Lot 239 2018 Central Coast GSM
2 hours in the decanter, bottle 7. I like this jammy, rich and primarily Grenache SM blend. 14 months in the bottle has served it well.
Day 2, it’s softer and still fresh with improved balance. Drinking Nice now. Can age it more, will improve 2-3 more years. Cheers 
Scott w/Grilled Chicken
People actually listen to what I have to say?! News to me! Glad to hear my notes are helping folks enjoy more wine 
We are definitely listening to you Rohit!
You are very good at writing your tasting notes. Much appreciated, Thank you.
Sip/Drink/Guzzle On! Cheers
Posted from CellarTracker
I’m sorry, what was that? 
I’ve enjoyed 247 and 258, if anything I wished 247 was a bit lower alcohol. So this 367 should be the ticket. $129 delivered is such a no-brainer.
@Rohit_B - I totally appreciate your tasting notes and you often remind us of some of the older DN’s to go back to. #22 Cab was delicious and I was happy that you reminded me of that.
What’s on the tasting table this weekend ?
Just got this today and couldn’t wait to try it. Opened and let sit for an hour or so. I’m having some sinus issues, but picking up some dark fruit and the raspberry and violet notes that Cam mentioned, along black olive and a touch of leather after it opens up a bit more. First taste impression is fresh fruit. Not sweet or heavy, and far more complex than I’m making it sound. The finish seems to go on forever. This might be the best de Negoce in this price range I’ve had. Really nice.
That sounds great, Kevin! Thanks for opening and posting for the team. I can’t wait to get mine and let it sit for a while. Southern France is a relative value compared to US wines to begin with, and when you factor in the de Negoce multiplier… I look forward to more offers from Spain and Portugal!
Ditto! My case of 303 arrived today, will have to try this weekend! Thanks for the early review!
Had an N.30 CS tonight. Minimal decant and terrific. Some dark fruit and beautiful soft tannins with a nice long finish. Big fan.
Kevin,
Yeah my case arrived this week and had to try with my Rhone loving friend for TNF game. He brought a 2019 Herman Story which was compared with the Lot 239. The HS just stole the show ($60 price tag), but as you described accurately, the 303 it’s a winner for the fare paid. 303 did not show much fruit on nose, but did so in flavor. Needs some more bottle time.
Hands down this Cabernet is freaking terrific, consider even walking into a Costco warehouse and paying a measely sum of say $30 (for Lot 30…!). You would likely run back to the store before anyone would discover the great treasure hunt you found.
I plan to leave the rest of these alone for a while. The shippers are working overtime now, so all the wine I bought months ago, thinking I would magically have space for is arriving. Lot 315 2019 Vin de France Cab is supposed to get here today, and I’ve had three half cases delivered in the last week. Wife is getting annoyed, even though I told her these are on the way.
328 2020 Chardonnay - this continues the trend of very good Chardonnay selections from DN. Very understated wine that has cantelope and apples on initial opening. The kind of wine that is pleasant to sip and let the good shine. The next day there is a bit more acidity with lemon/lemon peel. Very nice wine. Look for award to comparing it to 330 when it arrives.
Friday evening 2017 OG N.03 Cabernet Franc. This wine is really developing bottle time now. Due to my extensive cellar, I’ve only started to sample some of the original Cabernets from de Negoce. Mostly try for the 2017 vintages like 3, 6, 11. What really grabs my attention on many of these de Negoce wines is the long finish that really makes you want another sip. That tells me the pedigree of these wines especially for the low fare paid! In de Negoce we trust 
Glad to hear about N.03. I opened one in august 2020 (I can hear Cam now…) and my note was “this needs more time. Kind of bland. Hope it gets better with time.”
Opened one July 2022 and it was much better. Had it in a blind tasting line up and was the favorite of the bunch.
10 more left. I’ll try to be patient.
Mostly a strong structure, less fruit. Big PN. 14.5%. Have thoroughly enjoyed 49 bottles so far, over around the past two+ years. I have enjoyed every bottle. BUT, I am amazed how great this still work tastes on night 2, yet again tonight. I planned to hold my last case for a while, as this is very good for cellaring for another 2-3 years. However, case 5 is now open for business.90=night 1, 91+ night 2! Hold it, if you are able…. Cheers
A smattering of wines over the last few months:
279 Shiraz 2016 Splash decant; tight initially, continues to open up in glass/decanter; nice floral dark plum nose; palate is restrained dark fruit, blackberry/blueberry, some peppery notes; short, clipped finish; tannins/structure suggest upside potential; pretty good for $12; solid single that might leg it out to 2B.
274 Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Decant 1 hr; wanted to check this out to see if worth reloading during sale as others had suggested it was 1. ready, not meant for aging and 2. on the sweet side. First night was tight, muted red berry/cassis fruit, not detecting any significant sweetness. From half-bottle next night; more open, a little more plush, still not sweet. The most expensive DN I have bought so the worst qpr so far. Never a good sign when you are glad you don’t have too many more and hope it develops into something better. Easy out on a fly ball.
142 Horse Heaven Hills Malbec 2018 Camping trip so notes from memory; Pop/pour; opened up in glass with nice blackberry, red berry, fruit with medium body. Went well with bbq. Solid single.
25 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Decanted. After 1 hr, still tight. After 3 hrs, nice cassis fruit on the nose, nothing sweet or floral; palate is more cassis/cherry fruit, savory, with decent tannins. Nothing says big fruit, sweet, or dense, more light-bodied, elegant with a depth of fruit that I like. Finishes with some earthy/mineral notes. Pretty straightforward at this point; hopefully will gain more complexity with age. Solid double.
185 Chardonnay Pop/pour. This wine is really starting to blossom. Great tropical fruit, a little creamy mouthfeel with a nice acid backbone that keeps it all crisp and balanced. My favorite of all the chards and maybe the best qpr of all the DNs I’ve had. Home run with men on base!
234 Pinot Noir 2020 Splash decant; ripe cherry pinot nose; palate is cherry, light, soft, generic tasting, not much acidity, making it a little flabby. Not much change overnight. Overall disappointing given all the hype. Strike out.
101 Cabernet Franc 2018 Decanted 2 hrs, crispy red fruit, some licorice? notes, a little woody, astringent; Can’t really complain for $9, but not getting anything resembling lush/ripe/floral. Saved 1/2 bottle overnight with no change. Will hold remaining bottles and hope it comes together in a way that resembles other notes. A bingle.
228 Zinfandel 2019 Splash decant; generic soft red fruit; not much zin character; glad it was my only bottle.
91 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Decant 1.5 hrs; Red cherry/cassis nose; palate is more red cherry/cassis fruit, with some darker fruits; lighter weight; nothing deep/complex; just an easy drinking cab, well made, some tannin left to resolve so might pick up some weight with more time. Solid single.
I’m hoping bottle variation explains the disparity across all the notes.
Totally agree. My review in early September was pretty much this.
I got the Lot 136 Syrah - Adelaida District (Paso Robles) wine heavily discounted with the purchase of the Chalk Hill Syrah, which is no slouch. That said, I prefer this Adelaida District (Central Coast- Paso Robles) Syrah just a little. It arrived on Friday and I opened on Sunday. Here’s the notes. I rate this in the low 90s.
Double decanted. This is very good stuff. The texture of the wine reminds me of Rutherford dust. You can sort of feel yourself chewing through some dust as the wine coats your tongue and inside cheeks. Leaning towards fruit but plenty of savoury. Blueberry, sour something, and some smoky bacon. I would not have pegged this for a 100% syrah, more of a GSM blend. It was great with Seekh kebabs and by itself. I have been a member of the Denner wine club for 10+ years and I would say this wine is as good as the Denners in lean years but not as good as they make them in the best years. The QPR on this is insanely good