How simply stunning this 5-year-old L 91 Walla Walla 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon acquisition has become for not only its almost 
yumminess (as to a Scott rating) but for the crazy discounted $83 case price delivered! Obviously, the wild blend (82% Cabernet, 5% Petite Verdot, 5% Syrah, 4% Carmenere, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot) works in this case. An easy to assign 90 pts / A.
6 Likes
Bob,
Working on it…
Acquired some extra bottles of this from Chris’ estate- wish we drank this one together Chris.
- 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.216 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (1/9/2026)
Poured into decanter one hour prior to serving with steak dinner.
Nose: Cassis, dark fruit, waves of oak spice, and a "Stags Leap" depth on the nose. Rather intriguing. Aromatically, one of the best Cabernets I've experienced.
Color: Inky purple in decanter and Bordeaux stem.
Palate: Waves of blackberry, cassis with minerality, iron wrapped around that 3.5pH and a long tannic finish. Outstanding all around on this Stags Leap Cabernet. $50 per bottle at offering, making this most expensive de Negoce offer, but WELL worth the fare here. Should age very long time with proper cellaring. (95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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Saturday evening dinner and football on Prime. This Pinot did not disappoint. One of the better de Negoce Pinots I’ve had, back to back with that Cabernet from Friday evening as best de Negoce Cabernet.
- 2019 de Négoce Pinot Noir OG N.157 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/10/2026)
Double decanted back into bottle for dinner: Pork burgers n fries, later Packers-Bears Wild card game.
Nose: What a beauty this is. Pretty red fruit, mix of strawberry and bing cherry.
Color: See through Ruby in 26 Oz Burgundy Stem.
Palate: Full bodied, with generous glycerin, bing cherry, balanced acidity, long slightly tannic finish. No heat at all for me with 14.9% alcohol. Pinot came at you in waves from the aromatics to the full bodied fruity finish. Can see why producer was able to charge > $100/bottle for this lovely Sonoma Coast Pinot. (94 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
4 Likes
- 2022 de Négoce Sauvignon Blanc OG N.346 - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills (1/9/2026)
Poured over couple evenings with dinner preparations:
Served with wheat crackers and Havarti dill cheese
Nose: Lime, guava, vanilla spice.
Color: pale yellow
Palate: Spicy, zippy acidity, lime, minerality with a clean long dry finish. A bit better than most $20 Kiwi Sauv Blancs I've had. For 2022 vintage, this still is going strong. (91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
3 Likes
Good to know this will continue to improve with age. I have only 2 bottles that I must have bought on sale for $32 each. I’m pretty much holding off on tasting most of my ‘18s since they appear to maybe take years to reach their peak. My prediction is peak drinking window starting in 2031!
2 Likes
Lot 399 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow! Excellent.
A little sweet for some, but I like it, and it has great mouthfeel (You know, like a Caymus)
3 of 6 @ $13/bottle. Kicking myself as I type.
4 Likes
Just popped a #2 - wow is this stuff incredible. Miner I believe.
3 Likes
My favorite DN……Glad I have a bunch more to follow its evolution
4 Likes
Thursday evening leftovers and NFLX with the wife.
- 2019 de Négoce Pinot Noir OG N.270 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (1/15/2026)
Popped and poured with leftover BBQ chicken thighs and quinoa on a Thursday evening.
Nose: Red and dark fruits, mixed with spices such as ginger and bay.
Color: See through garnet.
Palate: Bing Cherry, not as much earthiness this bottle as last, unsure why. Full bodied, a bit short on finish, hence sub 90 score. Could been me, wife liked it. (89 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
4 Likes
Friday evening Wine 30 at the Ballard residence:
- 2022 de Négoce Sauvignon Blanc OG N.407 - USA, California, Sonoma County (1/16/2026)
Poured for Friday evening "Wine 30" ie 430PM dinner prep.
Nose: Upon popping cork immediately got slight vanilla nose, telling me a Fume style. Grapefuit and peach on nose, definitely California style.
Color: light yellow.
Palate: Quite tasty here, combination of citrus and minerality with not too much acidity as say a Loire or Kiwi SB. Good length on finish and a barn burner deal at $99/case. Wished I bought more than a case now. Best bottle yet on this '22 vintage SB. (90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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Served this beauty with grilled NY steak, sauteed mushrooms. twice baked russets.
- 2018 de Négoce Cabernet Sauvignon OG N.08 - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/16/2026)
Notes same as 2024 tasting here- This Cabernet is firing on all cylinders now.
Placed into decanter 30 minutes prior to dinner. Pours dark crimson in glass. Aromas of dark fruit (cassis / blackberry), nutmeg, spice in the glass. Very inviting nose. Classic flavors of cassis with blackberry fruit, mixed with savory tones make this Cabernet just sing in your mouth. Minerality, glycerin, tannins round out a long finish. Hard to put the wine glass down with this Cabernet inside.
Wish I purchased more cases... (93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
3 Likes
Lot 385 2019 St. Helena/Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Nearly 3 years bottled, about halfway through the case, PnP.
Delightfully Full bodied and hefty! Nose has nice complexity with very ripe dark fruit evident.
A delicious and very solid double yum 
Drinking Great now, age worthy as well!
*with Tritip*
7 Likes
Love seeing the reviews of the single digits. Will queue this up. Thanks for posting!
3 Likes
OG N.68 2018 Sonoma County “Mountain” Cabernet Sauvignon
23rd of 30, PnP. Well over 5 years bottled. It’s really very ready to enjoy now.
Nicely balanced and well flavored. Great QPR, it did need the added aging for my tastes. Now, I believe it has truly arrived! Enjoy.
*with Sesame Chicken*
12 Likes
Do you think it’s Pride Mountain juice?
1 Like
I haven’t a clue who produced #68.
Regardless, it’s tasty, ready, with a great QPR. VERY Enjoyable now. 
1 Like
Great showing for dN last night. I put #241 up against its supposed source Meteor Perseid 2019. If Mikko or anyone else knows that we were wrong on this one, let me know and I’ll give up guessing. As soon as I poured them both into the decanter I was pretty confident they were the same wine. Same color, same nose. I didn’t bother to blind them to myself so take may opinion with a grain of salt. I had a slight preference for the Meteor, just a bit more silky and elegant, but that totally lined up with what I hope for with dN. That all barrels were made to sell under the original label and the winemaker chose which ones to let go late in the game. For the record, all three of my guests who tasted blind gave a slight preference to 241. Both beat out the more expensive 2016 Lerner RMS (sorry boom boom fans). Hopefully the side by sides will keep coming, it was a lot of fun.
6 Likes
Larry,
From OG N.69 offer:
Description
From the same producer as N.36, 37 and 38, N.69 2018 Napa Valley Merlot is a spectacular wine from a spectacular mountaintop vineyard on the crest of the Mayacamas range and Spring Mountain. Located at over 2,000 feet, these vineyards straddle the Napa/Sonoma County line (which is probably why they don’t use Spring Mountain appellation) and can bottle as either appellation or both depending on the final blend. The combination of altitude and volcanic soils makes for small berries and tight clusters which equals dark, ageable wines with lots of intensity and structure -a Cabernet-lover’s Merlot. With at $80+ price point and plenty of low-to mid-90’s scores from the major critics, this highly revered wine is an incredible offer at $15/bottle or $180/
OG N, 68 offer:
Description
The last offering from this stunning, high-elevation, Spring Mountain estate, N.68 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic example of the “mountain” breed. Dense and savory with elegantly delineated fruit, it reflects the extreme growing conditions of high-altitude vineyards. Here ultraviolet exposure combines with lean soils to produce wines (and especially Cabernet’s) with bold structures and intense flavors. Of course, N.68 Cabernet is a terrific example, an achetype for the category. After purchasing the first three wines, our team was given carte blanche access and assembled the blend from components we were provided (everything is Estate fruit save for a 1% St Helena Merlot addition). I am confident everything here is “first run” - these folks simply had excess (as did most wineries before the smoke taint wiped out a huge portion of Napa Valley’s 2020 Cabernet). Since the blend is our own, its hard to directly compare prices (this year we’ve been able to purchase pretty much exactly what the wineries are bottling) but I think its fair to say you would pay anywhere from $75-$95/bottle for the components here so lets call it $80 juice for $18. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, if you are looking for overtly rich and early expressive, this isn’t your Cabernet. Deep, dark and delicious it is (and relatively approachable for a mountain Cab); nevertheless, the best of this wine is a couple years out. Bottled late September, this wine shows similar to N.69 with ebbing and flowing aromas. Dark and brooding in the glass it starts very earthy and graphitic with lots of deep plum, chaparral, herb and licorice notes flashing with black cherry, sage and leather. Powdery purple florals, crushed volcanic rock and dark earth are constant once it opens up. Smooth and surprisingly lush and full on the palate, its focused and concentrated with chewy tannin and bright, lingering black cherry on the finish. This will be dynamite once it coalesces. 77% Sonoma County, 23% Napa County 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot 45% new French oak 14.6% alc. Bottled September 28th 800 cases available.
Today’s Wine Access offering:
I purchased 68 at original price $216 then again when it was offered in “oversized” cases blow out at $139?? Pinch me I’ve got two cases of “Pride” like Cabernet for ~$15/bottle from excellent 2018 vintage. 5.5 years in bottle.
Cheers, Tim
2 Likes
100%. Here is my 8/12/23 tasting note on this wine: “This is just amazing value! As a longtime list member of the rumored producer of this wine, to my palate it certainly lives up to the rumored source. Just a baby, you can cellar this for 10 years and be very happy with the result, provided Cam’s corks hold up that long. Certainly lots of fruit, but 5 years in it’s starting to round out. This is my third bottle I think, and each has been better than the last. Impeccably balanced, just the right amount of oak, finish is consistent with producer’s house style. I got the same price as Deegie below, $11.58 on sale…maybe the greatest qpr cab purchase of my life! 92 pts”
Opened another last year with same score. Went long on this, wish even longer!
2 Likes