JDutko et al,
3-4 years in the bottle seems to work miracles.
Often, but, not always! 
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OG N.69 2018 Napa Valley “Mountain” Merlot
It’s our Wedding Anniversary, so I want 69! She wants Pinot Grigio?
Hmmmm, well this IS a very sexy rockstar of a Merlot.
Seriously, this 2018 is ready and wonderful IMO. Bottle 1 of only 2, Over 4 years in the bottle & very seductive!
Truly an extremely complex nose and smooth palate. The rich and cigar box Bottle bouquet has developed wonderfully! I’m very pleased that I received this in a trade, this is reminiscent of a high level well aged Bordeaux. 69=Petrus? 
Probably my favorite & best dN Merlot yet? Still waiting on #15 & #124 to come around. #94, also…
Double Yum/Triple Yum? 
/ !!! At $180/case T1, such a great deal!! Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em….
with extra delicious Smokey Beef Back Ribs (American Wagyu) 
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it’s just not good is why I poured it out
the other bottles have no chance for improvement as there is no path
so much wine and so little time
no doubt Cam would never have sourced this
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I had to try a Lot 497.
I agree, it’s horrible. The wine is bad, not just young or a style I don’t prefer…it’s bad.
My first bad dN wine. This one needs a refund.
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Wait, wait, wait. Day 1 very dark, not much fruit. Day 2 some fruit but not much. Wait at least 2 or 3 years
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Ok. So since dN has been a significant part of my wine education, I had to open 497 based on these comments to get a baseline (I don’t usually open my $25+ dN wines for a few years if I only get a 6 pack)
Im not getting the same strong repulsive/ hopeless reaction to this wine as yall are. Does it slap me as a special wine right off the bat? No. It feels similar to 100 (2019 Napa) tasted on early on. (And I know 100 was about $16 a bottle compared to $35 for this). My other ones pitched at $150-250 bottles were 213, 243, 300, 200,390,400 and the only one of those that I tried this early was one bottle of 300, and 400 and neither of those blew me away (and 300 has improved and I’ve not revisited 400)
It’s not as full bodied as most dN Napa wines. But I’m not going to pour my 497 out or make sangria with it. Will I trade with Will or Randy for more bottles based on my sample? Also no. This feels like a bit more expensive lesson in wine at $35+ but still part of the journey.
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I just received a case of 506, how long are you going to wait until trying your second bottle?
n.230 was very nice on Thursday evening with a beef dish. It took an hour or two for the tannins to start to tame. I enjoyed another glass or two on Friday, and then tonight decided to have a glass with dinner – and I had the last glass of the bottle. Still yummy! Maybe not quite as vibrant and put-together as on Thurs or Friday, but I still very much enjoyed it. I only bought a few of these in a warehouse sale, so I’m sorry I only have 2 left.
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Man, I paid $400 for a case of the stuff. If it’s that bad, it’s definitely my last dN purchase.
They talked this one up and I splurged way above my budget for what I thought would be a very special wine. I didn’t realize that the website says they don’t take refunds now either.
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Re: #497
Well you bold wine lovers were just following instructions. Hmmmm, suboptimal results! 
The entry is supremely refined, showcasing cherries, baking spices, cocoa nib, vanilla, and a touch of cedar interwoven with medium acidity and plentiful, grippy tannins. A spiced, resonant finish seems to linger on forever. Do yourself a favor – pop this bad boy, give it a healthy decant, and serve it with your favorite steak (but save some for your cellar, obviously). 14.3% alc
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So, when are you going to open your first? Would like to hear your first impressions. Hoping you open & post notes tomorrow 
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I’ll try this again sooner than I usually would. I’ll probably open another around the holidays.
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OG N.82 2018 Walla Walla Meritage
Just a lovely wine. Opened it and let it air for a few hours and put the cork back in and waited another 24 hours before trying. Really nice red cherry, pipe tobacco, mild oak, medium tannins, medium acid, relatively long finish. Well-made wine that clearly reflects its quality and execution.
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Hey Marc, how was the Pichler? I just picked up a few of the 2021s from Zachys last week.
I will probably wait awhile. Like many, I drank many of my early dN purchases too early. So I hope to remain disciplined and avoid the temptation to open too soon.
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I’m gonna quote myself here…I know…
I was emailing dN to complain yesterday and in the middle of my tirade I went into the kitchen and took a swig of the remaining Lot 497. It wasn’t bad! Neither was it really good, but… So, I said, “let’s wait 'til tomorrow and see what happens”. I’ll let y’all know.
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Better yet, wait three years….
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Not tonight, but last Thurs I brought a case of dN to a little New England clambake a group of us put together for 70+ classmates and significant others on a historic 13-acre compound on Long Island Sound for my 45th college reunion. 6 x N.464 RRV PN, 6 x N.451 Oak Knoll Chard - seemed like a good pairing for lobsters and steaks. I managed to have exactly none, but bartender said folks were saying good things about both (as they should have).
Funny story on the 464 - it was shipped back around July, and disappeared into Fedexland. I and dN tried to locate to no avail - I even went to our local Fedex hub where they looked up their tracking, saw where it got misdirected, and told me it was unlikely it would ever show up. So dN sent me another case and filed a claim with Fedex.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago - a badly battered Fedex box showed up on my front porch unannounced (I had originally directed it to a Fedex off-site location) and it was the 464 - box way worse for wear, but the wine inside looked and seemed fine.
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@swsimmons - FX Pichler is one of those producers you can blind buy every vintage no questions asked. Absolutely love this stuff, and it’s even better after ageing for 5+ years. If anyone can recommend something similar at a better price point i would love to give it a try.
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110% this. Pichler is great across the board.
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