-
2018 de Négoce Merlot OG N.124 - USA, California, Napa Valley (9/30/2022)
Wonderful nose of plum, cherry cough syrup, and herbal tones. On the palate more plum, dark cherry, some coffee bean, and medicinal herb.
I really loved the cherry cough drop tones of this wine, some people may not. All in all, this wine has started to come around after a year, where back then there was almost nothing there. It's really started to develop in the bottle. However, this is still not ready. The wine presents all that I said above with a long (medium +) finish, and some mountain wine attributes.
Over two days the wine went through some changes, on day two it seemed to lose some fruit and gain more herbal characteristics, which was odd, but not negative.
This is high quality juice that will need more time to coalesce. It's excellent with an hour decant, but I'll be holding on to the rest of these for another year. (91 points)
5 Likes
Side note on n.124: I think it’s interesting that Freemark Abbey (potential source) sent out a bottle of the 2018 Stagecoach to wine club members, and someone added a tasting note in May, rating it an “82”, and coming to the conclusion that it needs a lot more time. I had a similar experience where this was the first DN case that I bought. I cracked one open and there was literally nothing there (on the nose) and it was probably the most closed up wine that I had ever tried. It’s gotten much better, but I’ll give this one another year yet. I’m surprised it’s taken so long. However, I guess this is something that I’ve come to expect with 2018s.
2 Likes
N.124 is like many big 2018s and still needs 4-6 hours of decant time in my book. With enough air, it is fantastic and approachable. That 4-6 hour point has a great balance of the fruit you got on day 1 and the herbalness on day 2.
Luckily for me, a 100% Merlot is not something I want that often and not to worried about drinking through it. 
1 Like
-
2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.22 - USA, California, Napa Valley (10/6/2022)
Splash decant, back into bottle, followed for an hour. Suggested to be Robert Craig, which was later denied? Who cares, this is a really tasty wine.
Lovely nose of fresh blackberries, leather, sweet purple flowers. Palate is very appealing. Medium full bodied, sweet blackberries, purple fruit, mineral tension, good balance of acid and tannin that together make a plush but electric feel. The finish shows some sweet plums, fresh blackberries, and gentle acid that give things a little zip. The tannins begin to really show on the finish and dry the palate.
This is a really nice wine. I used the descriptor "sweet" a lot but to my palate this is a fully dry wine. I really like wines that have fresh and sweet fruit but no residual sugar, and this is one of those. It plays off as being simple and one dimensional but with careful observation it certainly has layers.
Drink now with a short decant, but feel comfortable cellaring this for another 3-5 years. (91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
5 Likes
Opened a 287/Rutz Maison Gran Cru RRV. Expectations were not sky high, but this is a very enjoyable wine.
From CT: As others have stated, a very light Pinot noir. Nose of wood, cherry, tart cranberry, and pomegranate. Smooth entry with well integrated fruit and wood. Mid palate is very delicate. Finish is medium+ with the faintest bit of spice.
Stylistically, this is not typical California/RRV Pinot noir. And I think it works, in this instance. Light, yet with a touch of elegance. Not Burgundian, but probably skews closer to OR pinot. Will strongly consider a case purchase at bottle shop price…
(4+13+15+7) 89
2 Likes
-
2019 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.188 - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (10/9/2022)
Like another reviewer, I think my first bottle was an off bottle. This second bottle was much better. While the first had huge, sweet fruit with cloying American oak, this bottle offered a rounded fruit forward wine with Santa Cruz mountain-minerality, dark plums, baked blackberry pie, and decently integrated oak. This is a good wine and a great value. (90 points)
3 Likes
Opened up a bottle of n.114 Fair Play Tempranillo and tasted it over 3 nights this weekend. This wine still is really tight and comes off as quite tannic and dry at first opening. It opens up a little with 24-48 hours but even then it still isn’t really doing it for me and doesn’t have the notes I’d be expecting in a tempranillo. It is young though so perhaps it will come around with more time but for now this is the only lackluster deNegoce purchase that I’ve made so far. I’d score it an 84 for now.
1 Like
Popped a lot #280 last night and it was a very nice wine. Very nice on the nose, and drank beautifully for costing $10-$12/bottle.
2 Likes
-
2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.145 - USA, California, Napa Valley (10/10/2022)
Decanted 30min, into Glasvin Prestige glass.
Noticeably more translucent color than expected for Napa CS. Very tight nose. Can barely pick up some fresh dark red berries and red fruit, but I can barely get it. Maybe some oak with swirling too. Palate feels medium bodied but the wine fills the mouth. I'm getting red currants with bright acidity and a hint of stem inclusion. There are tannins present but they are well hidden and just poking out. The finish shows some bitter chocolate covered cherries and sharp poke of baking spices.
This is quite good. Balanced but reasonably powerful. It will certainly benefit from more time in the bottle, and could probably use more air than I afforded it. This is a good 90.
HOLD for another 2-3 years, or if you really want can give a 2-3h decant. (90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
3 Likes
Had a bottle of the #196 Cab Franc last night…I really didn’t enjoy it at all, so much so that I only had one glass and saved the rest for tonight. I am hoping it will round out a bit, as last night it was a bit thin and way too sweet for my taste. I generally like Cab Franc’s, both new world and old world styles (some of which are a bit on the lighter side), so it’s not the style I found objectionable. It was more the flavor profile…I will update this post once I have a chance to taste it again.
-
2019 de Négoce Merlot OG N.170 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (10/11/2022)
In a blind tasting I may mistake this for a cabernet, though after opening up with decanting it shows itself as a big merlot brimming with fruit, chocolate oak, hard cherry cough drop, and mint leaves.Mouth-coating tannin and acidity, well balanced, built for the long-haul. Replete with toasted oak that better integrates over hours and likely more so over time.
Drinking great now with a decant, but I can imagine this will improve greatly in time. (92 points)
3 Likes
Gosh, I hate to hear this about 196, since I have a case I haven’t yet tapped, and it was marketed as the best CF Cam ever sourced. He did say in March tasting notes to hold the wine as it was “bristling.” I look forward to hearing your updates.
I’m the same. Have a case.
@Rohit_B posted a good and thorough (as always!) review back in May. Link
2 Likes
-
2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.80 - USA, California, Napa Valley (10/12/2022)
Slow ox for an hour, poured into Glasvin Prestige. Supposedly this is Bennett Lane Reserve.
Nose shows black cherry ice cream, swirling brings out a hint of floral freshness. Palate is medium-full bodied but the acid makes it much more elegant and light. There is plenty of baking spices and dark red fruit, though the acid keeps the fruit definitively in the red spectrum. Finish shows dark cherries and cinnamon spice, maybe nutmeg too. Tannins are present with good grip.
Despite the nose leaning more jammy, the palate and finish showed some elegance and freshness. Minimal RS and good overall structure. Mouthfeel is nice and has good energy. The wine is not trying to be something it isn't--this is a significant upgrade from entry level Napa Cab. Very enjoyable wine and will do well with a crowd.
Drinking well now with more air and should be at prime in 3-5 years. 90-91, 90 for relative simplicity. (90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
3 Likes
I have 9 of the N.80 still left in storage and haven’t opened one in awhile. Glad to hear that it’s coming along nicely and offers a unique combination of elements for the price point. Thanks for the review Rohit!
2 Likes
N.25, a sexy Rock Star Magic Carpet Ride, vanilla, cassis, cardamom, dog dirt complexities, ethereal!
Seriously though, I rank it a totally Serious Double Yum! 94!
I have enough now.
Buy!
2 Likes
300 again last night!
fantastic, ripe, medium to heavy bodied
smooth, well integrated Cabernet
2 Likes
OG N.126 2019 Anderson Valley “Reserve” Pinot Noir
Finally. 22 months in the bottle. This is just starting to come around, the PN fruit characteristics are now coming around. Firm acidity and balance, very enjoyable tonight. Some more time in the cellar and this could be a special $12 winner. Cam said “Hold” on 3/22/2022, I drank 8 nondescript bottles first, and then held off until tonight. Tonight it’s 90ish. I will be checking it again in a few months. Cheers!
Scott with grilled chicken
10/13/2022, 8:29:19 PM
1 Like
Glad to hear this about 126. Like you, I thought it was nothing to be excited about for the first few bottles, but then I decided to let it sit. If it’s finally getting to be a good Pinot, it suggests I should have waited longer on the 70s.
Has anyone sampled the 157 Pinot that is supposed to be exceptional?
1 Like
I recommend holding that Pinot for a while longer, Marie. My experience with the wine in April led me to believe it is a year or two away from really being ready to open.
Cheers
Bob
2 Likes