Thanks for this tasting note. You actually eased my FOMO a bit. I was a Robert Craig fan from when he first started selling to the flash boys back in 2008/9 and that was mostly affinity not the higher end stuff. I have no doubt you’ve got a great value on your hands, but I suspect I have enough of 200, 213, 241, 300 and 275 to scratch that itch. I’m trying to think where I still have FOMO on this board. Probably 250, which I think I purchased with a friend and then forgot to pick up before I moved.
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I just have to ask: did your friend think you didn’t want your lot 250 anymore so he drank all of it?
I’ve noticed that dN lot 400 doesn’t usually make the lists of what WBers consider to be the best dN lot numbers. I was late to the game and missed getting any 400 and was really looking forward to buying it. Maybe I avoided a not so stellar wine but I think there’s a good change 400 will eventually be fantastic - only it may take until 2030.
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My friend would be delighted if I came over and collected as much dN wine as I could carried, not because he doesn’t like it but because after he bought a ton his wife quit drinking. As for 400, if you’re anywhere near denver I have some 400 to sell or trade. I agree that it might turn into something good, but I certainly don’t need two cases of it.
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I’ll throw a curveball at the end.
2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.468
Deep dark purple. Very viscous. This needs a long decant as initially it is completely shut down. Took notes after 24 hours. Nose is dark fruited, somewhat complex, slightly floral, vanilla, cassis, some licorice root, alcohol lift, violets, rhubarb. Palate is toasty, fruity, somewhat complex with dark fruits, decent acidity and freshness and somewhat integrated tannins. Finish is a touch on the short side. Still, a very nice wine that will drink well for 5-10 years still, but is ready to go now.
And here’s the curveball.
This is a sister wine to #300. #300 is a little more complex but the profile is almost identical to this. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the same source. I tasted this and thought damn, I’ve had this wine before. I opened a #300 and did a side-by-side and they truly are difficult to spot blind.
And this comes from someone whos tasted #300 blind on multiple occasions and always called it.
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I drank 468 and 400 this weekend. I’ll just say I am happy to have 3 cases of 400 and 2 of 468.
400 is better now than the last time I tried it (months ago).
Interesting observation on 468/300 … I’ll have to check those out side by side sometime.
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2019 Eleveur Cote de ‘Or
Delightful!
PnP. The cork indicates this has been bottled for roughly two years+??
This garnet colored Burgundy is very pleasant and super easy to drink up, muy pronto!
No Brett, no musty Burgundy funk, very clean and rather refreshing.
Light bodied and mild flavors, with a hint of Pinotberry on the palate.
Happy to have a case to enjoy over the next two years. **Good value here.**m
Personally, I do prefer the fuller bodied, stronger structured PN’s from “the Golden State”.
One yum 
+
with awesomely delicious Roasted Duck 
The best gosh dang chicken that I’ve ever eaten!!!
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OG N.105 2018 Rocks District Cabernet Sauvignon
This bottle of #105 tastes rather tired 
now. It is Time to drink these up soon, PnP.
Additional aging will likely be counterproductive for my tastes. Bottoms up 
Day 2 reconfirms this view.
with still extra awesome leftover Roast Duck
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Give it a shot. Do it blind. They both have this very distinct rhubarb character that’s a dead ringer for me.
I’ll give #400 another shot. I haven’t been impressed with it yet.
People used to guess Predecessor as source for #300. I think that’s as likely as MacDonald. I’ve had Predecessor Cab and it’s not #300 (unless it’s some Cam Field Blend from their material).
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Big open question is the $250 tasting room price tag quoted in the lot 300 blurb…does RC sell a $250 bottle? Or are you more suggesting that it’s another producer from the same vineyard that they source from?
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Encouraged by Brandon’s note, I opened a 50 as well.
DN50 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla, WA
Decanted one hour. Nose: dark cherry/cassis with some dirt/earthy notes. Taste: Big flavors of dark cherry/cassis fruit with some tannin/structure but finally coming together with some savory notes and opening up to drink well. Saved 1/2 bottle overnight and next day this has evolved nicely with more prominent aromas in the nose along with a cedary note. On the palate, the fruit has mellowed making it much more savory, elegant but still structured for the long haul. Great with a grilled T-bone. Now one of the top DN values for me, this will be very nice with more time so I’ll hold off six months or so before the next one.
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Quick notes from a blind tasting of eight cabernets I held this weekend. I’ve been looking for an opportunity the compare some of my dN cabs to some commercial wines. None of these are real high end as I tend to mine the value end of the spectrum (hence why I am on this thread and not one dedicated to Screagle). We had a group of mostly casual wine drinkers with a couple of us being a little further down the wine nerd spectrum. All wines were poured out of the bottle and then back in and allowed to sit overnight at 65 degrees with the cork stuck back in. Here’s how the group ranked them:
1 (WOTN) - dN 250 2019 Rutherford Cab. Was the clear winner, garnering 6 of 11 first place votes. Deep ruby in the glass with moderate perfume of somewhat tart black fruits, with something else on the savory side also showing up. To me the alcohol showed a little more than the others in this group. Supposedly Flora Springs Hillside Reserve which goes for about $125, but $35 from dN. Not actually my #1 pick, but the people spoke clearly. CT score 93.3.
2 - dN 251 2017 Sonoma Cab. My number 1 wine, but many more saw it as the bridesmaid. I found this to a best balanced wine, perhaps the extra couple years are helping this compared to 250. Reputedly Smith Story Pickberry Vineyard which goes for around $70, or $25 from dN. CT 92.9.
3 – Tolaini Legit 2016 Tuscan CS. An unusual Italian wine in that it’s all cab sauv, not a super Tuscan blend. Awarded #13 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2020, this was my number 2. Purple in the glass and red fruit on the nose, drying tannins provide a medium long finish. CT 90.5. At $35 this one overperforms.
4 – Caymus 2018 Napa CS. Won this in a raffle, so happy to not have paid the normal $80 freight. This one came in dead last for me, but the people, they like the Caymus, some of them at least. This was the sweetest of the group which just isn’t my style. Inoffensive, but that’s about it. CT 88.6
5 – Di Costanza DI CO 2018 CS. This was one of the bigger surprises to me. My first DI CO and I expected a little more, but it fell in the middle of the pack. I got next to nothing on the nose, but what I got was a little funky. I found it right down the middle in terms of body, and dryness, and lacking acidity and structure. I really wanted to like this one, but perhaps will try my next one with a shorter decant. CT 91.8.
6 – Chateau du Spev (home made by one of the attendees from Chilean CS grape juice). With a unique bite to it that reminded most of carbonation, the winemaker recognized his handiwork immediately. Reaction was mixed but I was happy for him that it didn’t finish DFL.
7 – Chateau Labegorce 2015 Margaux. OK, not truly a cab but a blend of 50% cab sauv, 44% merlot, 4% PV and 2% CF. It received one first place vote (from my wife) but three last place votes from others. Nicely perfumed with a mix of red and black fruits (to me anyway) along with some earthy notes, I found it to be a great drop as I like the grippy tannins and acidity this one brought. It was my #3 wine so I guess my wife and I won’t be sharing our remaining bottles with anyone. CT 91.0
8 – dN 309 2019 Maipo Valley CS. Given the good reviews on CT (91.7) I was surprised by this showing. It offered nothing on the nose, I found it on the light side with little acid and little in the way of a finish. Embarrassingly it was beaten by a homemade Chilean cab. Also the least expensive wine of the group at 13 bucks.
So all in all a good showing for dN, holding down the two top spots, but also with a DFL finish. Credit to the inexpert group of tasters whose taste buds generally aligned with the CT community by picking the two highest scoring wines 1-2. And the ranking also correlated well with the retail value of these wines, with only the Legit leapfrogging a couple higher priced wines, for whatever that’s worth. All in all a fun event, and am happy to see Lots 250 and 251 strut their stuff.
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Thanks for the newest review of dN 50. I bought a case at $20 a bottle so missed the tranche 1 $15 price but it sounds like a great QPR anyway. I now have 12/24 entered as my 1st bottle tasting but in my notes it’s listed as drinking well until 2050 by which time I’ll probably be dead!
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Opened my first N.468 (RC), very happy to have 11 more of these for ~$22/ bottle. Fit perfectly with a grilled ribeye after about an hour of air. Saving half the bottle for tomorrow.
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It’ll be a lot better tomorrow. Definitely a dN score.
Although if I paid retail I would be pretty disappointed.
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447 2022 cab. Opened this in the recs of others. It’s a good wine but a bit on the “Hawaii punch” or fruit salad side of the cab spectrum. I didn’t love it on pop and pour (though I did find it more enjoyable that a young lot 100. Which I think had a similar light feel). It was better 24 hours later. still fruity but a bit better integrated. I’ll leave this for at least another yr.
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Day 2 - you were spot on, really well integrated, tannins resolved, easy drinking. I agree, at $120, it’s a pass. $20, very happy
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My first bottle of N. 21 Cab (thought to be Robert Craig, and likely confirmed with the recent shiner offer). No formal notes, but excellent wine that opened up nicely over the course of a couple hours. Very classic Cab profile, could use a few years for the tannins to settle in a bit.
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Thursday evening Game 3 Stanley Cup Finals:
Lot 229 2019 Red Mountain Mourvedre/Syrah:
Popped and poured. Great Mourvedre nose on this wine, if you like this varietal, you will recognize the nose from the glass. Wonderful mouthfeel - glycerin and tannins wrapped around plums and dark fruit. This wine calls out food in my opinion. Well made and an absolute bargain at first tranche- then recall the blowout case price later at $99! Score: 91 points. Hold or drink.
OG N.140 2018 Rocks District Syrah.
Decanted 1 hour before serving. Darker color than 229 Mourvedre/Syrah. Nose is less reductive than previously presented. Meaty, with blackberry lingering around. Coming around now. Last glass fell off just a bit, leading me to believe this wine should be consumed now to another year. This is not as good as the same Producers Cabernet OG N.139. Score here; 88 points. This is more of a Syrah lover’s wine IMO.
Happy Friday.
Cheers, Tim
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229 is a better wine that 239 (which I liked). It’s just a more complete gsm
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