- 2019 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.181 - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County (11/2/2025)
This continues to be one of the absolute best quality-to-price ratio (QPR) champions in the De Negoce portfolio. Two years of bottle age have worked wonders, allowing this wine to evolve beautifully from a powerful but delicious wine, into a complex and nuanced glass.
To assess its progress, I opened a bottle this weekend and gave it a generous two-hour decant. The payoff was immense. The wine now presents a stunning balance of its robust structure and vibrant fruit core.
On the nose and palate, it has developed well beyond its primary fruit, offering sophisticated layers of crushed graphite, macerated red and purple fruits (think blackberry and stewed plum), and hints of dark cacao. An underlying note of forest floor and earth adds a classic, grounding complexity.
Verdict: If you have any bottles left, they are drinking spectacularly well right now. For those who bought a case, you are being richly rewarded. This remains a benchmark for what is possible from the Cameron Hughes DN days. A truly impressive and delicious wine that continues to over-deliver. (93 points)
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Yes, agreed! Delicious and only $9 per bottle! $108/case. I liked it enough to double dip, got 2.
One lonely bottle remaining in my “last bottle library”. Thanks for the reminder! 
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Lot 550 | 2021 Napa Valley Proprietary Red
Just 6 months bottled, 1/24, PnP.
Well pigmented, soft and elegant (13.9%), restraint and balance, well acidulated, red & blue fruit, minerals on the soft palate, smooth finish.
Said to be left bank inspired, the soft tannins seem to put this smack dab in the middle of the Gironde River??
I like this elegant style, no monster here. Good dose of Merlot here.
+/ ? Drinks fine now, and, into the next few years.
with my pork chili Verde
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I think I only have one bottle left as well. Sad!
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I enjoyed every single sip. 
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I committed too much infanticide with this n.181. It was my go to when the other 2018’s were not ready (and it was). I think I have only one bottle left and every one I’ve drank has been excellent in an old school more restrained Cali cabernet style
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It really was ready much sooner than others. And that was the beauty of it.
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I blinded #300 against a Harlan Estate in our tasting in Helsinki, and 7/8 preferred the #300.
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A co-incidence: today I pulled my 6 lot 300 bottles from deep freeze and have tagged them to drink from '26 - '28. Sounds like I should save them for special occasions. Most expensive dN purchase I’ve made at $43 each.
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The Judgement of Cam
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I’d be curious to hear a bit more about how that blind went. What else if anything was being poured, and what vintage the Harlan was. But I’m also not surprised.
David,
Here you go.
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I’m curious @Mikko_Tuomi , were those wines scored after the fact of reveal, or was that Harlan 82 points given blind? I don’t see that but maybe I’m just being an idiot looking at this. Seems like the taster doesn’t like ripe cabs. Also, forgive me for asking questions about this back dated story. I find this type of thing pretty interesting as I’m sure most would. I’m surprised that forum didn’t have a longer feed to it.
Yup, I really don’t.
I usually score the wines when I post the notes to Cellartracker, but the wine was tasted and assessed fully blind and I gave the wine a verdict of sorts - which more or less dictates the ballpark in which I’ll give the final score - before the wines were revealed.
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Thanks for commenting! I think it’s really a helpful framework. Great notes, btw.
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Received a case of Lot 514 yesterday, 2022 Spring Mountain Cab Franc.
I’m going to drink a couple in the short term. Based on cellar tracker reviews, it looks like i should give this a good decant.
Would anyone have recent experience with this one and/or a suggestion on how long to decant?
Celebrating my 98th monthly (118 times now) Cerro Alto summit hike with:
Lot 400 | 2020 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
I poured it into the decanter, was very, very slightly reduced, figured 20 minutes was plenty then back into the bottle. PnP would be fine.
Pours very dark. Lotsa oak on the nose, mixed fruits and plenty of tannins. Opened up nicely early on. Easy to drink it all, enticing booze! Double Yum . This 2020 seems ready to enjoy.
with meatloaf with Porcini gravy
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I drank one of n.400 early (wife opened it by mistake) shortly after delivery. It was definitely not ready then so it’s good to hear it’s coming along. I tagged it for 2026 or later though as I have a glut of 2018/2019 dN that probably should be drank before this one. I also figure it is going to have a longer life than some of the 2019’s that seem to be at peak and probably about to slide backwards
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I agree with you. For my tastes most of my dN 2019’s are now mature enough and ready for guzzling. 
2018’s still going strong.
I got very few 2020’s, no real opinion there. Unsure about the 2021’s??? 
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Lot 401…Mega Purple and oak chips. Disappointing.
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