Thought you weren’t drinking CamX yet…
Wonder if those blue pills work for this condition? lol.
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John, I’m just evaluating….X34 was only my 70th case of X, so far….
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By your comments, I’m looking forward to opening mid-January 2028 the first of three cases of Lot 34 Oakville 2024 Petite Sirah purchased at $129 Tranche I pricing which included shipping. Too bad I shared the other cases with my son and daughter. In the meantime we’ll just finish off cases of St. Amant 2018 (94 pts Wine Enthusiast) and 2021 Mohr-Fry Ranch Petite Sirah.
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I’m just patiently awaiting my yum scores…thought you might be dipping in….
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I’ve had, 1 X1, 2 X2, 3 X4, 1 X18, 1 X34, so far. All are fine or better with good QPR’s. I have my eye on another case of??
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Blue pills won’t help you with premature evaluation, but they should give you an edge if you want to evaluate once or twice more that same night.
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Scott, you’re a very enthusiastic dN reviewer. How would you compare your early notes on CamX to dN? From a $ off of list they seem better, but I don’t have much to go on. The 2017/18/19 dNs are in a great place right now, I’m just curious if you have a sense if these are roughly better/worse/the same?
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GREAT question!
Scott, please do share your nuanced perspectives.
And enthusiasm!
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I’d love to hear Cam’s take!! Then filter through the BS to get the truth . Lol
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Yes indeed! The earlier 2017/18/19 dN’s (no more 2017’s here) are in a great place currently! OG N.124 2018 Napa Valley Merlot was drinking absolutely great last night. It’s ready now. 
My personal overall enthusiasm for the current X’s is due to a special alignment of the stars, so to speak. Not really from the olfactory evaluation of the wines, more from logistics, reasoning and great Trust! Hence: The excellent Vintage 2023, a highly unfavorable market for wine/alcohol producers (a totally frigging awesome market for the savvy consumer), also significantly, my advanced age! Turning 70 years OLD later this year. So, Stock up-the Cellar! No reason for me to wait for another magnificent vintage and a crappy sellers market to perhaps both align in the (far?) future. I am hopeful that many of the 70 X cases, so far, will last me well into my mid 70’s or so. I drink 30 cases/year currently and historically. So, I’ll likely need even more….
Also significantly, I believe Cam is at the top of his game! Early on, he stated the the opportunities were unprecedented! That appears to be true! I’m very Happy to blindly buy 4 cases of X32, the 2023 Stags Leap District CS @ $199/delivered! Et-friggin’-cetera! Carpe Diem. Cam is a great curator, he kisses the Frogs (sorry, not meaning Frogs Leap), so I don’t have to. Plus, it’s so easy this way. My UPS driver is very cooperative , he also makes my life easier. Extra Nice! That’s most of my reasoning. Honestly, I couldn’t just use the one word first that would have saved you from all my tortured thinking. So, the one word answer for me personally is:
Better!
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Off-topic, but based on the recents posts about drinking wines too early - I’ve had this leftover Priorat in the fridge since Friday. Didn’t love it on day one even after 2 hours decant. 3 days later- the juiciness, spice, flavor and complexity is night and day and I am definitely loving it.
And for Scott B - Double yum. Had with venison tenderloin (and leftover garlic knots!!).
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don’t worry, it’s just bottle shock…6-7 weeks is not enough time for that wine to settle in.
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Cam, being that you’ve got oodles of experience tasting young lots, as well as bottling and releasing younger wines than many, could you offer some general time windows for different varietals to exit the bottling impacted phase?
(Realize that this is different than prime drinking windows).
This would be much appreciated by me too>
He has answered that question here before and it is something like 3 months for most wines, but up to 6 months for heavier reds such as Cabernet and Petite Sirah. The heavier the wine, the longer it needs.
From the de Negoce website (only because it has more information):
If your wine was recently bottled, here are some guidelines to follow:
**Bold wines like Cabernet, Syrah and Zinfandel:**allow 3-4 months to fully get through bottle shock; however, the wines will continue to evolve over time under proper cellaring conditions.
Medium-bodied reds like Pinot Noir: allow 2-3 months to fully get through bottle shock; like the bold reds, extra cellaring time will only improve the wine’s presentation.
Medium and full-bodied whites like oaked Chardonnay or Viognier: allow 2-3 months to fully get through bottle shock; most white wines gain complexity and bouquet with additional cellaring time.
Light-bodied whites and Rosé wines: allow 6-8 weeks to fully get through bottle shock. These wines are best enjoyed fresh and young, but some rare examples will gain complexity with a bit more cellar aging.
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Thanks JD! I had remembered seeing Cam mention it in bits and pieces for specific wines, but not a set of general guidelines like the DN list you posted. Appreciate it.
New to this group & unfortunately a year late to new Cam site. I have quite a few cases of Dn in the cellar that I’ve purchased over the past few years but could use some everyday wines currently. I’m in no hurry & can wait for new releases but was curious about timing of tranche 1 pricing vs tranche 2 pricing. Some seem to be original pricing while others have gone up?
Any sales coming up or expected new futures release?
Also when do the wines get rated?
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I think the tranche prices go up with levels of sales. Over 60 releases in 10 months, so releases come often. Lots of info in old posts here on various lots. I really like most though they are still very young…already drinkable with decanting.
The 23s have great promise, why not nibble on some? Maybe your timing is perfect!
Ratings happen sporadically. Seems like all come in at 92 or 93, not really compelling.
Lot 31
#2 of 12, last had in November.
Much more open for business than the last bottle. Nose is expressive with candied red fruits and vanilla, slight floral undertones. Palate is balanced with cranberry, sour cherry, and ripe strawberry. Quite acid-driven still, but imagine it will continue to resolve as the wine matures. 90+
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