essentially told me to go pound sand. Cameron era dN would have asked me if I want a new 6-pack or a refund.
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Given the headwinds facing the wine industry, it baffles my mind that anyone would take that aggressive of a stance on an account. Especially at your level of spend.
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Mikko,
I have had a dramatically different experience from other wine producers. Treasury Wine Estates, owners of BV, Beringer, Etude, etc, and Sequoia Grove Winery were speculator with replacing and/or refunding wines that had seepage. I highly recommend both.
Thank you for posting your disappointing experience with dN. Things like this are a good way to kill a brand.
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Yeah, my last purchase was n.429. Itâs just a totally different company now and it hasnât convinced me to continue buying from themâŚoh well, good luck for them. I suspect they lost multiple 5-figure customers in the last year or soâŚ
Just curious: is anyone here still actively buying from dN?
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I have a lot of DN in my cellar from past purchases, but havenât bought much the last couple of years, just a few cases. I did just buy a case of #503 Chardonnay, itâs a really nice, balanced, easy to drink Napa Chard for the $15/bottle I paid for itâŚâŚ I am very happy with that purchase
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I last bought 514/515 due to the presumed known source, but am essentially out from here on out. Too much wine, not compelling enough offers/ marketing, lack of trust, etc. Same reasons many are detailing. Iâm sure something will come along that will bring me back, but no where near the volume buyer I have been.
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It seems that latest purchase comments relate to: recent shipping issues; loss of direct connection to Cameron Hughesâ seemingly honest description of wine futures; the situation that many of us have simply run out of wine storage room and in which we have more than enough wines to carry us into the years ahead; wines are no longer being offered from Washington, Oregon, Italy or Australia; âthe feeling of finding a bottle/winery that over delivers for the price, no matter the price paidâ. and we are ready to try something different. In my case, I did order the L 508 Carignan since I enjoy this varietal at times; the inexpensive L 518 Napa Malbec for my daughter with no promises attached; the L 519 Tannat because dN had never offered this before and we already enjoy this âhealthyâ wine from the Lodi region; and the L 524 GewĂźrztraminer as an experimental late holiday gift for our Grenadian daughter-in-law who truly only enjoys white wines. Maybe, just maybe, later 2023 vintage offerings may entice us once again.
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With a peak purchasing period ranging from November 2020 to December 2021, with a few intermittent purchases after that including 401, my last purchase was in December 2023. Lots of reasons for that, including moving and more-than-ample supply. The summer shipping fiasco, experienced by others on this thread, also did a lot to take the shine off.
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@B_Bauer Boris pretty much nails the aspects for me, but not related necessarily to Cam Hughes, the individual. My buying has slowed/stopped primarily because I have way too much wine, and need to take a year (or two) off from buying from anywhere. I have more loyalty to my local wineries/wine clubs/Full Pull/Berserker Day than I do to dN, and though I have gotten some really good, even great, wines from dN, I have also gotten clunkers that take up space in an overfull/overflow situation. I also found that my favorite dN wines were the Cabs from Washington and the Rhone wines from Xavier vignon. Those donât get offered any longer. Maybe itâs a âhome palateâ on WA Cabs, maybe itâs that those were better value, but I truly donât need/want any more Napa Cabs, which seem like the only wines of interest to me over the past 6+ months of dN offer. I currently have 68 bottles of dN Napa Cab, bought over the past 18 months, (4% of my total Cellar), and until that number is under 20, I shouldnât be adding more.
For the record, I have had nothing but excellent service and shipping results from dN, before, during, and after the transition, but part of that is likely geography (west coast 1-2 day shipping regardless) and luck.
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