227 RRV 2019 cab. I think I got this as a $149 case sale in December. Absolutely spectacular. Think the original offer was $240 a case which would have been a steep price for a non-Napa dN wine (and I did pass on original offer.) . But at 13-14$ a bottle (with shipping) I totally bit and it’s worth it. Lower etoh and oak. Lots of pepper and spices on top of dried cherries . This one is a sleeper that can be served with a weekend dinner (reminds me of 17/68) I’m so glad that i forgot about this wine for the last year (released over 3 yrs ago but I took shipment about 10 months ago.) this is in the “ Napa cab rotation” of 17/25/68 (not Napa but good enough to be)145/274/400 /429. Not good enough to enter the “special dN” list of 200/213/241/300/385 list
Dropping in for another not yet WB season check-in. 401 tried again, 3 nights. About a year since the first. Admittedly, this is not my preferred style. Holy moly what a bruiser, as I remembered from last year. Unctuous comes to mind. Inky. If a wine was ever explained as black in color, this one is. It’s rich but not heavy or overly sweet, but on night one it was both too bitter and sweet. Very different wine nights 2 and 3, but no significant change detected from 2-3. There is a dark chocolate bitterness remaining that to me is still too much for enjoyment but I picked up a little more acid (but not enough) which I appreciated. I’ve tasted a fair amount of right bank bdx and this is sort of like some of those more modern, big body versions but this has more of the chocolate/coffee bitters and richness than anything I’ve tasted. The dark bitter also reminds me of some solid CdP/rhones but it lacks th acid and herbal qualities that bring that to a place I enjoy. I’m not qualified to judge but there is something memorable and unique about this wine to me so I’ll assume that means it’s exceptional craft, but it’s not really my cup of tea. Happy to have 10 left to just enjoy the learning experience over the next several years.
Thank you Luke and Christopher…
I have north of 100 unique lots of dN. (I know…“lightweight”)
I hate when I read the latest posts from this thread and have none of the dN being enjoyed.
This morning I was able to write "227, 385, 401 into my Google Doc “de Negoce to Drink”.
Lot 501 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Under duress? Doh! Less than two months bottled, PnP! BS (bottle shock?) not obvious. I quickly popped one just moments before the T1 offer ended, strongly considering a third case?
No, two are enough of this fragrant light/medium bodied Beaujolais reminiscent, clean & refreshing beauty. I will wait a year to guzzle again. Day 2 same freshness.
For now, At least a B+, 89, single Yum 
Surprisingly strong acid for such a long 2023 hang time?
with breakfast burritos for dinner.
OG dN Lot 181 2019 Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottle 22/24. This hidden little gem has become an excellent weeknight PnP!
I’m surprised how nicely this yummy wine has developed. Amazing QPR @ $108/del.!! Nice fleshy fruit, well balanced with pleasant oak. Moderately complex nose. Drinking this UP now, don’t intend or need to age it for any longer.
1 plus Yum🍷for quality. Double Yum for $9 price.
with “Tidy Josephs” 
(common Sloppy Joes eaten with a knife & fork)
Lot 214 2020 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir
This hearty & solid PN is drinking well w/o decanting. This is also very age worthy, I plan to slowly enjoy the remaining 19 or so bottles, no rush, it continues to improve!!
Easy to drink up, in spite of its strength. 14.4%. Double Yum (+?)
with Game Hen
373 Prosecco… My wife enjoys Prosecco and doesn’t mind the $12 bottles…(I can’t remember the brand, but it’s the ones widely available in the orange label) But she does occasionally crave something a nicer. We pulled out 373 last night… I think we’ve worked our way through about half of the case… It really is a fantastic and does speak towards the positives and negatives of this model… I would definitely spend $15 a Bottle and make this our house, sparkling wine… But I know I’ll never be able to get it again so we slowly work our way through it where we want a nicer sparkling wine…
Friday Evening:
- 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.71 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga (10/11/2024)
Double decanted back into bottle an hour before serving with bottom sirloin steak (tri-tip) with sauteed mushrooms. Threw off a modest amount of sediment in decanter and with last glass.
Pours dark opaque/inky in glass. Aromas of cassis and sexy French oak swirl throughout the glass and over the dinner table. Love these Cabernet Sauvignons that have this cassis on the nose, very powerful characteristic. Dark fruit, viscous mouthfeel, perfect acidity balanced with tongue gripping tannins underpin this lovely packaged Calistoga "Hillside" wine. Long lasting finish.
Another outstanding find by Cameron Hughes. Look to start drinking these now for next 3-4+ years. (93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
Day 3 of N.341, 2018 Eden Valley of the Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Had six bottles originally, down to the last couple. This is getting into a really great place. Significant improvement over the last year. Rough edges turning to melted silky chocolate. I’m always stupid eager to open the de Negoce cabs, but don’t think I’ve had one that has improved this much since release. My experience with Aussie cabs is limited, but this has me wanting more. Days 1, 2 and 3 all good.
On a whim, I decided to pop a Lot 500 tonight. In somewhat of a rush, I decanted it for 1.5 hours and put it back into bottle, so probably not enough. You know me, I am Mr. why would you ever open “supposedly” such a big bottle so young? The curiosity got to me.
Well, needless to say it fell flat. A very mild wine, nice tasting and all, but no tannins. Honestly disappointed, but hopefully just no where close to being ready.
Will cellar my other bottles for 2+ years.
I was too impatient to see if I could convince myself that it was sourced from Rochioli, so I cracked Lot 506 off the back of the truck yesterday. Some context about my preferences: the only wines we buy regularly direct from the producer are from the Willamette Valley. The only producer we buy from who releases Pinot Noir after so little time in oak is Kelley Fox (her 2023 single vineyard pinots shipped a few weeks before Lot 506 was released). We’ve had many Pinots from Rochioli dating back to the mid-1990s, and still buy occasionally at auction (at significant discount from their current release prices).
Lot 506 tastes like the wine Kelley Fox would make from Rochioli grapes. Elegant, balanced, lightly oaked, beautiful fruit in the red part of the spectrum, and “only” 14.1% alcohol. I think it has the acidity and enough tannic structure to improve for at least 3-5 years (we never drink Willamette pinot with less than 3 years in bottle outside of a tasting room). If more RRV pinot were made in this style, we would not have largely abandoned the region (except for the occasional nostalgia purchase at auction).
If you prefer 15+% alcohol wines you can chew on, this isn’t your wine. But if you wanted a plausible high-end Oregon Pinot Noir substitute at a small fraction of the price, this is the best alternative I’ve tasted. I hadn’t purchased from DN in 21 months. This wine goes a long way towards restoring my interest.
This is the first time I am totally infuriated with not having more of a particular de Négoce wine! Opened our first of three $9 N 85 Walla Walla 2018 Cabernet Franc wines (Cameron Hughes ascribed it as a $50 value). This may be the most delicate, light bodied Cabernet Franc that I’ve ever enjoyed which was also sophisticated in bouquet and full mouth taste appeal. To think that I now only have two bottles left of this 75% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Carmenere 14.1% alc wine. Ring this up as a 95 pointer ‘A+’ $65 Washington state Cab Franc. / I really want to know the reactions to this selection from others who, obviously, were much smarter than I in buying case(s) of dN 85 Cabernet Franc.
Has anyone received and tasted N.507 Dry Creek SB yet? I’m looking for a few cases of white for a holiday event and was hoping to get an early review. I served N.413 Stags Leap SB last year and it was perfectly acceptable.
Most whites from dN have been good QPR so I might just go for it…
I bought three of these back in April of 2021 and after drinking two if them I agree, this is a lovely wine. My note from back then:
2018 de Négoce Cabernet Franc OG N.85 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (10/20/2021)
After two hours open. Dark ruby hue, clear and sediment free. Generous and very pretty nose that actually takes me to Italy with its behavior. It is just as pretty in the mouth, with a yummy, cranberry-muffin-topped-with-powdered-sugar image coming to mind along with a smooth chalk and mineral foundation to ride upon into a lengthy finish. If you’re looking for oak you’ll find it, but otherwise, I’m sensing an appropriately deft hand here. Kind of surprised how open and approachable it is already. Another dN winner.
5+12+17+9= 93 (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
OG dN Lot 200 2019 Napa Valley Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottle 3/12. One hour afternoon decant, then back into the bottle for imbibing.
Decanting this 2019 may be optional, PnP, may be fine, too? However is does open up beautifully over the evening.
Nose is Immensely complex with cedar/cigar boxes & plenty of yummy French Oak!! Absolutely delicious booze here! A triple Yum for me. ! Very Complex taste and a delightful bouquet, with a long oaky finish. I wish that they were all this yummy!
with beef back ribs (smokey)
OG N.17 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottle 57/64!! PnP, more delicious than ever, a perennial favorite of mine!
This was my second dN purchase & my “Gateway dN drug”! I suddenly realized that I could buy a delicious Napa Cab for $12, a huge revelation! So, I “Backed up the Truck!”
So Complex! Only 7 bottles left, I’ll be having 1-2/year until it’s all gone! Drank too many too soon, without regret. PnP, this is still very good & getting even better. After #200 the previous night I felt this #17 is almost as good and even more age worthy!
Drink now or age it, it will improve further! Wow!
Case 1&2=89, Case 3=90, Case 4=91/92, Case 5+=93+! In my vernacular this went from 1 Yum to 3 Yums as it was aged.
So very Delicious! QPR = WTF
with Smokey grilled Tri-Tip (prime grade)
Same here. dN 17 supposedly sells for $60 at the winery. When I discovered dN, this was the QPR i was (and am) still looking for: being able to drink $60 - $80 wines as daily drinkers for $12 - $15 on a retirement income. There’s plenty of $25 - $75 wines that are really good but very few in the $12 - $15 range in my opinion. At this point, I’m not sure if dN will continue to meet my needs with their prices.
True, but I’ve got enough wine to last me the rest of my natural life, and probably enough to supply the IV at the end.
Randy,
You are an excellent survival planner! Cheers to you! Enjoy them ALL!
Lot 240 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
12/12, PnP. 2+ years bottled. Smooth and easy drinking with an intriguing nose of black fruits.
Great QPR @$120! Now that 240 is all gone, I plan to go on to #230 another 2019 Red Mountain AVA.
with beef chuck patties